Norfolk baby eagle is ILL !!

mrsD · 05-24-2008, 09:45 AM

Here is an update on the baby:

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The Xrays show that the bone on that side IS different!
But the sinuses are clear, so far.

So now he gets an MRI....
I sure hope it is NOT cancer! I think we can all guess what that means if
it turns out to be.

One has to wonder... do you think it is possible to be some parasite from
the squirrels who lived below?

FeelinGoofy · 05-24-2008, 11:48 AM

I was wondering that exact same think Mrs D!!!!!!!! LOL
I've been keeping up on the latest with little guy/gal and have been praying its not cancer....
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mrsD · 05-25-2008, 08:38 AM

There is a new article out on the progress and testing of the eaglet:

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The wording is ominous... invasive, etc....

Quote:

Saturday’s scan was the third time in the last nine years Augusta Medical Center has donated the use of its MRI facilities for a wildlife center patient, said Al Jones, MRI supervisor for the hospital. After minor difficulties adapting the bird to the people-sized machine – a knee brace was used to stabilize its head – the bird, sleeping soundly after a dose of anesthesia, slid into the cavernous machine while three veterinarians anxiously looked on.
A complete diagnosis of the cause and nature of the walnut-sized lump won’t be available until early next week, but the initial results of the MRI were mixed, said Dr. Dave McRuer, director of veterinary services at the Wildlife Center of Virginia.
“The growth is invasive, but it’s not as bad as it could be,” he said.
Results from a biopsy sent Thursday to a specialized, regional laboratory in Georgia will help determine whether the growth is a viral or bacterial infection or a tumor, McRuer said.
“It could be a number of different things, including the virus Avian Pox,” McRuer said. “But I’ve never seen [Avian Pox] look like this: This is much bigger and more aggressive ... This is very rare. I’ve never seen a tumor like this in a bird of any species.”
While the prognosis for the little eaglet remains dangerously up in the air, a number of factors are working in its favor, said Edward Clark, president and co-founder of the Virginia Wildlife Center. To begin with, he said, it will receive the finest, most advanced medical treatment available.

I guess we will know more next week!

BJ · 05-25-2008, 09:22 AM

I hope this little guy/girl will be okay. I've been following them since December. I saw the others MrsD being pushed out of their nest. I hope they make it too.
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mrsD · 05-25-2008, 03:39 PM

this is depressing. It doesn't sound good.

Quote:

Norfolk Botanical Garden Eagle Update
May 25, 2008

This report was filed by Dr. Dave McRuer, Director of Veterinary Services at the Wildlife Center of Virginia:

The Bald Eagle nestling was taken to the Augusta Medical Center in Fishersville on Saturday afternoon [May 24] to undergo an MRI on the soft-tissue mass located on the upper beak. The purpose of this diagnostic test was to allow the veterinarians to better evaluate the extent of the mass and to better estimate how invasive it had become. The eagle was intubated and placed under general anesthesia in order to keep it perfectly still for the MRI scan. The scan took approximately 20 minutes, with the bird asleep for approximately 25 minutes. Speed was of utmost importance in order to avoid complications.

The MRI indicated that the mass had not only grown out and away from the beak, but also internally into the nasal sinus. Thus far, the mass is localized to just the front aspect of the sinus and has not crossed the septum into the front right sinus. Nonetheless, the mass has invaded both the keratin surface of the beak and the associated underlying bone. This information will be used, along with the biopsy results expected on May 28 or 29, to determine prognosis and potential treatment options.

