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News from the College of Veterinary Medicine University of Illinois 3225 Vet. Med. Basic Sciences Bldg. 2001 S. Lincoln Ave. Urbana, IL 61802 |
February 24, 2012 Release on |
| Contact: |
Chris Beuoy 217/244-1562 beuoy@illinois.edu |
Snowy Owl Care Just One Reason to Support Wildlife Medical Clinic
URBANA - Rehabilitation therapy is one of many resources being used at the University of Illinois Wildlife Medical Clinic to help a young snowy owl with a broken wing recover and return to the wild.
Rehab therapist Kim Knap, whose patients more frequently are dogs and cats, has been administering cold laser therapy, to promote bone healing, and ultrasound therapy, to improve elasticity of the tendons, for the owl that arrived at the Wildlife Medical Clinic on January 3. The rehab therapy treatments have been taking place about three times a week.
The rehab therapies are designed to help the owl regain full extension of its wing. To return to the wild, the owl will need to be able to fly several thousand miles, so any wing impairment will limit his chances of survival.
The complete medical history detailing the owl's care can be seen online here: go.illinois.edu/featured_wmc_case. The cost of his care to date is nearly $3,500; the Wildlife Medical Clinic is a non-profit organization run on donations, so support is greatly appreciated.
The clinic's annual fund-raiser, Doodle for Wildlife, will be held on Saturday, March 3. This dinner and auction brings in one-third of the clinic's total annual operating budget, which comes entirely from donations and supports care for about 1,300 animals every year.
To learn more about Doodle for Wildlife and to register, go to vetmed.illinois.edu/wmc/.