Fawn Hit The Fence

I am a wild life rehabber and I have a fawn that got spooked and hit the fence yesterday morning.


 


So far:


 


She weighs 22 lbs


 


Gave .03 cc Banamine within minutes of the hit.


 


Got Dex and gave 1/2 cc 2 hours after the hit.


 


Has no use of  both front legs.


 


Initially she had very little reflex from pinching between hooves.


 


12 hours later she pulled both legs completely up when pinched between hooves.


 


This morning she is still trying to get up but can not use her front legs.


 


Gave another 1/2 cc Dex.


 


Occassional grinding of teeth.


 


Drinking bottle fine. Had good poo this morning and a small amount of urine. Both with stimulation.


 


Building sling this morning.


 


She holds her head up some. Mostly laying out on her side with her neck bent back. She raises her head up to try to strain and get up. kicks back feet but front feet I think are mostly moving from the shoulder.


 


She thrashes around alot trying to get up. Is this good or do I some how try to keep her still to prevent further damage?


 


My questions/advice:


 


Am I giving enough Dex and how many days do I give it?


 


Is there any other pain reliever besides Banamine I can give her? Baby aspirin? or do I give more Banamine?


 


Is there anything else I can do besides the sling, moving her legs and massaging them?


 


I think she must have hit hardest on her left side because when she is on her left side she lays out flat. When I flip her to her right side she will curl back in the normal sleep position.


 


Also, when she is on her right side she can get herself up into the normal resting position by herself. She can pull her back legs up under her but her front legs just stay where ever they land.


 


On her left side she can not get herself up into the normal position. She lays out flat except for when she is fighting trying to get up.


 


I do not think she hit the fence hard because I can not find a place on the fence where she hit. I found her laying in front of the fence out on her side. . Maybe she hit at a bad angle??? not sure. She has cuts under both eyes with the left one being the worst and a small spot on her left side of her chest just at the shoulder.


 


Thanks for your help

Eagle Ridge Whitetails1043621439437367



We had a buck fawn do same thing......administered 1cc dex 3 times 12 hours a part..... and .2 banamine and .3 exceed and 1.5 vit e for stress.....it seemed to help him significantly within 24 hours. Please feel free to contact if you need more info, we also have a cart made just for a fawn if either front or rrear legs need rehabilitating long term. Could loan it to ya




 


Thank you so much.


 


She just had her 3rd daily dose of Dex. Should I give her extra doses today instead of the 1? or have I missed that window of opportunity for a heavy dose to work?


 


I do not have exceed. I do have some Nuflor Gold. Would this help?


 


she got a dose of bo-se 2 weeks ago for other issues she had. I have b12 and thiamine in route and will be here tomorrow morning.


 


we got her in a sling. She gives resistance when we put her hooves in our palms and push upward. She pushes back. She can not stand on her front legs she 'knuckles up.'


 


We are massaging and working her legs several times a day in the sling. Her muscles appear to be strong so we are hopeful being that she gives resistance.


 


My main concern is, she is poo'ing on her own but not pee'ing. We had sort of hold her up in the normal female position for pee'ing and stimulate her before we got her to urinate. Her bladder was full but she would just give small trickles when stimulating her laying down. 


 


This concerns me but we are just a little over 48 hours into this so we wait.


 


I may need this cart for her THANK YOU. If she is not able to get up on her own soon and use her front legs, we will be contacting you.


 


As long as we keep her on her left side, she lays with her head up more today than yesterday and she looks around turning her head in all directions. She fights horribly thrashing around if she is on her right side.


 


I took a twin size memory foam mattress and put it under her this morning. I am so worried about skin breakdown the way she flops and fights trying to get up. Hoping this will help us keep her skin from breaking down.


 


I have had them hit the fence before but nothing like this. I feel horrible it happened in my pen. All I can do now is try to help her recover.


 


Thank you so much for your help. I will be in touch to let you know how things go.

Simonson1043771439493684



I have one the same way.  She is now able to get up on all 4 feet but as soon as she tries to walk she knuckels down on the front   will she ever be normal?  JIM


 


QUESTION? does she have something broke in her neck or is it swelling that is causing her nerves to get pinched???? I'm Confused!  JIM




I have been talking to a orthopedic. he said the easy part is getting up on the legs and extending them. The hard part to re-learn, if you will, is to lift that leg up, pull it forward and step. 


