⚠️ Environmental Toxicology · 6 min
Poisons, oil and contaminants
Why this matters
Toxicology signs are non-specific, which means the history the finder gives you is often the only diagnostic tool you have.
By the end of this lesson you will be able to
- Recognize the signs of pesticide and lead poisoning
- Apply the correct protocol for an oiled or sticky animal
- Explain why history matters more here than anywhere else
Pesticides
The signs of pesticide exposure are very non-specific: lack of coordination, weakness, diarrhea, respiratory difficulty, tremors, paralysis and convulsions. Every one of those also occurs with trauma and with viral, bacterial and parasitic disease. This is exactly why the history you take at intake becomes extremely important.
A pigeon with eye twitching and tremors and a full crop of corn is a classic case: corn is often treated with poison to eradicate pigeons. Get it to a veterinarian quickly.
Lead
Waterfowl ingest spent lead shot while foraging in marshy areas. As few as one or two lead pellets can be lethal to a duck, goose, loon or swan. Birds that survive being shot with lead pellets can also be affected. Lead poisoning is not always detectable on an x-ray; blood tests or liver biopsies may be required.
Oiled birds
Wash with 104 F water and Dawn dishwashing detergent. Not cold water. Not mineral spirits, and not turpentine, both of which cause further feather damage. Oil spill response has a real protocol (Dr. Erica Miller's, in the NWRA Principles book), and Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research runs training workshops. Do not improvise on a live bird.
Sticky substances
For glue traps and other sticky contamination, coat with KY jelly, then wash off with Dawn liquid detergent. Do not rip it off, and do not cut the feathers or fur: cutting a bird's feathers ends its flight until the next molt. Laundry detergent is not a substitute for Dawn.
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.