The bald eagle captured the hearts of Americans more than 200 years ago when it became the national bird of the United States. Despite its symbolic status, this powerful bird once faced extinction. Fortunately, due to conservation efforts, the bald eagle’s situation has been improving, but it’s still listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
The birds, which live throughout North America, often suffer from human-induced trauma, including gunshots and being struck by cars; poisonings from lead and pesticides in the environment; and infectious diseases like avian pox and West Nile virus.
"Because bald eagles are still threatened, they are fairly heavily managed both in captivity and in the wild. So there are a fair number of anesthetic events taking place," says Dr. Jonathan Sleeman, a Morris Animal Foundation-funded scientist at the Wildlife Center of Virginia.
Anesthetizing a bald eagle is tricky, however. Currently the most commonly used anesthetic for birds is isoflurane, which can cause complications in eagles. In this study, Dr. Sleeman studied an alternative drug called sevoflurane, and the results are promising. Sevoflurane seems to take effect more quickly than isoflurane and has a quicker recovery, which makes it less stressful for the bird. It also appears to cause fewer cardiac abnormalities, and eagles anesthetized with sevoflurane had lower heart rates and blood pressure compared to those receiving isoflurane.
"We’re still in the early stages of putting the data together, but preliminary results show sevoflurane seems safer," Dr. Sleeman says. "The results will also improve our general understanding of avian anesthesia and physiology."
And that will help keep our feathered friends flying high.