 


What kind of reflex does your fawn have when you pinch between the hooves on the damaged legs? How long has it been injured and how?

Simonson1043791439496293



I never pinched between her hoves    She ran into the fence MONDAY at noon   Laid motionless for 3 to 5 minutes, then back legs worked about 10 min after  now she can stand but runs on her knees if that what you call it!  I did the 1cc of dex for three days  I know it helped but not sure if she will ever be right    JIM


 


She is on the bottle but is scared shitless of anyone now!   




Mine hit tuesday. She is not scared of anyone now. She is actually more friendly now than before. But then as a rehabber we want them to not be friendly with us. All she wanted from me was a bottle up until tuesday. Now she seems to enjoy it when I am with her and stretching/massaging her legs. Probably because she is inside and not out with the other fawns. She is feeling alone.


 


I do not know if mine will ever be right either. The only time she seems to be able to use her legs is in the sling and that is only when she stretches. She is stretching alot now. When she stretches in the sling she goes up on her front toes. After she stretches her legs go back to flopping around where ever they land.

Eagle Ridge Whitetails1044001439516069



Here is the cart in use.I believe we have a frontal support for it as well....I will check tonite...




 


 


Thank you so much....


 


Sadly, the little fawn did not make it. 


 


She could not urinate no matter what we did. She began to have difficulty breathing to the point of panting and turning a light shade of blue. We decided to just end the pain for her.


 


We opened her up and her abdominal cavity was full of fluid.


 


I posted a few weeks back about a fawn with a severe skin infection. This is the same fawn that hit the fence.


 


We feel like the infection affected her heart. Once she hit the fence, the stress of it, the pain and being down caused her heart to finally play out. She would breath heavier than the other fawns during the day. We thought it was that she had so much hair loss it was affecting her 'cooling' system, if you will, which caused her to be hotter than the others.


 


Now that this has happened and we opened her up, found all the fluid and the enlarged heart, we think it was not so much injury from hitting the fence. The hitting of the fence began the downfall of this little girl.


 


It was really stumping alot of people as to why a hit to the fence would cause this fawn to not be able to pee but poo was fine. She had so much pressure on her bladder from the fluid in the belly and chest, everything was under alot of pressure and did not work right. If this had not happened, we more than likely would have found her dead in the pen one day in the near future.


 


Thanks for all your help and if I ever have a fawn need this cart, I will be in touch

Thank you so much everyone. It was sad but looking back, it is for the best for this fawn.


 


Having unknown heart issues would have taken her I feel sooner rather than later. Being a rehab fawn, she needs to be as strong as she can to survive on her own.


 


As always, my mind continues to re-think things and question did I do the right things. Did I miss something that could have saved her. With this little fawn, these feelings and thoughts are hanging around longer than usual. 


 


All I can think right now is, did the Dex end her life being that she had a unknown heart issue. BUT...... what else could I have given her for her neck injury?


 


Dex was the drug for this. It is what it is.


 


Even if I had known she had heart issues, I would have given Dex.... I think. I may have given her nothing other than pain management and monitored but i doubt it.


 


In hind sight, if I had know she had an underlying heart issue, I more than likely would have put her down. In fact, sitting her typing this, I know I would have put her down. It would have been the best for her no matter my feelings. I mean, we are here for the best interest of the animal. I learned a while back, I have to leave my emotions at the door when I enter my facility. 


 


Don't get me wrong here, as I well know typing and reading can come off ALOT differently than hearing the words. I have a love for these animals. I would not be doing what i do if I didn't. I held this little fawn in my arms crying my eyes out the entire time she was being put down and I have continued cry since Friday over this precious animal. Heck, I am crying as i type this.  She is buried under my oak tree right outside my back door. SO there is a love, man is there ever. BUT my heart, soul and tears can not make these animals live and be free in the wild. As all of you know, we HAVE to do what is best for the animal, not what is best for us.


