this post was submitted on 09 Dec 2025
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Superbowl

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From Wild Care Oklahoma

It's Medical Monday at WildCareOklahoma, and today's case is one our veterinary team has never seen before.

Meet patient 25-8966, an adult Barred Owl who had to be rushed to WildCaremOklahoma's medical clinic because he was choking on his food. Owls can't call for help, and this one showed almost no outward signs. He was perched calmly when Jill Watson, RVT, heard a faint, abnormal wheeze.

Jill gave the owl a quick exam, and she found a lump at the base of his neck. Fearing an infection or tumor, she immediately brought the owl to the veterinarian. Closer inspection revealed the cause: the tail of a rat lodged deep in his throat. Under anesthesia, three- quarters of an entire rat was removed, and its pressure was blocking the owl's airway.

Thanks to attentive listening, fast action, and skilled medical care on the part of WildCare Oklahoma's veterinary team, this owl survived the ordeal and healed from earlier car-strike injuries. Even better, he was released back to the wild on Thanksgiving morning.

As a personal note, patient 25-8966?! They are going to hit 9000 patients this year?! This place is either huge or they never sleep! 😮

That's 25 new patients every day.

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[–] tomiant@piefed.social 10 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

He should have stayed out if he was barred.

THERE'S A REASON, PEOPLE

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)
[–] tomiant@piefed.social 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

The Bard. I get it. I get jokes.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

We take to the simple pleasures in superbowl. We dance, we sing. We pun.

[–] Empricorn@feddit.nl 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Amazing work, Jill and WildCareOklahoma. Hope that Barred Owl is thriving back in the wild!

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 10 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You never know what you're going to find inside an animal, though my wife tells me from the ER the same is pretty true for humans as well! 😄

[–] YetAnotherNerd@sopuli.xyz 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Owls never fall on a shampoo bottle wrong. No hair, no shampoo. Yeah, that’s it. That’s the ticket.

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago

A full-sized Yankee Candle jar w/ lid on Valentine's Day has been the best (worst?) so far. 🫢

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 6 points 3 months ago

Hey, don't worry 25-8966, we've all been there.

But lookit - if that mac 'n cheese casserole didn't wanna get eaten, why was it on the kitchen counter? Hm? Yeah!