White Ibis Suffers From Possible Toxin Exposure

The following story about a white ibis was shared with us by Clinic For The Rehabilitation Of Wildlife in Florida.

On June 20, 2021, an adult white ibis was found down and debilitated on a golf course on Sanibel Island. It was transported to the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife where veterinarians performed a complete physical exam.

The ibis had a slightly thin body condition score, and it weighed 585 grams (about 1.3 pounds). On admit the bird was unable to blink and had corneal ulcers on both eyes. It was obtunded, unable to hold its head up, and was severely paretic. Its debilitated condition had led to a secondary wound around the cloaca that now had maggots present.

Initial treatment included placing an intravenous catheter and starting intravenous lipid emulsion therapy followed by IV fluids to flush out what our vets suspected was a toxin exposure. The bird was started on eye medication and a course of antibiotics. The maggot infested wound was cleaned and lavaged with a sterile saline and a small bandage was placed. Because the bird was unable to stand we added padding to the cage to reduce pressure on the keel.

The ibis was started on a feeding plan of EmerAid IC Piscivore to provide necessary nutrients without overwhelming its debilitated system. We slowly weaned him up from 3% to 5% body weight over the course of the first day. Within two days, the bird showed remarkable transformation and had started to hock sit and was able to lift its head. It continued making steady progress and was soon able to stand on its own. The IV fluids were stopped and the wound near the cloaca was healing and making good progress.

We were able to transition the bird to whole food items. While he showed interest in the food, we had to continue supplementing him by force-feeding whole smelt. Due to this being a high-stress species, we knew he might never get to a point where he would eat entirely on his own. Because of this, and due to the risk of him injuring himself in a cage from stress, we needed to release him as soon as possible.

He had made a complete recovery and was now acting like a normal adult white ibis. At this point, his body weight and BCS were acceptable, and he was cleared for release. After just nine days the ibis returned to its home on Sanibel.