Bald Eagle #16-2517

Species Name (EN): 
Species Name (LA): 
Admission Date: 
December 13, 2016
Location of Rescue: 
Chesapeake, VA
Cause of Admission / Condition: 
Lead poisoning
Prognosis: 
Outcome: 
Died December 21, 2016
Patient Status: 
Patient Archive

On December 13, a Bald Eagle was found down in a field in Chesapeake, Virginia, unable to fly. Dr. Peach, one of the Center's veterinary interns, was in the area and was able to transport the bird back to the Wildlife Center that same evening.

Dr. Ernesto examined the bird and found that the female eagle was bright and alert, but in thin body condition. A physical examination revealed a heart murmur and increased respiratory efforts; blood work confirmed a very high lead level, too high for the Center's machine to read. Samples were taken and sent to an outside laboratory for additional testing. Dr. Ernesto started the eagle on injectable and oral chelation therapy, which will continue for the next five days.

The eagle's prognosis is grave, given the high level of lead. Lead toxicity affects the nervous and cardiovascular system and can sometimes cause irreversible damage. For more information on lead, please read the Center's position paper on Lead Toxicity in Raptors.

Your donation will help provide this lead-poisoned Bald Eagle with specialized medical care. Thanks for your support!

Updates

December 22, 2016

On the morning of December 21, Bald Eagle #16-2517 was found dead in her crate in the Center's holding room. Sadly, this is not all that unexpected, knowing that the eagle's lead levels were very high.

Typically, when the Center's lead analyze reads "high", the staff can perform a dilution of the blood (using "normal" eagle blood) and can calculate a fairly accurate reading. In this bird's case, the dilution test indicated a level of nearly 3.6 ppm -- very high. Outside laboratory samples came back this week at a much higher level -- more than 8.0 ppm. Typically birds with extremely high lead levels do not survive.

December 19, 2016

Just days after admission, Bald Eagle #16-2517 was in poor condition; the bird was not eating on her own and was intermittently vocalizing in her enclosure in the Center's holding room [a symptom of the lead poisoning]. Throughout the weekend, the bird's condition improved slightly; Dr. Peach was pleased to find the eagle eating a little on her own on December 17. By December 18, the bird ate more food on her own, and her neurologic status was within normal limits.

The eagle had a repeat lead test on December 19; Dr. Peach was pleasantly surprised to find that the levels had dropped to 0.37 ppm. The eagle will receive a second course of chelation therapy starting on December 20. While the slight improvement is encouraging, the eagle's prognosis is still quite guarded, since lead poisoning, particularly at very high levels, can cause long-term problems, particularly with the optic nerve.

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