Disoriented Virginia Opossum Slowly Recovers From Head Trauma

The following story was shared with us by Appalachian Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina.

A Virginia opossum was found wandering around Asheville, North Carolina very disoriented. His weight upon exam was 2.35 kilograms (about 5.2 pounds). We also discovered that he had numerous puncture wounds on top of his head. He also seemed to have significant head trauma, he was very unsteady when trying to navigate his enclosure.

We decided to use EmerAid to hand-feed him, because he struggled so much to stay steady.

For the first month he was here we fed him a mixture of the Carnivore and Omnivore IC diets. His body condition as well as instability improved, and he eventually was able to graduate to solid food.

His most current weight is 4.8 kilograms (about 10.5 pounds). He has continued to improve, but head trauma is a slow recovery. We are hopeful with his progress and will continue to fulfill his needs to give him the best outcome possible.