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Caring for seabirds with botulism.

For our website visitors who have rescued seagulls that appear to be sick, we would like to make them aware of botulism, which seagulls suffer terribly from.

With this kind of sickness the bird appears to be very ill and lifeless, but it is only temporarily paralysed, for a few days or up to a week from the start. The legs are always the first things to go with botulism.

This is curable and the cure is flushing out the birds system with water. You can use a syringe to squirt the water into the birds beak, then allowing the bird to swallow the water naturally on its own, and not forcing the water down the birds throat, it could drown.

Remember that vets are obligated to treat wild animals! And antibiotics for botulism will certainly help.

The law is very clear. It is illegal to interfere with nesting birds - and seagulls are protected. Anyone in any doubt can get a leaflet detailing the legalities from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.