🩹 Wounds & Medical Problems · 7 min
Fractures and wound management
Why this matters
Fracture care is the clearest example of the boundary you were told about in unit one: stabilize, then hand off.
By the end of this lesson you will be able to
- Distinguish closed, open and comminuted fractures
- Apply correct first-line management for a limb fracture
- Recognize when a wound means euthanasia rather than treatment
Fracture vocabulary
- Closed fracture: the bone has not broken through the skin.
- Open fracture: the bone has broken through the skin, so contamination is present.
- Comminuted fracture: the bone is splintered into more than two pieces.
- Proximal is close to the body, distal is away from it. A fracture of the proximal humerus is near the shoulder.
Managing a closed limb fracture
Immobilization is the priority. Splint from the joint above to the joint below the fracture site, then contact your cooperating veterinarian. A small bandage around the fracture site alone does nothing, and putting the animal in a large cage to "recover" lets the fragments move.
When not to treat
An old, open fracture with a dry fragment of bone protruding is not a first aid problem. Call your veterinarian. The fracture may not be repairable, and euthanasia may be necessary. Do not attempt bandaging or wound cleaning in this case, because it stresses the animal without helping it.
For migratory birds the Code of Federal Regulations is explicit: you must euthanize any bird that has sustained injuries requiring amputation of a leg, a foot, or a wing at the elbow or above, and/or is completely blind. You must not sustain the life of any migratory bird that cannot, after medical management, feed itself, perch upright, or ambulate without inflicting further injury on itself.
Wound handling
- Never touch open wounds with ungloved hands.
- Cover with moist sterile dressings, using warmed sterile saline.
- Flush with saline, not alcohol. Alcohol damages tissue.
- Bite wounds from cats are always serious. Cat saliva carries bacteria that kill birds and small mammals quickly, so any cat-caught animal needs antibiotic coverage arranged with a veterinarian.
Bird wing fractures
A minor mid-shaft radius and ulna fracture in a bird in good weight usually heals with adequate stabilization, as long as the bones are in good alignment. A tape splint plus referral to a federally licensed rehabilitator is the right answer for a native songbird. Do not manipulate the wing vigorously to test range of motion, and do not simply let the wing hang.
Turtle shells
A cracked shell is not an automatic euthanasia. There are good procedures for repairing turtle shells, and hands-on courses teach the skill.
This lesson is part of the NY Wildlife Rehabilitator Exam course. Open it in the course to answer the retrieval checks that go with it, track what you have read, and quiz the whole unit. Lessons, quizzes and the glossary are free.