Treating patients @Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital

Lettuce the Agile Wallaby Joey - Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital Patient Story                                

Age: Juvenile

Sex: Female    Weight: 860gm

Found: Lettuce was sadly left an orphan after her mum was hit by a car in Gatton, QLD.

Transported to: The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital by a kind member of the public.

Veterinary Assessment: Dr Claude was on duty to assess Lettuce when she arrived. After a thorough examination and x-rays under anaesthetic, Dr Claude found that Lettuce had some bruising, but had thankfully escaped any fractures.

Treatment: Lettuce was given pain medication and fluids to aid recovery and was then transferred to the small animals ICU for close observation.

Future: Lettuce was transferred to a registered wildlife carer to raise her until she reaches independence. After this, Lettuce will be returned to her home-range in the wild but safely away from roads and other threats.

AZWH Fact: Agile Wallabies are easily recognised by their sandy brown or reddish colour. They have a distinctive black stripe down the middle of their eyes and ears and light coloured cheeks.

Links:

• http://wildlifewarriors.org.au/

Age: Sub Adult                  Sex: Unknown                 Weight: 950gm

Found: On the ground at Rainbow Beach, QLD. Zulu had tried to eat a cooked chicken carcass discarded on the ground and some of the bones had pierced through his head and mouth.

Transported to: The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital by an RSPCA inspector.

Veterinary Assessment: Dr Jackie could immediately see the chicken bones had caused considerable damage. Zulu had suffered a fractured jaw and had two bones piercing through his head and mouth. After further examination and x-rays under anaesthetic, Dr Jackie also found a small sharp bone fragment in his stomach.

Treatment: Dr Jackie removed all the bones from his head and mouth and sutured his wounds. Fortunately Zulu was able to dissolve the bone in his stomach without causing any damage. After strapping his mouth to support his jaw fracture, Zulu was given pain medication, antibiotics and fluids and was placed in a heated terrarium in the reptile ICU for recovery.

Future: Zulu will be kept under close observation whilst his wounds and fracture heals. Once he has made a full recovery he will be released back into the wild but away from any potential risks.

AZWH Fact: A lace monitor’s diet usually consists of small animals however they are also scavengers and will feed on dead animals. It is extremely important to dispose of rubbish correctly to avoid any wildlife becoming injured.

Age: Juvenile     Sex: Female       Weight: 1.66kg

Found: Charlotte was sadly left an orphan after her mum was hit by a car in Nanango, QLD.

Transported to: The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital by a local wildlife carer.

Veterinary Assessment: Dr Bec was on duty to assess Charlotte when she arrived. Under anaesthetic Charlotte was x-rayed and Dr Bec unfortunately found that she had fractured both her legs.

Treatment: Charlotte was immediately given pain medication and fluids and was transferred to ICU whilst she awaited specialist surgery to pin her fractures.

Future: Thankfully Charlotte's surgery was a success and she will now remain in the small mammals ICU until her condition has stabilised. After this, Charlotte will be transferred to a registered wildlife carer to raise her to adulthood before being released back into the wild.

AZWH Fact: Eastern grey kangaroos are fast and agile thanks to their powerful legs and tail. Males can stand taller than a grown man and can weigh over 66kgs!

Links:

• Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital

Age: Adult           Sex: Male       Weight: 930gms

Found: Caught amongst wire in a backyard pool under construction in Pomona, QLD.

Transported to: The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital by a concerned member of the public.

Veterinary Assessment: Dr Claude was on duty to assess Snitch when he arrived. Immediately she could see that he was not in good condition as he was noticeably quiet in his character and had a severe rash on both hips.

Treatment: Fortunately the rash wasn't too deep and Dr Claude was able to clean and apply a cream to the wounds. Snitch was also given fluids, antibiotics and pain medication to assist his recovery.

Future: Once Snitch was in a stable condition he was sent to a registered wildlife carer to continue nursing him back to good health. He will remain in care until his wounds have completely healed before being released back into the wild.

AZWH Fact:   The northern brown bandicoot has the shortest gestation period of any mammal - it only lasts approximately twelve days! Two to four young are usually born into each litter and are independent after only two months.

Links:

• Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital

Age: Juvenile    Sex: Female       Weight: 180gms

Found: Behind a restaurant in Mooloolaba, QLD. Unfortunately Pippy's mother and two siblings had already passed away.

Transported to: The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital.

Veterinary Assessment: Dr Claude was on duty to assess Pippy when she arrived. Pippy's nose and paws were observed to be very pale in appearance. A blood sample was taken under anesthetic and severe anaemia was observed, confirming the suspicion of rodenticide poisoning.

Treatment: Dr Claude administered a blood transfusion and vitamin K to assist with coagulation to counteract the effects of poison in Pippy's system. She was then transferred to the small mammals ICU and is currently being kept inside a specialised humidicrib under close observation.

Future: Pippy will remain at the hospital until she reaches a stable condition. Once she is ready, Pippy will be transferred to a registered wildlife carer to raise her to independence before releasing her back into the wild.

AZWH Fact: It is important to consider our native wildlife before using a poison in the environment. To deter pests, some other options can include removing food sources and shelter areas for rodents or using live traps. Every poison is dangerous and doesn't discriminate against which species it kills.

Links:

• Patient of the Week