Big Bear Bald Eagle Jackie took a setback Monday, when The Ojai Raptor Center said her packed cell volume fell to 13% while she was being treated for anemia. The update means her veterinary team is moving ahead with additional testing and faster laboratory work to sort out what changed.
The center said, “Today's bloodwork brought some difficult news” and added, “Her packed cell volume (PCV) has dropped to 13%, which means her anemia has worsened since our last update.” Jackie is being treated as Patient 26-519, and the center said it is working to better understand her condition and guide the next steps in her treatment.
The Ojai Raptor Center
Jackie had already been described as anemic with inflammation affecting her kidneys after she was rescued. She also received a life-saving blood transfusion from Spirit, a fellow female eagle at CALM Zoo in Bakersfield. The center said that care happened before Monday’s bloodwork showed the lower PCV.
Jackie is one half of the bald eagle pair seen on Friends of Big Bear Valley’s live nest camera with Shadow, which has made her condition closely followed beyond the veterinary setting. The Ojai Raptor Center said it had requested expedited laboratory testing to better understand the setback and adjust treatment.
Patient 26-519
The center also said, “At this stage, we do not have further answers to share, but we promise to keep you informed as soon as we have meaningful new information.” It added, “At this time, we kindly ask the public and members of the media to continue respecting the veterinary and rehabilitation teams involved in her care by allowing them the time and space they need to remain focused on patient care.”
For now, the next step is continued monitoring while the faster tests run. Jackie’s numbers are moving in the wrong direction, and the treatment team is trying to identify the cause before the plan changes again.