The eagle was returned to the Wildlife Center following the MRI and was heartily eating within one hour of the trip.

also snipped:

Quote:

“We’re getting financial support and inquiries about this bird from as far away as British Columbia,” Clark said. “We would give this kind of care to any patient, but the fact that this bird is a celebrity provides some incentive to really go the extra mile.”
It also provides a priceless opportunity to promote the wildlife center’s underlying agenda, he said.
“We take care of individual animals, and that’s an important part of what we do,” Clark said. “But clinical care is also a
vehicle: Each case gives us a window to see larger environmental problems affecting wildlife.”
The eaglet’s condition is a prime example of this principle he said: Whatever caused the extraordinarily rare growth –
possibilities include pesticides, pollution, toxins in the food supply – could easily impact other animals in the Norfolk area,
including humans, he said. The fact that people around the world feel an emotional link to this particular bird will certainly help raise awareness of larger issues as well, he said.
“That’s what sets the Wildlife Center apart from most other centers that care for wildlife: Just fixing the eagle isn’t enough – we’ve got to figure out what made it sick.”

I hope this last quote means, that they will try to treat him/her....and not just euthanize him/her too quickly.

This link will show pictures of the MRI procedure....they are very interesting...

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Corkybird · 05-25-2008, 10:27 PM

I never thought of it possibly being something from the squirrels, they WERE visiting the nest one day. This little guy/girl has surely been in the thoughts of so many people all over North America..even before he was even an EGG many of us were hoping that Ma & Pa Eagle would lay another successful one.

FeelinGoofy · 05-27-2008, 10:24 AM

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Heres another article about the eaglet.....
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mrsD · 05-27-2008, 12:19 PM

That a treatment will present itself! It is so sad to watch this happen.
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You know, everything in that eaglet seems to be growing very fast...like the tissues are programed for that. He has doubled in size since last Weds!
He's eaten 14 mice in one day! WOW...

So maybe when he reaches full growth, the tumor will stop too?

I also wonder if the parents inadvertently fed him from a diseased bird or fish and the cancer cells from that food, took root on the beak? That is where
the contact would have been.

I hope they don't euthanize him too soon. As long as he seems happy and is eating etc, I think they could learn alot from him.

Corkybird · 05-27-2008, 09:00 PM

I read this on the eagle blog for the Norfolk Bot. Garden.....

The young eagle was examined first thing this morning and appears to be in normal chatty spirits. The bird is gaining weight dramatically and takes food without hesitation.

The mass has again increased in size since Saturday and now protrudes below the cutting surface of the upper beak.
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We've all followe this eagle family for months now, through all their mishaps of trying to mate and have an eaglet actually HATCH...now the one and only one that LIVED has been taken into rehab with not the greatest chances of survival without some human assistance for a LOONNNGGG time.

Much thanks to each and everyone that works and involved in the rehab of the little one (vet says it MIGHT be a male, comparison to some indications that they commonly use).

Hugs,

Marilyn

mrsD · 05-29-2008, 06:14 AM

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Quote:

UPDATE: May 28 2008, 3:00pm
by Dr. Dave McRuer, Director of Veterinary Services at the Wildlife Center of Virginia

We performed an in-house test of the eaglet's blood for lead (a common contaminant that brings Bald Eagles to our Center). The levels were below detection, indicating that this is not a contributing factor causing the mass on the beak. Blood was taken today for several other tests aimed at ruling out an environmental source. These tests include a panel looking for heavy-metal contamination and organophosphates, a common group of chemicals used in pesticides. Results should be in by the end of the week.

The mass itself continues to grow. A swelling has recently developed on the roof of the mouth, directly under the soft tissue mass. This swelling was not present when the bird arrived at Wildlife Center and is not encouraging. In addition, the top beak has begun to deviate in the direction of the mass leaving the tip of the beak at least 1/4 inch to the left of the same point on the bottom beak. Our theory is that with the disruption in the bone under the mass, the growth of the beak has slowed down compared to the same bone on the right side of the beak. As a result, the healthy right side is literally pushing/curving the upper beak to the left.

Our current treatment plan includes antibiotics to help fight secondary bacterial infections, antifungal drugs to prevent the occurrence of aspergillosis (a common fungal disease in raptors that are enduring stress), and medications to help boost the immune system. The mass is also being scrubbed daily with iodine to slow its growth and help keep any open wounds clean. We are still awaiting authorization to release biopsy results from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

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