All Pets Veterinary Center

This Turkey Vulture was found standing in the road and not flying away from approaching people. During the intake exam, we found abrasions over the face and a fractured beak tip that we suspect may have been caused by a vehicle collision. We also took a blood sample and found that this bird was suffering from lead toxicity.

Over 80% of our opossum, vulture, and eagle patients come in with elevated lead levels. Species that scavenge (like those listed above) are primarily exposed to lead by eating remains of animals field-dressed by hunters. Shot "nuisance" wildlife that was left out to die and fish that have ingested lead sinkers can also be eaten by these scavengers, resulting in lead poisoning.

Lead bullets usually fragment upon impact and these fragments remain in the meat and organs - up to 18 inches from the wound channel. The best way to avoid unintentionally harming wildlife is to choose to use non-lead alternatives when hunting. If you must use lead, gut piles should be buried > 3 feet deep to decrease access for scavenging wildlife.

When we see high lead levels like this, we always take x-rays to determine if more lead is still in the gastrointestinal tract (many birds will regurgitate these fragments or bring them up with casts before they even come in for care). There was no lead in the stomach in this case, so our treatment focuses on fluid therapy and chelation agents to bind the lead that had already been absorbed into the blood stream. This chelation process can take weeks or even months in patients with very high lead levels, and unfortunately, some patients with these severe exposures never regain normal neurologic function.

The most common signs we see associated with lead poisoning are lethargy and depression, inappropriate mental state, generalized muscular weakness, incoordination, and even an inability to eat or swallow. Avian patients with neurologic symptoms from lead most frequently come to us as victims of vehicle collisions as the lead impairs their ability to evade cars when scavenging along the roads. Chronic exposure to lead can cause low red blood cell levels, organ damage, and impacts on an animal’s ability to reproduce.

A lead fragment smaller than a grain of rice can kill an adult bald eagle or any of our smaller avian patients. This same lead also causes significant health problems for the humans and domestic animals who eat game meat. Help protect human, animal and environmental health today by opting for non-lead!

Hello All! Due to the slightly inclement weather, we will be closed on Monday Jan 26. Everyone stay warm and stay safe. We will re- open Tuesday morning.