Bald Eagle Treated For Fracture And Lead Poisoning

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

This sub-adult, 2.86-kilogram (about 6.3 pounds) bald eagle was admitted from Fort Myers, Florida, to the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) on December 16, 2024. The eagle was found down on the ground and unable to fly.

Upon initial examination by the veterinary team, the patient presented with abrasions on both feet/legs with some bruising on the left hock, and a left coracoid fracture. Given the location of the fracture and the fact that it was minimally displaced, our vet team elected to stabilize the fracture for healing with a body wrap. Radiographs were obtained upon intake showing the left coracoid fracture, and blood work was obtained revealing mild lead poisoning.

For the patient’s treatment plan, pain medications and physical therapy were scheduled to monitor the patient’s pain level and assess the fracture’s healing. Once the patient’s mentation improved, we then started on chelation treatment for the lead poisoning.

Due to the quiet mentation and inability to stand initially, our staff started this patient on a 3–5% body weight via three times a day force feeds of EmerAid IC Carnivore for appropriate nutritional and caloric needs for the bird to heal the fracture and regain strength.

With the medication and the supportive care of the EmerAid IC Carnivore diet, the bird was able to regain strength and improve their mentation within a few days.

After 26 days in care and weighing in at 3.10 kilograms (about 6.8 pounds), the eagle was moved outside to an outdoor enclosure to begin flight conditioning to assess for release.

After 33 days in care, the eagle is currently residing in a larger flight enclosure to continue flight conditioning where our rehabilitation team is monitoring flight progress as the bird moves closer to being released.