Wildlife Center of Virginia nurses opossum back to health after dog attack
VENN
CHARLES CITY COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- About a month ago, Chickahominy Wildlife admitted an opossum with extensive injuries into the Wildlife Center of Virginia.
The opossum suffered two fractures in her right forelimb, deep puncture wounds and bruising along her whole body, after a dog attack.
About a month ago, Chickahominy Wildlife admitted an opossum with extensive injuries into the Wildlife Center of Virginia. Courtesy of: (Chickahominy Wildlife Center)
The veterinary team at the center took action and made her a cast to stabilize the fractured bones. The staff also gave the opossum a multitude of different medications such as anti-inflammatories, antibiotics and pain medication to stabilize her.
After she arrived, the team at the wildlife center discovered that she had high levels of lead in her system -- specifically 0.432 ppm which, according to the wildlife center, at that level can cause severe neurologic impairments.
Opossums are scavengers and, according to the wildlife center, the high lead levels likely came from the opossum consuming the remains of another carcass.
The team has since put her on chelation therapy to remove the lead. However, a social post from the center said that "lead can be stored in the bones and later leach into the blood, so our team will recheck the opossum's lead levels at a later date to make sure she's still okay."
The staff is monitoring her closely and is on strict crate rest while she recovers.
"The opossum's prognosis is poor given everything that happened to her," the social post reads. "But she continues to improve each day. Our team will do their best to get her back on her feet."
