Medical Facility
Our Medical Center is open daily for animal drop-offs, volunteer, interns, and staff from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, it is not included in our Education Center and cannot be viewed by the general public.
Our goal is to return these animals to the wild, which means we must limit their human contact to only what is necessary and at the same time, we must abide by Florida and federal regulations about how the public can or can not be involved with wildlife undergoing rehabilitation.
Inside our Facility
NICU
The neonatal intensive care unit, all young orphans receive supportive heat and regular formula feedings in this room.
Intake
Our location for smaller injured mammals, birds, and reptiles.
Kitchen
The center of our Medical Center, it carries the most important burden, feeding all of our wildlife patients and Animal Ambassadors.
Necropsy Suite
Used only for necropsies, data collection, and sample collection of deceased marine mammals and sea turtles.
Nursery
Larger mammals that are no longer on formula or close to being weaned off. They are now introduced to solid food and more active mobility.
Isolation
Patients with contagious diseases are kept separate from the rest of the rehabilitation program to prevent transmission.
Laundry
All bedding used at ECWR is washed, and leads to constant shaking, washing, drying, and folding of laundry.
ICU
Our intensive care unit for injured adult mammals, birds, and reptiles.
Radiology Suite
Thanks to Sunday's Child, ECWR now has an x-ray machine to discover fractures, hooks, ammunition, and more in patients.
Bird Room
The dedicated location for raising orphaned songbirds.
NICU
Only needed in confirmed cases of mother abandonment or absence, orphaned mammals are admitted into our NICU. Some species we see include Eastern Gray Squirrels, Virginia Opossums, Raccoons, Eastern Cottontails, and more.
Would you like to help our orphaned animals?
*Volunteers do not start in the nursery, but are capable of entering after months of training
Donate Formula
Nursery
With larger and more active juveniles, they spend their transition period here before being transferred to an outdoor habitat. These patients are now off supplemental heat, and are given a mixture of formula and introductory solid foods.
Nursery specific aspects include:
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Enrichment activities to aid in mental stimulation
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Introduction of 'natural' aspects, such as sticks or logs to learn climbing abilities
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Preparation for "outdoor living" with larger enclosures for more activities and movements
Intensive Care Unit
Adult mammals or birds recovering from a variety of intense medical procedures or injuries may spend a short amount of time in this unit as their prescription medications are completed or can tolerate a larger habitat or increased activity levels.
Medications
Ceftazidime
Clavamox
Trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole
Enrofloxacin
Penicillin
Gentamicin
Ciprofloxacin
Meloxicam
Flurbiprofen
Medihoney
Liqui-Tinic
Chlorhexidine
Silver Sulfadiazine Cream
Rabies Vaccine
Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia (FVRCP) Vaccine
Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parvovirus and Parainfluenza (DHLPP) Vaccine
Pyrantel
Fenbendazole
Levamisole
Ivermectin
Intake Unit
Smaller patients still in need of an intensive care unit are assigned here.
Frequent injuries in this unit are:
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Crushed turtles from car collisions
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Head trauma patients
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Animals with fractured bones
Isolation Unit
Animals potentially affected by spreadable diseases or parasites are isolated for treatment to prevent contamination to other rehabilitation patients.
Examples include:
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Bacterial diseases
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Fungal diseases
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Viral diseases
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External parasites
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Internal parasites
Bird Room
Hatchling birds in our incubators need to be fed every 30 minutes, Combined with fledgling feedings in soft-sided aviaries every hour, the bird room is a busy place!
Laundry
All bedding in both our outdoor and indoor rehabilitation or ambassador enclosures are made from donated fabrics. With daily enclosure cleanings, this leads to a never-ending pile of sometimes very filthy laundry. (Please note that if you want to donate laundry supplies, we do not use fabric softener or dryer sheets, but do use massive amounts of laundry detergent and bleach).