The devastating fires in Australia have destroyed wide swathes of habitat and left many animals injured and homeless. Rescue organizations, firefighters, and citizens have come together to do their best to help these animals in need. You may have seen many images and stories, like those below, of people giving injured and dehydrated koalas water from their water bottles. Unfortunately, while this is an admirable gesture, it can actually be deadly for animals already suffering from the traumas of bushfire.
Image: YouTube Colin Phil Cook
Animalia wildlife recently shared a post explaining what happens to the koalas given water this way. Many can develop a condition known as aspiration pneumonia and subsequently die from the infection it causes.
What is aspiration pneumonia?
Aspiration pneumonia is a condition that occurs when a human or animal accidentally inhales food, liquid, or other foreign matter into their lungs. This causes irritation to the lung tissue and the foreign matter that was inhaled can spread bacteria to the sensitive lung tissues, causing an infection. For an animal that is already injured or under stress, this can make recovery even more difficult. They will have to fight off an additional infection on top of trying to recover from other injuries or illness, all while struggling to breathe. This was the case for Arnie the koala from Animalia Wildlife’s post. Even though his burns were minor, he was unable to fight off the infection that developed from the water he inhaled while drinking from a water bottle, and sadly he died.
How does it happen?
While thirsty humans can easily sip water through a straw or take a big swig from a water bottle without choking on the contents, other animals do not get their water this way. As explained in Animalia Wildlife’s post, koalas get most of their moisture content from the leaves they eat. When they do drink water, they lap it up with their head angled downward, similar to how a dog or cat might. When people offer water to them by holding a bottle up above their head and tipped down towards their face, too much can flow out too fast for them to handle and they can end up inhaling some of it. Animalia suggested offering water in a bowl or cupped in your hands so that the koalas can lap it up safely, and do not try to force them to drink.
Image: Youtube/ Koalification
Not Just Koalas
While this issue has recently been put in the spotlight for koalas given the recent impact of the bushfires, this is not just a problem for injured or dehydrated koalas alone. Many people want to help when they find injured or abandoned wildlife and may try to water or feed animals such as baby birds or mammals. However, this carries the same risk that koalas are facing. If improperly given, water or inappropriate foods can hasten the death, or at the very least lengthen the recovery process, for injured wildlife. Across the board, wildlife rehabilitators advise not to give injured wildlife water or food and to bring them to a licensed rehabilitator as soon as possible instead. Giving incorrect food can cause its own set of problems, but for this post, I’m going to focus on water. With that in mind, here are 3 reasons you shouldn’t give injured wildlife water.
The Dangers of Giving Water
1. Aspiration Pneumonia
As stated above, giving water improperly can cause the animal to inhale it and develop aspiration pneumonia. To the untrained, it can be difficult to get the water “down the right hole”, especially without proper tools such as elongated syringes or tubing. If the animal is injured or has other underlying issues, it may be lethargic and unwilling to drink on its own. In cases like this, trained rehabilitators can enact a proper fluid protocol and give fluids via subcutaneous injections (under the skin so it can be directly absorbed) or a tube passed directly to the stomach. Improper tools or techniques will greatly increase the chances of aspiration which can be a death sentence for the animal.
Image: Bjorn Olesen , https://wrscomsg.wordpress.com/tag/wildlife-rescue-centre/
2. Reduced Body Temperature
If using poor technique, the wrong tools, or just struggling to deal with an injured and non-compliant animal, you may end up spilling water over them. If the animal becomes damp or wet, this can lead to a drop in body temperature. For animals suffering from heatwave conditions, it may be recommended to mist them with water to cool off. But in other cases, this can be deadly. Animals need to maintain proper body heat to be able to digest their food. If an animal is sick, a drop in body temperature can affect their ability to fight off disease or infection because they are expending energy trying to keep their body warm. This is why rehabbers often give fluids that are room temperature or slightly warmer so that the animal doesn’t have to spend extra energy trying to warm up. If an injured animal is found, rehabbers recommended keeping them warm until they can be brought to a licensed professional. This is especially important for small animals which can lose body heat rapidly, like birds or small mammals.
Image: Mary Cummins/ Flickr
3. Stress and Shock
An injured or ill animal is under stress, and coming into contact with humans, however benign their intentions may be, is only going to cause more stress. Too much contact or handling of an animal, like trying to make it drink or eat, can raise stress levels to the point of impacting their recovery. Increased stress levels can reduce an animal’s ability to fight infections, disrupt its appetite and ability to digest food, and when coupled with shock from an injury may cause the animal to die. Chintimini Wildlife Center provides a more detailed explanation of how stress affects an animal physically so check out their post about handling injured animals if you want to know more. The important thing to remember though is instead of trying to treat the animal yourself, the best option is to keep it in a calm, dark environment and handle it as little as possible.
Image: https://www.chintiminiwildlife.org/injured-animal-handling.htm
What should I do?
In the case of a heatwave or fire, if you find an animal in need of water, the best thing you can do is provide water in a container or bowl they can lap from. Do not try to force it into their mouth. Make sure the bowl is solid/heavy enough to not easily tip over and spill. If you are leaving water out, try to provide ramps or bowls of varying sizes so different animals can access it or climb back out if they fall in. Clean the containers regularly and change out the water so that it does not stagnate and stays clean.
Image: Perfect Pets
For injured wildlife, the first thing you should do is call a local rehabber or wildlife center. They can tell you whether the animal is really in need of help and how you can safely capture them to bring in for help if needed. In this case, you will need to keep the animal warm and quiet. The safest thing, for the animal’s sake, is do NOT try to give them water or food.
