Exotics 3 Flashcards
In terms of wildlife disease management what are the 3 main considerations
1) is management desirable
2) is management feasible
3) what is the goal with management - prevention, control or eradication
In terms of is management desirable what are the 4 main reasons that would make it so and how to determine
- Is management desired/needed to protect human (number 1 reason) and/or domestic animal health (number 2 reason)?
- Is management needed to protect a threatened species (number 3 reason)
○ If affecting the population that isn’t threatened (number 4 maybe not reason)
DETERMINE - Perform a cost : benefit analysis
○ This may include financial costs (and benefits), but must also consider ecological costs and benefits
in terms of is management feasible what are the 3 main questions that needs to be asked
- Can we monitor the disease?
- Who is the target population for management?
○ wildlife vs humans vs domestic animals - Can we monitor the success of management?
In terms of outbreak investigation management what are the 3 levels
1) managing the pathogen/toxin
2) managing the animal
3) managing the environment - many stakeholders, harder to do anything about
In terms of managing the pathogen/toxin for wildlife outbreak management what are the 3 types of pathogens and possible management
○ Non-infectious -> generally highly political
○ Infectious -> treating a large number of wild animals - DIFFICULT
§ Commercial fox bait laces with praziquantel -> intensive and expensive
Vectors -> infertile male mosquito prevents fertilisation
In terms of managing the animal for wildlife outbreak management what are the 2 main ways and examples within
1) Change distribution of animals -> remove from source
§ Disperse animals (including restriction from an area)
§ Restriction of movement -> keep animals within certain national parks
§ Selective culling
§ Reduce population density (mainly killing, repro control) -> NZ trying to cull all possums
□ Works for density dependent diseases (NOT Tasmanian devils
§ Insurance population
□ Treat in wild population and vaccinate
□ NOTHING can do for disease and get healthy animals out -> still have some if the wild ones disappear
® Brings up issue with captive breeding programs
□ Tassie devils
2) Vaccination
§ Aim to achieve -> push reproductive number below 1 -> rabies in switzerland
In terms of managing the environment in wildlife outbreak management what is the aim, what does it required and 2 main options
○ Aim: Reduce exposure to pathogen, or increase ability to cope with pathogen
○ Requires thorough understanding of the disease epidemiology, but may result in longer lasting results than first two options.
○ Options include:
§ Abiotic environment: climate, soils, water
§ Biotic environment: vegetation, animals
What are the 5 main disease surveillance types for wildlife
- Mass mortality events
- Longitudinal and cross-sectional studies of known diseases (usually via research projects)
- Single accessions of dead wildlife to pathology labs
§ Australia: co-ordinated zoo-based and uni-based - Active surveillance to collect samples from target population
§ E.g. testing frog populations for presence of chytridfungus; avian influenza
§ Requires established protocols - Passive surveillance - most common
§ Opportunistic sampling generally from public identifying mortalities and government investigation there
What are the 5 main applicable legal Victoria codes for dealing with wildlife in practice
1) wildlife act 1975 - most important
2) Wildlife Shelter and Foster Carer Authorisation Guide 2018 -> wildlife rehabilitation
3) catchment land protection act 1994
4) prevention of cruelty to animals act 1986
5) veterinary practice act 1997
For wildlife act 1975 what is the 3 main important statements to uphold when dealing with wildlife in practice
○ Protected wildlife can only be held by licensed carer, or veterinarian (and their staff) for treatment and rehabilitation
○ A special license is needed to hold wildlife for any other purpose
○ All shelters must keep report, which include species, date of admission, location of rescue, animal injuries, cause of injury and fate of animal
Wildlife Shelter and Foster Carer Authorisation Guide 2018 what are the 5 main statements to uphold when dealing with wildlife in practice
○ Shelters must comply with any direction from authorised office from Department of Environment
○ A vet may ask DELWP for help if concerned about welfare
○ Unusual or threatened wildlife to be reported to DEPI
○ Animals released near point of capture
○ Treatment only if full recovery is likely
Catchment land protection and veterainary act what is the main statement that need to uphold when dealing with wildlife in practice
- Catchment Land Protection Act 1994
○ Offense to care for or release animals listed as pest species
If admitted to vet clinic - MUST BE EUTHANISED - Veterinary Practice Act 1997
A vet needs to act in a professional manner
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 what is the 2 main statements that need to uphold when dealing with wildlife in practice
○ Offense to omit or do an act which causes unreasonable pain or suffering or be owner or person in charge of injured animal and unreasonably fail to provide vet treatment -> if guilty of this offence a prison sentence could be attained
○ Vet practitioner may destroy animal likely to cause serious injury or death to other person or animal or if animal will continue to suffer if remain alive
List some pets animals in Vic and what needs to be done with them
MUST BE EUTHANISED
- RABBITS
- Red-eared slider turtle
- Cane toad
- Carp
- Red fox
- European hare
- Feral or wild goats
- Feral or wild pig
- Wild or feral dog - if on private property or within 1km radius of the farm
- feral bird species:
- Indian mynahs
- Feral pigeons
What do you do if someone brings in an unidentified (possibly feral) cat
- Not declared pest species
- Emergency treatment (euthanise on welfare grounds) -> stabilise/pain-relief and give to the council
Brushtail possum if trapped in the house and bring into the vet clinic what do you do
○ Can humanely euthanise the possum -> legal
○ If they have been trapped humanely they can be released within 50 meters of the house after sunset
A carer rings you after hours and asks to bring in a koala that has been hit by a car; the animal appears to have moderate to severe injuries, including a fractured leg
Do you have to see the animal?
