Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW July 4 is a milestone for Medford woman who will become U.S. citizen ... Emergency services ... Helicopter, ground crews stop fire near Central Point homes ... July 4 is a milestone for Medford woman who will become U.S. citizen ... Emergency services ... Helicopter, ground crews stop fire near Central Point homes ... WILDLIFE Young fawn gets corneal repair surgery in Central Point People warned to leave young deer in their natural habitat Comment By Rebecca Scott Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Rebecca Scott Mail Tribune Posted Jun. 15, 2016 at 7:12 PM By Rebecca Scott Mail Tribune Posted Jun. 15, 2016 at 7:12 PM » Social News Tiffany Morey waited anxiously Wednesday as a 2-week-old fawn underwent surgery for corneal repair in a Central Point veterinarian's office. A monitor inside the operating room beeped every now and again, indicating a strong heartbeat. "We like that sound," said Morey, owner of Ashland Wildlife Rehabilitation. A call from Kerby brought the fawn to Morey's attention. People had taken in the young deer, now called No. 16-21, feeding it baby formula and placing it in a crib near a child. They took in the fawn, believing the mother was gone. Morey said people need to understand it's normal for mother deer to leave their young for periods of time. "Moms will leave their babies for a time, but then return," she said. Morey said people should not to bring home a fawn if they see it left alone. Instead, they should wait a day or two, and then if the mother has not returned, call Ashland Wildlife Rehabilitation or other wildlife experts who could assess and handle the situation. The fawn was in surgery within a couple hours of arriving at Bliss Animal Eye Care in Central Point; she was already in pain and having trouble seeing. What likely began as a small scratch worsened due to poor nutrition. The fawn's immune system weakened and bacteria infected the cornea. Veterinarian Cassandra Bliss may be more accustomed to dealing with pet eye problems — this was her first deer — but she was unfazed. "During surgery, I take the pink tissue around the eye and create a graft over the hole in the cornea," said Bliss, a veterinary ophthalmologist. The graft offers structural support and gives a direct blood supply for antibiotics. "Without surgery, the fawn would lose her eye," Bliss said. The surgery went well. Even before the procedure ended, Bliss and Morey said they could see the eye was healing. But No. 16-21 was not out of the woods yet. Prey animals can experience stress when coming out of anesthesia and die as a result. For a few tense moments, everyone waited. Then No. 16-21 began to suckle on the doctor's finger, a good sign she was coming out of the anesthesia well. "She did great — a little trooper," said. Bliss. The fawn will remain at Morey's facility, where she will continue her recovery. Morey said she hoped to be able to release the animal back into the wild at a later date. While the surgery was successful, Bliss and Morey noted the situation was completely avoidable if the fawn had been allowed to stay in her natural habitat. "Look, but don't touch," Bliss said. Reach newsroom assistant Rebecca Scott at 541-776-4477 or [email protected]. By Rebecca Scott Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Rebecca Scott Mail Tribune Posted Jun. 15, 2016 at 7:12 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501