Sunday, February 24, 2008

Audrey's Great Job



Last week found Audrey face to face with this critter as he peered up at her out of a cardboard box.




A hush fell over the vet clinic as the box was opened. For just a moment, time froze, stilled by the majesty of God's creation.




Then it was time for vet business.
Someone had shot the bald eagle, leaving him to die. Someone else found him and took pity.


Before he could undergo the orthopedic surgery needed to put him back together, he had to breathe a little sleeping gas. "Just relax, and count slowly backward from ten," the vet is coaching.








This is Dr. Steph, one of Audrey's bosses. She's feeling the bones in the shoulder and wing, some of which have been shattered by the gunshot.


Audrey's standing by, ready to do whatever Dr. Steph asks. That's her bare hand at the bottom of the photo. Does this girl have a great job, or what!!!???

(Of course, some days she does clean cat cages.)









Dr. Steph has put four pins through the bones, to hold them together. The next step is to cut these pins off short, then affix an external stabilizer through all four of them, to hold them in place.

The bird will live with Raptor Recovery people for a few weeks while his bones heal. Then he'll be back to the vet, to have his hardware removed.




I hope Audrey is working on the day of his return visit.

Everyone needs a little awe now and then.


I wish I'd been there to take these photos, but I wasn't.

7 comments:

Lil red said...

WOW!! That is so cool! I don't want to be vet, but I think some of the experiences they have are priceless. Did you get to watch the surgery, or who took the pictures??

Miss Alice said...

I wish I had been able to watch the surgery, Annie. Someone else at the clinic took these shots.

Rebecca said...

AMAZING!!!!

Shannon said...

That is so cool! Why anyone would want to shoot an eagle is beyond me. They're so beautiful. We don't see them much out here, but I'm always so impressed when we get that rare glimpse.

Lady Dvora said...

WOW! when I saw the first picture- is that a BALD EAGLE!!?? Amazing!

Kourtney Ann said...

WOW! That's SO NEAT!!!!!

Pat I said...

That post brought tears to my eyes. What an incredible creature our God has made! That first picture is SO eloquent!