Very sick seagull

Matilda wrote:

Teresa wrote:

Fancyfeathers wrote:

Trinity is beautiful.
I love it that she and her mate stop by for tea each day.
How is that!

They feel so comfortable around here that they even mated on the roof in front of my window once! Naturally I ran for the camera, and one of the photos is quite extraordinary: the look of adoration as their eyes met is unmistakable! (So much for dumb animals and pure instinct!) I would have posted the picture, but I thought it might be considered bird porn!...

... ... ... ... ... ...

Well... I suppose I could just post their faces...

Teresa, what an adorable cute creature. I love seegulls too because they are so smart and seem to know everything just like pigeons.
I really hope that you can help this little guy before you have to hand it over. Do not understand this law and why they are making such a fuss when someone really can help.
Send you all my loving and healing thoughts!!!

Teresa wrote:

They feel so comfortable around here that they even mated on the roof in front of my window once! Naturally I ran for the camera, and one of the photos is quite extraordinary: the look of adoration as their eyes met is unmistakable! (So much for dumb animals and pure instinct!)
I would have posted the picture, but I thought it might be considered bird porn!...

Teresa wrote:

Well... I suppose I could just post their faces...

Trinity and her mate are beautiful.

Merry does look a bit more alert after her nice bath, but she does still looks like she feeling uner the weather. Bless her heart.

I will continue to think positive thoughts that she begins to recover real soon.
Bless you for all you are doing to care for her.

Kepp us posted.

Matilda wrote:

Well at least you tried to turn him over. Maybe it will give you enough time for him to improve from your treatment plan. With ducks, it's been about 5 days before there was na improvement.
The link didn't work.

Oops! It came up fine on the preview, and when I hit 'save' some of the code disappeared! It seems to be working now -- fingers crossed! Thanks for warning me!

Merry today:

He's stood up several times today but he's still sick now and again. Is it okay to feed him smaller amounts more often or, like pigeons, is there a danger of crop stasis?





And splashing in the bath:

https://s333.photobucket.com/albums/m381/Skbllz/Seagulls/Merry/?action=view&current=DSCNB4097.flv

I would be inclined to feed him what ever he will eat.

He looks better, Teresa.
NiteOwl rescued at Gull with a broken wing last night. Poor liitle fellow was on his belly in the snow and in the dark. She said she had the feeling he was just waiting to die.

It's good to see Merry standing some, Teresa.

Matilda wrote:

He looks better, Teresa.
NiteOwl rescued at Gull with a broken wing last night. Poor liitle fellow was on his belly in the snow and in the dark. She said she had the feeling he was just waiting to die.

Oh poor thing! I wonder how he's doing.

Matilda wrote:

I would be inclined to feed him what ever he will eat.

Well he likes clams, but I can only get more tomorrow.
Meanwhile he's been eating cat food -- not ANY cat food, Gourmet Pearl. His favourite is white fish in shrimp jelly!

Teresa wrote:

Matilda wrote:

He looks better, Teresa.
NiteOwl rescued at Gull with a broken wing last night. Poor liitle fellow was on his belly in the snow and in the dark. She said she had the feeling he was just waiting to die.

Oh poor thing! I wonder how he's doing.

I just spoke with Jay and she took the Gull to Tuffs. She will check on him tomorrow.

Fingers crossed!
If he was meant to be found by Jay, then I believe he was meant to pull through.

Marry looks much better Teresa, I'm so glad she is improoving.
I didn't noticed before, but this is youngster, she does not have adult plumage.

Yes, Merry's very young, born last Spring, I'd say, from the markings.
Young is good! Doesn't peck so hard!

for posting an update on Jay's rescued seagull, Charis.
I hope he does well.

Teresa wrote:

Yes, Merry's very young, born last Spring, I'd say, from the markings.
Young is good! Doesn't peck so hard!

I've never been up close and personal with seagull, but I'm sure they can peck pretty darn hard.

Fancyfeathers wrote:

Teresa wrote:

Yes, Merry's very young, born last Spring, I'd say, from the markings.
Young is good! Doesn't peck so hard!

I've never been up close and personal with seagull, but I'm sure they can peck pretty darn hard.

Oh, they do!

Most impressive seagull I've come across was a large male in the Isle of Skye (Scotland) who would come up to people and demand food with menaces!

Merry continues to improve

He's standing more, his eyes look less tired, he's more alert and nibbly and he's not being sick anymore. He's eating kitten food on demand.



In the photo above you can clearly see the swellings on his right foot and on the inner toe of his left foot. They don't appear to have decreased, though Merry is getting stronger. Is this caused by the botulism as well?

The soft ridged matting was a good idea, as it allows most of the (prolific) mess to drain through the perfurations to the layers of kitchen tissue below. That way he doesn't get quite so filthy in between baths.

This is a video of him eating his lunch:

https://s333.photobucket.com/albums/m381/Skbllz/Seagulls/Merry/?action=view&current=DSCNB4111-M.flv

I don't know how I missed this thread Teresa. This poor little guy. Thank God you have him, he surly never would have survived.

As usual you are doing an exceptional job caring for him and getting him well. He looks so much better in your last pictures. I love the videos. Seagulls are really amazing creatures.

Teresa you're the greatest

Louise

Wonderful update, Teresa.
I'm so glad to hear Merry is improving like she is.
Awesome job you have done caring for her.

Thank you, Louise and Cindy!

I very much hope that by the time I have to hand him over to the Wildlife centre he will be so much better that they won't even think of euthanasia. Fingers crossed!

Oh no Teresa, what a disgusting idea. This little guy is so sweet and I find you are doing an awsome job given that seagulls are not your regular rescues!! You will always be a - no matter which kind of bird or other creature you are caring for. They are lucky to have you near!!!!

Teresa...he looks like a different Gull.

I suspect the swelling will go down in the next 3-4 days.

Merry went to the Wildlife Centre today, under the care of a really nice lady with lots of experience rehabbing seagulls. She was very pleased with his progress, asked what he was taking, how much, etc, and said she was going to keep him on Baytril a little longer because the swelling on his foot hadn't gone down yet.

She absolutely promised that he was going to be treated and rehabbed. She said that when they take in rescues they give them a PIN number, and said as soon as he was allocated one she would text me the number so I can phone in later and ask about his progress. She was as good as her word: an hour later the message came, saying that Merry was no. 370.

I'm delighted that he's going to be with others of his kind, and when he's ready to be free they will do a soft release, as they have a large plot of land by the sea where they feed and supervise the recent releases.