08/24/2025
Here is a good use for Qtips!
When we hold a raptor for treatment, we are usually using one hand to hold the feet while the other helps block the head to protect the caregiver from being bitten. But sometimes, we have to get creative with our hold to make accommodations for certain injuries. American Kestrel 25-429 was caught in an exhaust flare at a power plant. This intense fire plume melted her flight feathers and caused burns to both legs.
The burns to her legs are right where we would need to hold them for safe restraint, but putting pressure there would cause further damage to the already sloughing tissue. These wounds require daily dressing changes to keep the remaining tissue and exposed tendons viable, making treatment even more challenging. A modified hold with one hand around the back and the other cupping the feet up to the body has allowed us to provide effective treatment without inflicting additional pain on the bird.
This modified hold leaves us more exposed to being bitten by 429, but we’ve found that letting her hold a cotton tipped applicator in her mouth helps distract her from biting us. We just have to watch out for her jousting skills as she swings it back and forth.
