Erica Miller Wildlife Rehab

Erica Miller Wildlife Rehab Licensed in wildlife. ODNR RVS, fawn, bobcat, reptile, amphib. USFW fed permit. Cert FDA euth tech
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09/04/2026

It’s Thursday September 3, 2026, and here’s your Thursday tour of animals that do not smell good in your garage during a 90+ degree heat wave.
Let’s talk about animals in cages - and the decompensation that can occur anytime during/following capture and confinement. Let’s face it - you find a hurt or injured animal, and you think you’re doing the right thing by helping it. So you assume the animal also knows it’s being helped, because you love animals, and they always find you when they need help, etc. “It’s so calm! It loves when i talk to it and pet it and sing to it! It knows I’m helping it, right?!” Wrong.
If you’ve ever called me about a bird, deer, or bunny, you’ve likely heard me talk about capture myopathy. What is capture myopathy? It’s an often-fatal deterioration and chain of events caused by capture, transport, fear, restraint, etc. Does this mean the animal died of fright? No, it’s more complicated than that. It’s a combination of severe stress and muscle breakdown from exertion. The science behind it is this - during capture, the nervous system (specifically the sympathetic ) floods the body was fast-acting stress hormones like adrenaline. As the animal preps for escape, its HR, BP, breathing and muscle activity all rise quickly. Over time, muscles consume oxygen and energy faster than it can be replenished, and here’s where things really snowball. Muscles now have to rely on anaerobic metabolism, contributing to acidosis. The breakdown of damaged muscles is called rhabdomyolysis, a process that will release stuff like myoglobin and potassium into the bloodstream - myoglobin is now going to damage the kidneys, and potassium and electrolyte imbalances are going to damage the heart. And now you can see why it’s more than simply dying of fear - it’s a snowball effect that truly throws off the balance in the whole body. Pursuit, capture, restraint, transport, and struggling can all lead to capture myopathy - which is why it’s not unusual for animals to die soon after entering rehab. Are certain animals more prone to this response? Yes. Deer, birds, and bunnies are quite prone to capture myopathy. Also, it’s worth mentioning that stillness is not compliance or trust. Deer, rabbits, and many birds will freeze when terrified. So while you’re petting it, singing to it, or talking to it, and the animal is so quiet and still - you likely are further stressing an animal in crisis.
🐰🦌🕊️🦝🦫🐢🐿️🌎


Donations
Venmo: EricaMillerWildlife
PayPal: [email protected]

Amazon wishlist:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/2FJCB20L8FHG7

08/28/2026

It’s Thursday August 27, 2026, and here’s your tour of everything that was kidnapped after last weekend’s storms!
Make sure you watch the super cute beaver carrot eating part at the end!! 🦫 🥕 so cute!!
It’s the end of August, so you’d think we’re at the end of baby season - but we’re still in baby squirrel and bunny season, a lot of which come into rehab after bad weather.
Let’s talk about turtles! 🐢 Ohio has several native turtles - everything from box turtles to snappers, and a couple more rare turtles.
One big thing with turtles - they need to go right back where they came from. Why? They often nest, find mates, and over winter in the same location. And can actually die wandering trying to orient themselves if they’re displaced. This is why if you bring a turtle to rehab, i ask for an exact location where they were found. It’s also why if you find a turtle crossing the road, you shouldn’t turn it around - keep it oriented in the direction its already traveling when you remove it from the road, or it’s just going to end up right back where it started. Also, unlike other species, a solo baby turtle does not mean it’s abandoned. In fact they’re on their own after they hatch, and can travel pretty far on their own to water. Don’t kidnap them! Unless they’re in danger or injured, leave them alone. Another interesting fact is that turtles hibernate - except it’s actually called brumation when a reptile goes dormant in winter. Aquatic turtles (painted, snappers) can submerge in mud in ponds and wetlands, and their metabolism drops as the water temp drops. Box turtles burrow into the soil instead, and stay there in freezing weather. They need surprisingly little oxygen when they’re hunkered down for winter, and their heart rates drop too. Their body temp follow the environment (because they’re ectotherms), and they almost shift into a little winter power-save mode.
One of my favorite things about turtles is that a smashed shell is not automatically a death sentence. Their shells are actually a part of their skeleton. I’ve worked really hard using and developing different methods to repair shell cracks over the years.
Remember, when you think you’re saving a turtle in your yard because it looks out of place, that turtle could very well be much older (and more sturdy) than your Ryan Homes subdivision! Box turtles can live up to 100y, and snappers 75y. Leave them alone! You’re the newcomer here, not them.

