Red-Tailed Hawk’s Bad Barbecue Food

The following story about a red-tailed hawk was shared with us by Sandy’s Haven of Idaho.

A red-tailed hawk was brought to Sandy’s Haven. Initial exam revealed weakness, a thin body condition, and the inability of the bird to stand or hold up his head. His intake weight was 542 grams (about 1.2 pounds).

Intravenous fluids were given, and the hawk was placed in a dark, quiet area. Further examination found the crop was distended and emitted a noticeable, foul smell. All diagnostic tests came back negative.

Our veterinarian anesthetized the hawk and performed a crop flush with saline. It took four repetitions to remove all the material, which happened to be pulled pork and BBQ sauce. Once cleaned out, the bird was recovered from anesthesia on 100-percent oxygen. Antibiotics were prescribed.

For the next four days the hawk was tube-fed with EmerAid Intensive Care Carnivore four times a day, at 20 cc per feeding. On the fifth day the hawk recovered enough to be able to stand, and the feeding was reduced to three times a day. He was also offered a small mouse, which was consumed.

Nine days later, the EmerAid was discontinued due to the patient self-feeding. Three weeks from arrival he weighed 830 grams (about 1.8 pounds) and was ready for outside mews. He was released two weeks after that at a final weight of 887 grams (about 1.9 pounds).