A Great Horned Owl Suffers From Corneal Ulcers And Emaciation

The following story was shared with us by the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation in Alberta, Canada.

This owl was admitted to the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation on December 23, 2020, weighing 900 grams (about 2 pounds). Once examined, the patient was found to be extremely thin, had a heavy parasite load, and was suffering from corneal ulcers. She was administered fluids, pain meds, a dewormer for the parasites, and started on eye drops for her ulcers.

Radiographs were performed by the veterinarian to rule out any other ailments, and no further injuries were found.

A blood test revealed that she was severely emaciated and she was put on a re-feeding protocol. After ensuring she was rehydrated, the patient was tube-fed EmerAid Intensive Care Carnivore three times a day for four days. After that time, she was able to handle solid foods again.

Her corneas required gentle debridement by the veterinarian and almost five weeks of eye drops twice a day before they were fully healed.

The patient responded very well to treatment. Once her eyes healed and she gained a significant amount of weight, she was moved outside to recondition her muscles for flight. Within two weeks she was flying perfectly. A severe cold snap prevented her release for an additional two weeks. The great horned owl was released back into the wild on February 24, 2021, at a weight of 2.08 kilograms (about 4.6 pounds).