The following story was shared with us by the Tamarack Wildlife Center in Pennsylvania.
After falling from his nest in an April storm, a young great horned owlet was found by concerned people who took him home and fed him. Two days later they brought him to Tamarack Wildlife Center.
We found that the dehydrated young owl had developed an impacted pellet after being fed by well-intentioned members of the public. He was given subcutaneous and oral fluids to regain his hydration, and then received EmerAid Intensive Care Carnivore several times a day in order to deliver nutrition without adding more mass to the impacted pellet.
After five long days, a massive pellet was regurgitated and the relieved-looking owlet returned to a solid diet with gradually more “cast material” to ensure he was casting/creating pellets well.
Over the summer, the handsome young owl was co-housed with a non-releasable foster mother owl and another wayward owlet. He lived with this improvised family until he was ready for release in the fall.