Pictured here is a recovering Herring Gull, admitted into New England Wildlife Center’s hospital 3 weeks ago. He was found on the ground unable to stand up by a passerby who admitted him to our Hospital. He was examined by our veterinary team who found that both his radius and ulna were fractured due to some blunt force trauma. He was also suffering from dehydration.

Included in this post is a picture of the Herring Gull’s radiograph. In this picture you can see where his right wing has broken. With such a wound it is very important to align the bones to heal in the correct position. If the bones do not heal correctly it will negatively affect his ability to fly. Normally a splint, also known as a figure 8 wrap for birds, would keep the bone steady, but with two broken bones we needed to take it a step further. In the second picture, you can see a pin has been inserted into the length of the radius, holding it in place. the second fracture will utilize said figure-8 wrap to hold it in place. This herring gull is doing very well, now 3 weeks post surgery. He is gaining weight and eating on his own. He no longer suffers from dehydration. We expect the wing to take another 2 to 3 weeks to heal, the pin will then be removed and we will prepare him for release. His prognosis is good!