A New Age for Wild Birds

Imagine hitting a window beak-first at 40 kilometres an hour, then plummeting 40 stories to the pavement below. This happens to untold numbers of night-migrating birds for whom the bright lights of tall, urban buildings are dangerously irresistible.

It seems inconceivable that a bird could survive such a calamity. Yet many do. Some birds recover from the initial shock on their own, then spend the rest of the night seeking a way out of the labyrinth of skyscrapers that make up the core of a large metropolis. Others "come to life" when kind hands lift them off the pavement. Yet others are in great distress with obvious signs of injury: broken beaks, bloody eyes, drooping wings.

These last become the first priority of volunteers with the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) who rescue fallen migrants in downtown Toronto. Qualified FLAPPERs learned a few years back to rely on dexamethasone, a steroid injected into the breast muscle, as their emergency medication. For tower casualties who invariably suffer from shock and head trauma or haemorrhaging in the brain, dex (as it's called) works well. It helps reduce swelling of the brain, regulate blood pressure and bring circulation back to normal. Dex helps to stabilize the bird's condition until it can be transported to a wildlife rehabilitation facility.

But the procedure - the poke of a needle - can tear delicate tissue, and the medication is a foreign substance that may in and of itself be a shock to the bird's system, no matter how tiny the dose. What's more, many health officials have expressed concern about the drug's effects on the immune system.

Needless to say, FLAP volunteers have been reluctant to use dex on all but the most extreme cases and even then we've sometimes wondered if we were doing more harm than good.

Luckily, alternative medicine came to our rescue. Last winter, the Ontario Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Network hosted a two-day seminar on homeopathic first aid for wildlife and several FLAP rescue volunteers attended. The presenters were Dr. Rachel Blackmer, a holistic veterinarian with wildlife experience, and Shirley and Allan Casey. The Caseys are experienced wildlife rehabilitators from Colorado who have been using homeopathy with their wild patients for many years. Although they are enthusiastic about it, they are quick to emphasize that using homeopathy does not mean abandoning conventional medical treatments. In fact, the two work together quite effectively.

Homeopathy is a 200+-year-old system of medicine used as the primary health care modality - for humans - around the world. Homeopathy uses very minute doses of a substance to stimulate the body's own healing mechanism. A homeopathic medicine is not given to eliminate a disease or condition, the way conventional medicines are. Rather, homeopathy is based on the belief that good health is a natural state and all beings have the ability to heal themselves.

Wild animals are probably intuitively aware of this. After all, they don't exactly have access to the corner pharmacy. They know that they have only themselves and the resources of nature to heal them if they are sick or injured. They seem naturally attuned to the homeopathic approach.

The correct homeopathic medicine can prompt and support the body's self-healing. Sounds simple, but the process of determining which remedy to give is infinitely complex. The qualified practitioner must have an excellent knowledge of the species of animal, its temperament and general countenance when healthy, so that detailed comparisons can be made with the appearance and behaviour of the sick or injured animal. Seemingly insignificant details - whether the animal leans to the left or the right, for example - take on great significance in homeopathy as the number of potential medicines is vast and each responds to a specific set of symptoms.

Once the optimum remedy is chosen, the philosophy of the minimum dose is applied. Since the treatment aims merely to "kick-start" the healing, the smallest possible amount of remedy is given. The rehabilitator supports the healing process by providing the animal with the appropriate diet, a quiet place to recover and any other care required. When given the "ideal" remedy for its symptoms, the animal may recover rapidly.

A case in point is the pitiful Brown Creeper Carolynn Parke scooped up at Consilium Place one fine October morning. The bird was breathing rapidly and his right eye was swollen almost completely shut. Carolynn noted these symptoms and other subtle observations, and applied her knowledge of Brown Creepers to the situation. Using standard homeopathic protocols, Carolynn selected the homeopathic medicine and potency that most closely matched the bird's symptoms. A minute dose was given. Over the next 24 hours she watched as he began eating the tasty mealworms she provided and his condition steadily improved. The next morning found him clinging to the ceiling of his cage as he stared down at Carolynn with two clear, healthy eyes. A quick test flight showed good manoeuvrability and proved he could easily gain altitude. He was released.

Treating emergencies like this creeper, or any of the birds encountered by FLAP, is quite different from dealing with chronic cases. But it is no less demanding. The rescue volunteer must undergo training in the use of homeopathic medicines. And he or she must work closely with qualified veterinarians to ensure optimum care for the wild birds.

Why, you may ask, go to all this effort? Many reasons. Homeopathic remedies are less invasive than, say, needles and relatively free of the unwanted side effects of some conventional medicines. Many wild animals heal faster with less handling and fewer (or no) other medicines needed. (A quicker release is critical for spring migrants whose window of opportunity for nesting and raising their young is restricted.) But perhaps the best argument for homeopathy is that it works on the whole creature, physical, emotional and mental.

Homeopathy will never replace established methods of treatment or conventional medicines, but it provides a gentler option for those creatures unfortunate enough to come smack into contact with human civilization.

For more detailed information or courses in homeopathy contact Shirley and Allan Casey at (303) 670-3309 or wildagn@aol.com.