Debilitated Pademelon in care
February 2010
I was called for advise on a rescue of an adult Pademelon that had been found on a lawn not responding when approached, flies buzzing around the animal.
Facts are that any Macropod not responding when approached is in trouble, the natural instinct of a wild animal is to flee when approached, and flies are always an indication that the animal is debilitated.
When the rescue person arrived on site, he was able to walk straight up the the pademelon, he was also able to see a small joey in the pouch.
I met with the rescuer and took the animal in to care.
As I examined her I could see she was extremely undernourished, she was also blind, which is why she had been unable to feed properly, she was fly blown and slowly dying. She was humanely euthanised.
I could see the face of the joey in mums pouch and he looked bright and alert.
When I removed her joey from the pouch just before mum was euthanised I was shocked as to what I saw. The slightly furred joey was so thin, his eyes were bright and full of life, but his body was literally skin covering bone. A hard decision had to be made, did I do what I most likely should do and have the little fellow euthanised right there and then, or should I try to save him even though I knew it would most likely be a loosing battle. I decided to give it my best and try to save 
him.
I had expected him to be dehydrated, but he was not, his urine was clear and plenty of it, so after initial fluid therapy as is normal procedure, I started to feed him. He was so hungry the poor little thing and he drank well only being allowed the quantity for his stage of development as over feeding can have disastrous results.
I noticed straight away as he drank the fluid was going straight through him. I hoped this may improve over the next few days, but it did not.
He was simply not able to digest anything at all, he was that debilitated that all attempts to save him was in vain, and after 48 hours he was humanely euthanised.
Sad facts were that not only had mum slowly starved, but so had her joey not able to receive the nourishment needed whilst he grew.