YES YOU NEED TO SEE IT (if you are on call)
○ Legal requirements:
§ Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (1986)
□ Vet; “finder”
§ Special “vet clause” -> HAVE TO HELP and also can euthanise an animal that is endangering human life or other animals
A carer rings you after hours and asks to bring in a koala that has been hit by a car; the animal appears to have moderate to severe injuries, including a fractured leg. What information do you need from the carer and where keep it?
History taking
- Where was the animal found?
○ Animal must be released at site of rescue (Code of Practice for the Welfare of Wildlife During Rehabilitation 2001; Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act
® Some exceptions
® If don’t do this less likely to survive
- What happened to the animal, and when? Or when was the animal first noticed?
- How easy was it to capture the animal?
- Contact details of the carer, and the “rescuer”
- Keep good records of admission, treatment and outcome
What are the 4 main steps after admission of the animal
- Prompt triage
- Consider zoonotic potential
- If immediate attention is not needed: dark and quiet area, ideally separate from cats/dogs
- Basics: species, weight, body measurements, age, condition
- Observe the animal: clues on degree of illness and type of injuries - Decide on whether sedation or anaesthesia is needed for:
- Diagnostics: physical exam, radiography, bloods, faecal floatation (may find faeces in box/cage) etc
What 5 main considerations you need to take into account before deciding on your treatment regime and/or whether to treat
- How serious are the injuries? Is the animal likely to fully recover and be able to be released within a reasonable time frame?
- Wildlife unable to be fully rehabilitated should not be kept as pets (CoPWelfare of Wildlife During Rehabilitation); some exceptions
- What are the ecological implications of rehabilitating and releasing the animal -> is it overabundant or threatened species
- Cost recovery???
- Should you refer the animal to a specialist wildlife veterinarian?
List some conditions that make a full recovery for injuried wildlife doubtful, if unsure or have threatened species what to do
○ Sensory losses: loss of sight, hearing, smell
○ Loss of motility
○ Underlying chronic disease (e.g. chlamydiosis)
○ Loss of a limb or prehensile tail
○ Imprinting on humans or inability to adjust to captivity
○ IF UNSURE -> CALL ZOO VETS
IF Threatened species -> call the government
If you decide to treat, how long should you keep the animal in hospital for?
As little time as possible
A member of the public rings your clinic to tell you they have found a sick-looking flying fox sitting under a tree in their garden, and they want to know what to do.
What do you/your reception staff advise them to do?
- DO NOT TOUCH -> Zoonotic bat diseases!!
- Life-threatening viral diseases affecting humans
○ Hendra virus (probably no direct transmission)
- Australian Bat Lyssavirus(ABLV) (direct transmission; fatal) - RABIES
○ “Beware” of the yellow bellied sheath-tail bat
○ MORE LIKELY TO CARRY IN A SICK BAT
- Menangle virus (bat to pig; pig to human) - CALL A CAREER that is vaccinated against rabies
- If there is no one available cannot do much for the bat
A member of the public rings your clinic to tell you they have found a sick-looking flying fox sitting under a tree in their garden, and they want to know what to do. What information do you obtain from the caller and later the carer?
○ History taking
- How long has the animal been observed to be sitting under the tree?
- Have there been any other animals showing similar signs?
- Has anyone already touched the animal?
○ Then need to euthanised and tested for rabies
○ Cannot give human health advice - HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT NEED TO GO SEE GP
- Carer: How easy was it to catch the animal?
A member of the public rings your clinic to tell you they have found a sick-looking flying fox sitting under a tree in their garden, and they want to know what to do. Should you see/examine the flying fox yourself?
○ Only if vaccinated
○ If scratched need to get post exposure vaccine -> GO SEE DOCTOR
One of your large animal clients brings in an orphan joey that she has found in a paddock next to its dead mother. She wants to get some milk replacer for it and asks you to have a quick look at the animal while she’s here. Is it okay for her to raise the orphan kangaroo?
○ According to the Wildlife Regulations 2013, it’s an offence to give an animal to a member of the public who is not a licensed wildlife carer(exception for veterinary surgeons and their staff for the purpose of treatment)
In terms of marsupial dosages what animal go by
use cats as a model -> they are generally more sensitive
Marsupials shape of their spleen, metabolism and body temp
- Spleen is triangular or triradiate
- Marsupial metabolism 30% than non-marsupial,
- Mean body temp from 33-36 degrees
Marsupials teeth what are the 2 types
1) Wombat teeth are open rooted (rodents) need to grind against each other to get worn down (symmetrical manner) malocclusion is bad
○ Need to be able to survive in the wild without human intervention -> wombats with malocclusion need dental treatment commonly so cannot be released - euthanised
2) Molar progression - eastern grey kangaroo -> 4 sets of molars all up and once they are used up the kangaroos
Marsupials GIT what are the 2 main types and species within
○ Foregut fermenters -> macropods -> large sacculated stomach (not 4 chamber stomach)
○ Hindgut fermenters
§ Wombats -> caecum is vestigial and fermentation occurs in the colon
§ Others -> large caecum with most extensive being of the koala
Marsupials reproductive tract how many structures
○ Two ovaries, two oviducts, two separate uteri and cervices
○ Each uterus opens into a vaginal sac separated from septum into the lateral vagina
§ Median vagina comes into play during birth (before first birth pretty much non-existent)
□ Can remain or re-forms every time gives birth
○ Each vaginal goes into urogenital sinus which also receives the urethra -> cloaca
what are some important aspects of housing for bandicoots, wombats, kangaroos and possums
- Bandicoots -> solitary, soft floor to prevent foot problems
- Wombats -> dig proof, need a den
- Kangaroos -> need to graze, all fence post on the outside (can run along the fence line and can take their shoulders out on the way around)
- Possum and glider -> roofed and branches provided
What is the goal of physical restraint in wildlife and how long do for
- Use this to achieve chemical restraint
- Highly stressful so want to do for as short of a time as possible
Physical restrain how to achieve on a macropod
- Adult NEVER MANUALLY RESTAINED
- Grasped at the base of the tail then lift off the ground
- Place into hessian bags or pillow case and then anaesthesia via infection or extracting head from sack and mask induction
Physical restrain how to achieve on a possums what is important to avoid
- Scratch and deliver painful baits
- Generally people trap the possums -> sit in the back of the trap and need to get into hessian bag/pillow case/towel
○ Do this but backing spitting noises at the possum with bag at the end, if doesn’t move may need to inject and anaesthetise in the trap - A towel should be thrown over them then grasp firmly behind the head (FIRM, MORE LIKELY TO GET BITTEN THEN STRANGLE) and then hold base of tail -> stretch out of possum
○ Place mask or inject for induction
Physical restrain how to achieve on a koalas and wombats what is important to avoid
KOALAS
- Extremely sharp claws and teeth but quite fragile ribs
- Restrain by holding both upper arms, AVOID TEETH
- Transport sack is ideal
WOMBATS
- Extremely strong and sharp teeth
If quiet enough can be picked up under forearms in bear hug
Physical restrain how to achieve on a echidna what is important to avoid
- Difficult to retrain once in a ball
- Try to get onto solid surface (concrete), shovel underneath and reach under and try to grab the back leg, lift up (point cloaca away from yourself as will spray)
- May need to inject (difficult to get into face mask as dip snot within)
What are the 4 main chemical restrain options and the main general way that is ideal
- Preferred way is to place face mask and induct via isoflurane -> induction and recovery is fast
1) Zoleti
2) xylazine/ketamine
3) medetomidine/ketamine - more relaxed but more expensive and need larger volumes
4) alfaxalone - IV generally - works well in reptiles
Zoletil what is it good for with wildlife
- Zoletil -> good for wildlife and good for tranquilizer gun
○ Go down quickly, relaxation not the best (jaw clamping and leg movement)
○ Can take several hours to wake up from
What are the 6 main injection sites for marsupials and which marsupials use with each
- Lateral coccygeal vein in macropods (along either side of the tail).
- Ventral coccygeal vein (as for rodents) is useful for smaller marsupials e.g. possums, gliders, small carnivorous marsupials.
- Femoral vein/artery. (Direct needle at pulse felt in inguinal region.) Arterial blood is often obtained and digital pressure is required to prevent haematoma formation.
○ This vessel is good in koalas and bandicoots, but general anaesthesia is required to access it. - Medial metatarsal vein (small vein along medial aspect of hindleg). Good for wombats.
- Cephalic vein can be used in macropods, koalas, wombats (with some difficulty).
- Jugular vein -> for those with necks (kangaroos), NOT WOMBATS