Practical Tips for Wildlife Medicine and Rehabilitation

摘要

This masterclass is designed as a practical review of useful tips for the small and exotic animal practitioner who sees wildlife patients. Triage, pertinent laws, nutrition and fluid therapy, wound and pain management, common diseases and other concerns are discussed for avian, mammalian, and reptilian wildlife.Triage is the process of prioritizing patients based on presenting condition and the resources available to deal with that condition. Therefore, triage of wildlife may necessarily vary to some degree based on individual philosophy, case load, local, state, and federal regulations, and the presenting situation (ie, oil spill affecting hundreds of animals versus the normal daily load of injury and illness). In any case, the primary objective to keep in mind during the triaging process is eventual return of the patient to the wild. If triaging wildlife in a private practice setting, there are some considerations that may help set triage policy. Guidelines about what the practice is willing to accept should be made clear to staff and to the public. Once the patient is admitted to the hospital, immediate triaging becomes paramount. Although typically not a "paying customer," wildlife cases are often most in need of immediate attention. Decide in advance how staff will handle this; but the welfare of all patients, even the non-income producing ones, should be at the forefront of triage. Next, veterinarians typically treat but usually do not rehabilitate. Working with licensed rehabilitators can be crucial to success. Resource allocation to wildlife cases may be based on a variety of factors. Additionally, the personnel performing triage needs to recognize reasons why an animal may not be releasable. Be aware of local, state, and federal laws regarding wildlife intervention.