Great Blue Heron

This Great Blue Heron came into The Center with head trauma. When it was first admitted it had no use of its legs and no desire to eat. We treated it with steroids to reduce any possible swelling in the brain or spinal cord. The bird was initially tube fed a liquid diet then moved on to being manually fed solid food. After a weeks time the bird could finally stand and was eating on its own. Although able to stand, the right foot remained clenched and the bird was walking on the top of the foot. To correct this problem, a plastic brace was made to fit the bird’s foot which forced the toes to stay in a more normal position. The brace was removed after about 10 days and the bird is now able to perch and use the foot properly. This bird will soon be released.