This Barred Bit Off More than it Could Chew

From Wild Care Oklahoma

It's Medical Monday at WildCareOklahoma, and today's case is one our veterinary team has never seen before.

Meet patient 25-8966, an adult Barred Owl who had to be rushed to WildCaremOklahoma's medical clinic because he was choking on his food. Owls can't call for help, and this one showed almost no outward signs. He was perched calmly when Jill Watson, RVT, heard a faint, abnormal wheeze.

Jill gave the owl a quick exam, and she found a lump at the base of his neck. Fearing an infection or tumor, she immediately brought the owl to the veterinarian. Closer inspection revealed the cause: the tail of a rat lodged deep in his throat. Under anesthesia, three- quarters of an entire rat was removed, and its pressure was blocking the owl's airway.

Thanks to attentive listening, fast action, and skilled medical care on the part of WildCare Oklahoma's veterinary team, this owl survived the ordeal and healed from earlier car-strike injuries. Even better, he was released back to the wild on Thanksgiving morning.

As a personal note, patient 25-8966?! They are going to hit 9000 patients this year?! This place is either huge or they never sleep! 😮

That's 25 new patients every day.