Eastern Box Turtle 25-611 Meet 25-611, a male eastern box turtle. He came to us with an aural abscess–an issue commonly seen with turtles of multiple species, as well as some early warning signs of respiratory issues. Fun fact: the word “aural” means related to the ears, though it is pronounced almost identically to “oral”, […]
The eastern box turtle is by far one of the most commonly received turtles that the Wildlife Medical Clinic (WMC) treats in its facility. Whether it be from an injury, illness, or anything in between, this turtle is one that the public finds often in our area and brings to the clinic when they are […]
Bobcat (Lynx rufus) American bobcats are a medium sized cat that can be up to two feet tall at the shoulders and weigh upwards of thirty pounds. They often have a mostly brown coat with black spots speckled throughout with a white stomach. They are found all throughout the United States and are very adaptable […]
Case Intake The Wildlife Medical Clinic has seen quite a few Virginia opossums this year and these are often a favorite species in the clinic due to their more agreeable attitudes and interesting anatomy. I had the opportunity to work closely with a few Virginia opossums this year, and DIVI 25-2152 was the first one […]
The Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) is one of six subspecies of the Common Box Turtle and is found in the eastern United States. Eastern Box Turtles are mainly terrestrial turtles that live in areas of high vegetation and are close to small rivers or streams. Box turtles get their name from their hinged […]
Observation and Diagnostic Tools When a good Samaritan brings in a Great horned owl that cannot fly or a lethargic Eastern box turtle with no apparent physical injuries to the Wildlife Medical Clinic, how do we determine what is going on with these patients? That’s where the problem-solving aspect of our work comes into play. […]
Arrival and Initial Concerns On August 31, 2025, the Wildlife Medical Clinic received an adult Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) that had been found grounded and unable to fly. Upon intake, the owl was in thin body condition and demonstrated ocular abnormalities–most notably, aqueous flare in both eyes. This clinical sign indicates there is inflammation […]
Intake At the beginning of October, the Wildlife Medical Clinic welcomed a Painted Turtle brought in by a licensed wildlife rehabilitator from Illinois. Sadly, this patient had been the victim of a common — and often underestimated — threat to our native turtle populations: vehicle collision. Many people are surprised to learn that when a […]
On February 5, 2026, a juvenile Red-Tailed Hawk presented to the Wildlife Medical Clinic emaciated and with a depressed mentation, not able to hold itself up or stand properly. Due to the clinical signs at the initial exam, we placed an intraosseous catheter – this means it was placed directly into a bone in the […]
Why is it so important to keep our domestic animals inside and on a leash? While pets love to have outside time and their pet owners love it too, it is important to be aware of your pet’s activities and supervise their time outdoors. They may come across wildlife that will not be as keen […]