🦫🦝🦆🦌🐢🕊️🐰
Donations
Venmo: EricaMillerWildlife
PayPal: [email protected]

Amazon wishlist:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/2FJCB20L8FHG7

08/21/2026

Here we are again, and it’s Thursday August 20, 2026. Here’s your Thursday tour!!
Last week we talked about photoperiodism - how animals take biological clues from the amount of daylight, and their bodies make changes based on whether it’s increasing or decreasing. We’re at the point of the year where the days are getting shorter, which is very important for our next topic of conversation - hummingbirds!
Hummingbirds are incredible little creatures, but we’re biased because we’ve raised so many and get to see first-hand how wonderful they are. Some fun facts - they’re the tiniest of birds, and their hearts beat 500-1200bpm. They have an extremely high metabolism, and eat 2x their weight in nectar every day. They’re excellent pollinators, and help promote biodiversity in their travels. They can fly forwards, backwards, and can hover while upside down! They’re territorial, and I’ve said this before - I’m not sure why sports teams don’t use hummingbirds as their mascot, because they’re scrappy little creatures who will defend their territory and preferred feeding locations fiercely. They are also the smallest migrating bird. Some varieties travel up to 5k miles each year. They instinctively follow cues such as shorter days, cooler weather, and lessened food sources to know when it’s time to move south - but their main clues come from the shortening days because it’s the most reliable info (weather and temps may fluctuate, especially here in Ohio; the amount of daylight this time of year is a steady decline). Following those clues, they then go through hyperphagia before they migrate - meaning they’re eating as much as they can. The goal is to double their weight and increase fat reserves for the trip (don’t get any ideas; you don’t migrate). They fly solo, not in groups. They’re incredibly fast for their size. They can make the 500mi across the Gulf of America in just one day. They do face typical migration challenges such as weather, predators, and food scarcity.
We’re about to see a large amount of hummingbirds coming through our area during migration! Late August and early September, we’ll see an increase of ruby throated hummingbirds (the main type we see in Ohio) as they migrate through on their way south to Mexico and Central America. So even though they may look like the same birds you’ve seen all summer, it’s possible that you may be seeing birds at your feeder that are passing through while migrating, coming through from areas further north. My sub permit has seen a huge increase in male ruby throated hummingbirds in her area this past week - which lines up with the typical pattern of males migrating first, followed by adult females and then juveniles. That means babies born this spring will indeed be making the trip solo for the first time soon. It’s pretty amazing that their little brains just know “days are shorter, get fat now, let’s go south.” (And yes, this is a very bittersweet concept when you’ve raised them from nestling to release).
Also - yes, you can keep your feeders up. People will say it interferes with migration. But birds don’t take their migration cues from feeders, they birds take their timing clues from lessening daylight hours. That being said, here’s your friendly reminder: if you choose to hang feeders, it’s your responsibility to make sure you’re cleaning them properly. When in doubt, skip the feeders entirely and plant flowers that will naturally attract and fuel hummingbirds on their journey - this is more beneficial to all. And don’t cut back those flowers yet, let them bloom as long as possible!!
One last note - please remember (most of) the wildlife rehabbers you call are volunteers. I am a volunteer. My subs are volunteers. Just this week, in the same day, I had someone tell me “i see what you do is a hard job, and I don’t want to burden you with something i can handle myself.” Shortly after, i had someone else tell me “i don’t care who takes it, i just need to pass it off to someone so it can be off my conscience.” To the people who recognize this gig for what it is, thank you. We see you and appreciate you. To those of you in the other category, a little empathy would look good on you. Some things cannot be taught. Have a great week!

Donations
Venmo: EricaMillerWildlife
PayPal: [email protected]

Amazon wishlist:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/2FJCB20L8FHG7

08/14/2026

Hard to believe it’s Thursday again , but here we are! It’s Thursday August 13, 2026 and here’s your tour of all the animals who needed a little assistance after this week’s storms. Turns out squirrels are bad swimmers.
Though it’s hard to believe because it’s still so warm outside, we’re getting closer to the changing of the seasons. This brings a lot of changes for the animals we work with, long before the thought of winter has hit our radar. You might wonder how animals prep for winter when it’s still so hot outside - and the answer is that they take their cues from the amount of daylight each day. Because as it turns out, amount of daylight is much more predictable and reliable clue than the actual temperatures outside. Animals are wired to notice whether days are getting longer or shorter, and an animal’s biological response to changes in daylight is called photoperiodism. As days get shorter, animals experience changes in melatonin and other hormones - this triggers changes in them long before cold weather or food shortages actually arrive. What happens? Their bodies take in the info about days becoming shorter, and each species responds according to what they need for the winter. Deer start developing fuller coats and eating more. Squirrels and chipmunks start caching food for winter and working on their fat reserves. Skunks and raccoons also develop more fat (as I write this, I’m becoming increasingly suspicious that I may know some folks who are also getting ready for winter!). Birds become more restless as migration nears, and they feed more as they increase their fat reserves - because migration takes a lot of energy - so does surviving winter. Birds also work on molting their older feathers and growing new feathers for migration. And just as animals have biological changes as the days get shorter, they have different chances in spring as the days start to get longer. Long before seasons actually change, before food becomes scarce, and even before Kroger puts out their halloween candy, animals are taking subtle cues from nature and prepping their bodies for the winter ahead.
And if you’re followed me for a while, you know this is the part where i tell you what a disservice people are doing to animals that they (illegally) keep captive in their homes (without a permit), then call me in fall in a panic wishing to release them because they realize they’ve made a grave error. There’s many reasons it’s a bad idea to keep a raccoon or any other animal as a pet, and this is just one of them (trust me, I can give you a hundred more). An animal cannot possibly prepare for winter if you’re denying them the chance to biologically ready themselves for the changing season by keeping them in your home. Plus it’s illegal.
🦌🦫🦝🦆🕊️🐢


