Our Facebook friends were in for quite a ride following our recent Ring-necked duck patient’s case! The initial details of the case were even featured on Fox Illinois- read the article here: https://foxillinois.com/news/local/ui-wildlife-clinic-performs-blood-transfusion-from-owl-to-duck!
After this article was published, the team took radiographs (x-rays), and found a small metal object in the bird’s stomach that was likely to be the source of the lead toxicity and resulting anemia. The following week, a stomach wash was done to remove the object- a small BB gun pellet!
Soon after the procedure, the patient was clearly feeling much better! After one last lead check and another screen to make sure the anemia had resolved, the Ring-necked duck was successfully released back into the wild. We love a happy ending, and the team that worked so hard on this case was very proud to watch him swim to freedom!
Learn more about what you can do to help prevent lead toxicity in wildlife here: https://bit.ly/37ETYgq