 


Being a rehab animal, my theory is, I WILL NOT put an animal in the wild to be chased down by a predator or a bullet for that matter, just to log in my records I rehabbed this fawn and released. If I feel by December 31 (our mandatory release date) that this fawn cannot survive in the wild with what it has now, I will not put it out there for a gruesome death. I will do it as quick and painless for them as I can. 


 


If I feel that holding them over might give them a chance with more rehab, I will get the permission from wildlife to hold them over and try a little longer. Key words, little longer. I say this because with a rehab fawn, I am well aware of the fact that you never have just 1. If you hold back 1 you must hold back a 2nd in order for them to be a deer and not a dog. Also I need a fawn to release the one with. I never release in singles.


 


If I hold them back I get them out of here as quick as possible. The longer they are in the pen, the less wild they become. I want them out of here as quick as possible while they still have that fear factor.


 


OK folks, sorry for my ramble. Guess I am just feeling sad about the situation. We pick our butts up off the ground, wipe our tears and keep moving forward ehhhh?

saVannah991044381439649048



Sorry to hear about your fawn. I had one do the same thing 3 weeks ago. After an extensive Google search, it looks like he broke his neck at C-6 or (base of neck). He has been in a cardboard and duct tape "cast" to stabilize his neck and shoulders. He made progress each day and is now trying to run. I keep a dog harness on him when outside to keep him at a walk. The cast comes off today, but he will remain in the laundry room with exercise time in a 12 X 12 stall for the next 3 weeks. Need advise about him being a buck. I plan on banding him ASAP. What do I need to be aware of once he is released. I live in a semi rural, acreage neighborhood.




 


 


Sorry to hear about this. Bucks, oh boy, do I have a fear/respect for rehabbed bucks. They can be dangerous.


 


Do you have more fawns? or is it the only one you have?


 


All of this is IMHO...........


 


If you have more fawns, as soon as he can get out into the pen with the others DO IT and have as minimal contact with the animal NOW and while in the pen. If he comes up to you trying to lick on you or chew on your clothes, pop him on the head, say NO and push him away. You HAVE TO.....


 


If there are no other fawns for this one to be with I STRONGLY SUGGEST you find someone that has other fawns and get him to them ASAP after he is better. All fawns that will be released into the wild, especially bucks, NEED to be raised with other fawns or you WILL have a situation on your hands.


 


So thankful he is doing well. Your challenge now is wild'ing (is that even a word haha) after he is completely well, pushing him away and getting him with other fawns for the next few months before he is released.

Simonson1044451439682248



So sorry to hear. My fawn actually walked today on all fours but was in slow motion! JIM




 


YAHOO keep doing what you are doing. It is working.


 


What had us stumped was, why is this fawn unable to urinate.


 


I have taken in 19 fawns this year.  7 fawns were either from pit bulls, coyotes or vehicle contact. All of them were compromised in the rear legs but EVERYONE of them were able to urinate. 


 


We were unable to figure that one out until she was put down.


 


After she was put down, when they began taking her out of my arms, she began to urinate. HUH???? That's when I told them to cut her open and lets get a look.


 


The bladder was fine. When he began to cut her open it was like a flood. Fluid gushed out. We scratched our heads. He looked at me and said do you take issue with me basically, well, butchering was his word, her to get to her heart. I instantly said NO I HAVE TO KNOW. That's when we got a look at the heart.


 


Not the best to do and see but I had to know and thankful I do.


 


We have learned from this little girl so her death was a learning experience for me. A painful one, but a good one. Just because she could not urinate does not always mean its the bladder or kidney. It has reminded me to think outside of that box, even though the outcome would have been the same. If not then, in the near future. She was basically a walking time bomb with her heart and I had no clue.


 


Keep doing what you are doing with this fawn. You are doing an awesome job.

Eagle Ridge Whitetails1044391439649544



I am so sorry to hear about your fawn. If ever anyone needs the cart, id be more thaN happy to lend it! Good job on the thorough diagnosing.




 Thank you so much. I have added you into my contact book for future issues.


 


ALL of you are an awesome group of people.  This is why I come here with issues that make us take a step back. You are a wealth of knowledge and I want to thank ALL of you for being there for me even though I am just a re-habber. 


 


THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!