WildAgain Wildlife Rehabilitation

Many wild animals are admitted to rehabilitation facilities with injuries resulting from trauma, such as hitting a window, falling from a tree, or getting hit by a car. Wildlife rehabilitators at these facilities are specially trained and licensed to provide care for the animals with the intent of eventually releasing them back to the wild. In some cases, a prompt dose of Arnica montana along with other first aid and supportive care helps the animal recover, leading to a prompt release. In other cases, like the one below, Arnica addressed some of the initial symptoms, but a second homeopathic remedy was needed as further symptoms were revealed.

Common grackles (Quiscalus quiscula) are gregarious, slender-billed birds which are distributed widely throughout North America. Primarily black, these migratory birds nest, forage, and roost in noisy colonies. Generally monogamous, grackles tend to be quite social and vocal, communicating loudly to their companions. They prefer wet habitats, with some adapting to suburban habitats with well-watered lawns. They eat insects, worms, fruits, grains, seeds, small rodents and fish, as well as eggs of other species.
For more information on grackles, see:
Alsop, Fred J.III. 2001. Smithsonian Handbook of Birds of North America.

A homeowner found several birds lying on the ground after a severe hailstorm. Only a young grackle was still alive. The woman did not know whether the bird had been on the ground, in a tree, or flying when it was hit by the hail. She didn’t know if it had fallen either. She picked it up with a towel, put it in a box, and immediately delivered it to Nancy J. Kelly, an experienced bird rehabilitator.
     Nancy conducted a quick examination to determine if she needed to take it directly to the veterinarian. The initial exam showed that the conscious bird had a bump on the left side of its head and a swollen left eye. It was cold, limp, dull—all common symptoms of shock—and she suspected it was also bruised. According to protocols agreed to with her veterinarian, she decided it was a case that she could treat, but knew she could contact her veterinarian if the bird did not improve quickly.
     She placed the grackle in a small, quiet, dark cage over a warm heating pad. Knowing that Arnica montana was excellent with “injuries, falls, blows, and contusions,” as well as with shock from injury, she administered a single drop of Arnica 200C that she had dissolved in spring water.
     A short while later, the grackle was sitting up in his cage and seemed stronger and more alert. When Nancy conducted a more thorough exam, she noticed that the droppings, which in birds are a combination of stool and urates, seemed to be blacker in color and have a more prominent smell than was normal. The bird’s hydration was normal, so she provided the appropriate diet and kept him in the small cage overnight.
     Early the next morning, he was already eating on his own, but his head was still quite swollen. He moved slowly and gingerly, as if he was in pain. His squawks were getting louder and more frequent. She repeated the Arnica at the same potency.
     Later that day, about 24 hours after the injury, the swelling and bruising had diminished. While he seemed to move more comfortably, his left eye had not improved. He continued to show signs of retinal injury with severe intra-ocular bleeding. His stool was even blacker and more offensive than the day before. Based on her knowledge of grackles, Nancy noted that he was vocalizing excessively—far more than was normal for his species. He was also constantly trying to escape, again more than was normal. While he was somewhat restless and irritable in captivity, it was no more so than was normal for a grackle.
     Using Boericke’s Materia Medica with Repertory Nancy repertorized the grackle’s symptoms and found that the remedy Crotalus horridus mentioned absorption of intra-ocular hemorrhage, along with thin, black, offensive stool, and loquacity with desire to escape. She decided it was the closest match and carefully placed a drop of Crotalus horridus 200C in his beak.
     After a couple of hours, his vocalizing and desire to escape had decreased to normal levels. The next morning, about 36 hours after the injury, his eye and stool were completely normal. She placed him in a flight cage where he could socialize with other grackles, thus helping to minimize his stress. He flew normally on the third day after his rescue. After a total of ten days in captivity, the fully recovered grackle was released back to his family flock at the location where he was found.
This same case was later discussed and repertorized as part of a wildlife homeopathy study group. The group made a combined rubric about his injury: Injuries, Generalities + Eye. They also combined Stool and Urine rubrics because bird droppings include both. The rubrics identified included:

Injuries, Generalities + Eye

Eye, bleeding, retinal hemorrhage

Stool, odor, offensive

Stool + Urine, black

Mind, loquacity

Mind, escape, attempts to

While Crotalus horridus was among the top choices for these symptoms, the study group also discussed other possible remedies for the case including Lachesis, Arsenicum, Nux vomica, and Symphytum. The group agreed, however, that Crotalus horridus seemed like the closest match, and the outcome in the case certainly confirmed its efficacy.
While Arnica has provided tremendous aid to many trauma victims, there are situations when other remedies are needed in addition to Arnica, as this case demonstrates. Familiarity with what is normal for a species is also critical. The case also showed the importance of having the appropriate facility to provide effective rehabilitative care for a wild animal and knowing how to properly release the recovered animal, in this case, back to his family flock.

Wildlife rehabilitators provide temporary care for injured, orphaned, and distressed wild animals so they can survive when released back to the appropriate native habitat. They have specialized knowledge, skill, facilities, diets, and handling equipment and work closely with veterinarians to get medical care for injured or ill animals. Special permits or licenses are required by state or provincial agencies, and federal permits for marine mammals or migratory birds. Rehabilitators also consult with the public about how to humanely prevent or resolve human-wildlife conflicts. The approximately 10,000 permitted wildlife rehabilitators in North America provide care to hundreds of thousands of wild animals annually. Two national and many state wildlife rehabilitation associations support the increasing professionalism and standards for the field. If you are interested in learning more about wildlife rehabilitation or homeopathy for wildlife, visit www.Ewildagain.org.