The people who found her were kind enough to pick her up off the street and bring her home, setting her up in a crate. They offered her food that she wouldn't eat, and a bowl of water. She kept tipping over the bowl of water so they just stopped putting it in the crate. They were going to get her to someone to help her, but they just "never got around to it." Finally after 10 DAYS! they contacted a fellow rehabber and brought her in.
She was immediately brought to a vet for an exam and treatment. It was discovered she had a broken pelvis. She was started on fluids and the usual process of re-hydrating then slowly introducing food again. She wouldn't eat at first so she was patiently hand fed baby food & veggies to get her started. Applesauce was her favorite! She started doing well and hopes were high for her recovery.
Porcupines eat sitting up like squirrels but with her broken pelvis she was having a difficult time of it. She kept trying to push herself up to eat. So a special "desk" was made just for her so she could sit up and eat in comfort. She loved this! She was a sweetheart and did great for almost 2 weeks until she started to go downhill.
Unfortunately the damage had been done after 10 days without fluids, food and care. The damage to her kidneys was irreversible and despite every one's best efforts she did not pull through. It was a terrible blow.... and a death that most likely could have been prevented.
If nothing else is learned from this....anyone who finds an animal and wants to help...PLEASE take the half hour or so to call around and get it some help. If you care enough to start to help it, follow through until you get it care instead of adding to it's suffering. They are living things just like us. Can you imagine if you were hurt, locked in a room and have no food or water or anything for any length of time??? Imagine 10 days without anything! In pain to boot! Putting it in a box and forgetting about it isn't going to make the problem go away, and the animal suffering through that would probably be better off having died on the road instead of that type of prolonged suffering.
Thank you to all those who care enough about our wild friends to give them aid when they need it! I know most of the kind hearted people who want to help have no idea what to do. It's a foreign situation to most! In this age of the computer finding a number is an Internet search away and I have made it even easier by having the links to various wildlife rehabilitator organizations listed. Help is just a click away......for all the Priscilla's out there!!
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