Donations
Venmo: EricaMillerWildlife
PayPal: [email protected]

Amazon wishlist:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/2FJCB20L8FHG7

08/07/2026

It’s Thursday August 6, 2026, and here’s your Thursday tour!
Let’s talk about deer and glands. They have them on their forehead, corner of eye, between hooves, inside hocks, to name a few. Why do deer have so many glands?! Think of them as a way of sending and receiving information from other deer. Most deer glands exist for communication. They leave scent on the ground, trees, or themselves - why? They use these to mark territory, recognize one another, follow trails, identify family, and coordinate breeding. A few of their glands actually help with normal body functions, like lubrication or improving their sense of smell. The gland (which isn’t actually a gland) in the roof of a buck’s mouth receives scent info from a doe’s urine which then helps his brain activate the timing and desire to breed.
Which brings us to rut! What’s rut? It’s breeding season. Primarily in Ohio it’s Nov 7-15. Does are in heat for about 25-48h, and then they go into heat again in another 28 days. Gestation period is 200-205 days. The big push of fawns I get called about in May/June are first rut fawns. What we’re seeing now are 3rd rut fawns, which are ones that would’ve been conceived in that January cycle - basically all the does that weren’t knocked up in Nov or Dec, getting knocked up in Jan. And now enter our August born fawns. The biggest disadvantage to 3rd rut fawns is they don’t have the same amount of time to grow and build body reserves before Ohio winter. The timing is also a disadvantage to the doe, who is grazing and nursing as food supply starts to decline in late summer and early fall. Timing in nature is everything - from breeding, food supply, and gaining independence before season change. And yes, sometimes nature can be cruel.
🦫🦌🐿️🦝🦆🕊️
Side note to my nursing friends, Grace passed the NCLEX! She’ll be in the CICU at Kettering main campus. 🩺⚕️🚑



Donations
Venmo: EricaMillerWildlife
PayPal: [email protected]

Amazon wishlist:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/2FJCB20L8FHG7

08/04/2026

Here’s one of our favorite releases! These barn swallows got to spend some time with Amanda (who raises most of the birds, and does an exceptionally great job at it), despite a valiant effort to reunite with their parents after being found on the ground in a shopping center. Despite being birds that leave the nest before being expert fliers, these guys needed a little more time to grow and learn to hunt bugs. Barn swallows eat on the wing, which means they catch food while flying. Barn swallows are incredible migrants, and also quite beneficial - as they eat hundreds of flying insects a day! They often return to the same place to nest every year after migration. These 5 successfully returned to the wild, where they’ve remained together for weeks!

07/31/2026

It’s Thursday July 30, and here’s your Thursday tour of everything that hates being in a cage during the summer!
A note about fawns! Fawns 6 weeks of age will survive on their own. Please don’t chase or try to capture them. We know, you mean well, but this does more harm than good. These are flight animals, you’re scary to them, it’s their instinct to fear you, and animals end up displaced and hit by cars because people decide to not leave them alone. Leave them alone. It is ok to leave out water and things like healthy garden produce, oats, limited cracked corn, and sunflower seeds if you have a place to do so.
More monarch caterpillars in our video today! You’ll notice you can see them molting and eating their molt. Like we said last week, their decline is directly related to human intervention (pesticides, cutting down milkweed, etc) so many people choose to raise and release eggs they find. If you want to help our monarch population, plant milkweed, and skip the pesticides.
A lot of releases happening!! If you don’t see your birds, there’s a good chance they’ve gone free. No, not every animal has a happy ending. A large part of our job is managing illness, injury, and situations that aren’t always pleasant - but providing care with dignity is a big part of this gig, even when the result isn’t release. So yes, it is rewarding when the time and effort ends in an animal successfully returning to the wild.
Just a reminder - the point of wildlife rehab is to rehabilitate native species so they can return to their place in the ecosystem. I’ll say it again - native species. Everything has its place in the circle of life (cue the song), but our job as state and federal rehabbers (on the path unwinding) is to help the native species get back where they belong - which is in the wild. 🦫🦨🦝🦉🦇🐿️🦋🕊️🦌🦆🌎

Donations
Venmo: EricaMillerWildlife
PayPal: [email protected]

Amazon wishlist
https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/2FJCB20L8FHG7

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Miamisburg, OH

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