10 year old Ray self checks into 'the last chance salon"
10 year old Ray self checks into 'the last chance salon"
Yes this is the second time we have seen Ray in the 10 years since his release, last time was for mange. This time hes in a shocking mess , mange weight loss and numerous what look like pig bites and tusk injuries.
Due to his gentle nature we felt he would manage the months it will take to get him ready for re release, with help from our vet on pain relief, valium initally to keep him from stressing plus antibiotics and mange treated.
Its been touch and go first few week's in the nursery wombatorium pen, snuggled in his hay filled box so he can come and go, he blocks doorway with a hay plug at night and stretches out under the hay and seems very relaxed.
It's amazing that he's still alive. We think pigs attacked him while he had mange, leaving him with numerous wounds on top of the mange, and it's been touch and go.
His calm temperament has meant he could be brought back into care and treated — pain relief, antibiotics, and a comfy hay-filled box in his old nursery enclosure, where he's devouring huge tubs of fresh grass daily. He's still got quite a way to go yet, but he remains independent.
June- july: He looking more like a wombat shape: Mange free, although looking worse with fur still to grow back. He’s a more wombat shape and only 2 now of the many bites to granulate up to skin level! Were keeping the wound moist so it can heal upwards rather than scab over ontop and have a lake of infection below. (ice burg wound) He's eating huge amounts of fresh cut grass and supplementing with small amount sweet potato and pellets to increase nutrition and keep himself warm in this critical healing stage. Were using Centrigen (purple dye) to keep any flies away when it was warmer. He's standing on his back legs now to bang on tin or wood to alert us that he's up and ready for his bowl of treats and more fresh grass. Were not there yet, but making good wombat paced progress. We have initially given pain relief on the sweet patato as he stands the antibiotic injections but getting oral pain relief in was mission impossible. We are very thankful for our vet and all her help.
August 2026 Update
Ray in July finally got it to see Dr Howard Ralph whom has been out of action due to sever health issues for 9 months! Ray was deemed critical By Dr Ralph still after coming into care in April, he was beyond critical then. Many wounds are all healed, no mange and a weight grain of close to 8 kg taking him to 22kgs. Finally getting under general anasetic wounds explored and cleaned, cultures taken, bloods, xrays, and shaved off some dry crusts and scabs (hyperkeratosis) a post mange issue.
Finally cultures back and the two remaining wounds and bone with 3 unusual bacteria we now had the final antibiotics to help the last two heal up, they had come along way already. He is not keen at all taking oral medication or various vitamin and children's iron supplements, he might eat it on grass one day but not the next. get him when he's asleep and groggy awake and we get success, you cannot wrestle a 22kg wombat into a headlock to slip a syringe into the side of his mouth with medication, you dont want him too stressed, ive tried cocktails of meds (tasted by me of course!) as the cherry flavoured iron suppliment helps flavour, but just like a wombat only drank it once.
He's still on pain relief and he communicates by banging his box, wanting more grass, water, sweet patato or kangaroo pelets and if all that dose not work a scratch around the ears dose the trick generally. He's in side in our little joey enclosure with hay filled box attached and is generally only awake 4-6 hrs a day starting mid afternoon. Hay is changed, and pen cleaned when he's awake, heater on 24/7 to keep him at the right temp in this cold weather, snowflakes yesterday here.
Missing fur is where mange mite mess has dropped off. Hes a dark chocolate wombat with super fine fur, so its even more obvious. Week 3 he lost use of back legs, he could still feel his legs and pulled away strongly with his antibiotic injections, Vet felt swelling blocking nerves. So 12 days late he's started to stand and walk again.
picture of Ray during his first soft release, what a hansom boy he was,
