Daring dentistry

No one likes going to the dentist but if left tooth problems can become worse and cause further difficulties. In wildlife this is more serious as it effects their survival if it causes infection or they are unable to eat.  A badger was brought in by an RSPCA Inspector for abnormal behavior, he had been found dazed and ataxic i.e. wobbly on his feet.  He was placed in a pen for observation overnight and allowed to settle and rest.  The following day a general anesthetic was given by the vet, which enabled the vet to carry out a proper examination and x-ray.  No fractures were found but there was an infection in his nose which led to the vet finding a major tooth problem. A closer look revealed his upper left canine tooth was cracked and the root had been left exposed, this had lead to a nasty tooth abscess- no wonder he felt rotten!

Although quite an extensive operation the missing canine would not make much of a difference to the badger once back in the wild.  If the tooth was left it may lead to further infection, a lot of pain and potentially death.  My work in the hospital was almost complete so I was given the chance to observe the procedure, which was fascinating. It is very rare to see dentistry on a badger.  It gave me the chance to really see how large badgers canine are and the extent of the damage.

Captivity is always stressful for wildlife so the team are always looking to return our animals, back to the wild as quickly as possible, as soon as they are fit and healthy.  Therefore after a few days of recovery he was given a long lasting antibiotic and quickly released back to where he came from - minus the tooth and no visit from the tooth fairy!

                                                   

   Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

Getting a Kite to fly again

When a member of the public arrived with what they thought was a Buzzard I did not realize how significant it would turn out to be. I was informed the bird had been seen to spiral out of the sky and crash land into an electric fence in a field where they rescued it. As soon as we took it out of the box for observation we knew it was not a Buzzard, from its colouring and wing pattern we identified that it was in fact a Red Kite!

                                       

It was understandably in shock, had a bit of blood around the mouth and raspy breathing - it was treated and left it in peace to recover overnight.  When the Red Kite was x-rayed as part of its vet check, it was us who got the shock as 8 shots were found in it - including two in the head!

                                 

It is incredible how this bird survived, looking at it now, you would never know the ordeal it had gone through. Our vets were understandably concerned about the head injuries.  Perfect health and 'spot on' vision are essential for these top predators to catch prey and survive in the wild. 

When the Red Kite was rechecked yesterday the sight in the left eye had greatly improved and its general condition was such that we were given the green light to take the Red Kite out into one of our outdoor aviaries to see how well it flies.  The next few days will be spent monitoring its progress; I will keep you updated on this extraordinary bird’s progress.

                                             

To see the news article click on this link   http://blogs.rspca.org.uk/regionalnews/?s=red+kite

                                                  

   Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre

What skills do you have?

Every year Stapeley has over 6000 admissions into its Wildlife Centre and Cattery, the cost of their care and running the Centres reaches £800,000!  With no government funding to finance these costs we rely on generous donations and legacies. These are generated Stapeleys fundraising and education team in attending events and promoting the Centre.

    

On Thursday I helped at the recruitment evening to encourage new volunteers to join the support group. Community fundraiser Chedia gave a presentation on why funds are needed, what we do and how they could get involved.

The group has monthly meetings to arrange events at Stapeley (such as the successful Christmas fair) and in the local area to raise funds and awareness.

                 

There is a variety of roles to utilise everyone’s unique skills in event planning, publicity or education- there is something for everyone!  Now the group’s success has started gathering momentum more help is needed to keep it moving forward to enable Stapeley to continue its fantastic work.

                          

If you wish to offer your skills and time to help us fundraise or in the Centres please contact us on volunteer-stapeley@rspca.org.uk.  You can also see the website http://bit.ly/WYhfkb

Help us to help the animals.

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre