Wildlife ECC Flashcards
What is the aim of wildlife triage?
To differentiate between wildlife that have good chance of survival & eventual release & those requiring immediate euthanasia
What are some important considerations when triaging wildlife?
Clinical exams may be only available diagnostic tool (so do it thoroughly)
Most patients will be in shock, so initial mentation may be unreliable
Stabilisation should be done before making major decisions
Triage decisions should be made within 24–48 hours for welfare reasons
Injuries need animal related context
- e.g. fractured wing in pigeon can be treatable but bird of prey will not survive in wild
Always check birds’ eyes
Illegal to take bird of prey from wild & keep them without DEFRA license unless its receiving treatment from vet registered to treat & release
What factors should be considered in a wildlife pre-release assessment?
If applicable, can they:
- Avoid predators/danger
- Hunt and/or forage food
- Find and defend territory
- Adapt to weather conditions
- Reproduce
- Hibernate
- Migrate
What are some good questions to ask yourself in wildlife triage?
Good chance of success?
How long will recovery take?
Do we have appropriate facilities/resources/money?
What are key points in wildlife initial stabilisation?
Warm & dark environment
Fluid therapy
Duphalyte (vitamins & electrolytes)
Initial patient related treatments
NSAIDS delayed until rehydrated
What are important things to consider when creating a wildlife treatment plan?
Analgesia
- NSAID, opioid?
- route of administration
- Butorphanol best in birds
Nutritional support
- correct food being offered?
- Method of feeding?
- Gut stimulants needed?
Minimise handling
- long acting drugs preferred (e.g. farm drugs)
Practice set up & future rehabilitation
- monitoring
What are some analgesia options in rabbits?
Meloxicam
Buprenorphine
Tramadol
Maropitant
Carprofen
Lidocaine CRI
What are some good prokinetics for GI stasis in rabbits?
Cisapride
or
Metoclopramide & ranitidine
What are fluid therapy guidelines for rabbits?
Oral feeds: 10–20 ml/kg per feed, 6 feeds/day (q4 hrs)
SC Fluids: Max 10ml/site (use warmed isotonic saline)
IV/IO:
Shock rate: 60–90 ml/kg/hr (in 15-min boluses)
Maintenance: 4 ml/kg/hr
What are fluid therapy guidelines for birds?
Crop Feeds: Start at 1% BW & increase to 3% BW over days
SC Fluids: Max 10ml/kg/site (use warmed isotonic saline)
IV/IO:
Shock rate: 90 ml/kg/hr (in boluses)
Maintenance: 100 ml/kg/day
What are some common avian fractures in trauma?
Tibiotarsal & wing fractures
How can avian fractures be repaired?
Cage rest (pelvis or clavicle)
External stabilisation (if bone too small for internal stabilisation)
Internal fixation (using IM pins)
“hybrid” fixation (IM pins with external fixators)
Which antibiotics are safe to use in rabbits?
Medications For Treating Small Mammals
Metronidazole
Fluoroquinolones (except pradofloxacin)
Tetracyclines
Sulfonamides
Macrolides (except erythomycin)
Which antibiotics are not safe in rabbits?
PLACE rule
Penicillins
Lincosamides (e.g. clindamycin)
Aminoglycosides
Cephalosporins
Erythromycin
What are the key points for temporary housing of wildlife?
Quiet, warm & secure environment, away from predators
Newspaper, towels, hay, straw
Small mammals: Provide hides
Birds: Perches if strong enough, nests for smaller species
Hygiene: Daily cleaning with F10
Barrier nursing
What are the key points for in practice nutrition for wildlife?
First warm them up & rehydrate
Questions: How old? Type of food? Eating frequency in wild?
Never force feed normal diet
Tube feeding might be necessary until it eats on its own
Water always available
Use most appropriate food you have available
What are the food quantity & frequency considerations for wildlife in practice?
Depends on behaviour of species, age & health status
Critical care feeds easy to calculate based on manufacturer guides
Other foods can be hard to get right
Monitoring is key – record all food offered & what is eaten, along with weight & BCS
- Also monitor urine, faeces & casts (bird of prey)
