Wildlife Triage and Rehabilitation Flashcards
What is the ultimate goal of rehabilitation?
Return that patient to the wild, with normal physical and behaviour function.
What is the main consideration of rehabilitation?
Animal welfare and health (other factors sometimes weigh in)
Questions to ask yourself in the initial assessment of wild life first aid?
- Should I intervene?
- How and when should I intervene?
- Am I trained and my workplace equipped to treat this patient?
- How likely it is a successful outcome?
- 3 main decisions: Release, Provide first aid, Euthanasia
What are the considerations when placing an animal in captivity
- Analgesia
- Stress
- Cross infections and Biosecurity
- Changes in behaviour
- Requirements in terms of enclosure, diet, repeated handling
What are the considerations when releasing an animal from captivity?
- Pre-release general health check and disease screening
- Release methods
- Location and time of release
- Season
- Monitoring post-release
- Ecosystems
- Other wildlife impact
- Domesticated animals
What are the main sources of wildlife casualty patients?
- Members of the public
- Charities working with wildlife (eg RSPCA)
- Occasionally, specific wildlife projects
Describe telephone triage for a wildlife casualty patient
- Record species, location and main presentation (eg injured, orphaned, etc)
- Inform how to capture and transport the animal safely for both the human and animal
- Inform of possible health hazards to humans (eg bites, zoonosis, etc)
Describe ideal transport containers for wildlife
- Safe and escape proof
- Stimuli and thermal isolation
- Adequate ventilation
How are different wildlife transported?
- Most species: cardboard boxes or pet carriers (covered)
- Most carnivores (fox, badger): crush cages (covered)
- Amphibians: plastic containers with some humidity
What are the most common casualties of wild animals?
- Trauma
- Natural
- Orphaned animals
- Poisoning
- Infectious disease
What are the risks of handling animals to humans?
- Bites
- Scratches
- Antlers (deer)
- Toxic skin secretions (Amphibians)
- Venomous species (adder)
- Zoonosis:
• Rabies/Lyssavirus
• TB/Mycobacteriosis
What are the risks of handling animals to the animal itself
- Iatrogenic trauma: • Skin and hair • Tail slip - Stress - Disease transmission/cross contamination - Imprinting and behaviour change
What equipment is needed to manually restrain and handle wild animals?
- Latex gloves
- Towels
- Nets
- Traps and other devices to safely capture/restrain wildlife
Which spp may require sedation/anaesthesia for examination?
- Hedgehogs
- Deer
- Most carnivores
- Large rodents
Which snake spp is venomous in the UK
Adder
What are the distinguishing features of adders?
Orange to red eye
Vertical pupil
Dark zig-zag dorsal pattern
What are the indications for sedation of avian pateints?
- Routine clinical exam, sample collection, etc
- Some species more prone to capture myopathy (eg cranes, bustards, etc)
- Pre-medication for GA
What is used for avian sedation?
Midazolam and Butorphanol
What are the protocols for anaesthetising carnivore spp?
- Ketamine + medetomidine. Reversed with Atipamezole
- Ketamine + Midazolam. Reversed with Flumazenil
- Can combine with Butorphanol
What are the considerations for anaesthetising deer?
- Hyperthermia (>40° C)
- Hypoxia (SO2 < 85%) – ideally should be >95%
- Regurgitation
- Capture myopathy
Which basic information should always be gathered?
- Date and time
- Species, age group (young vs adult), sex?
- Finder’s contact details
- Type of incident: orphan, injured, RTA, etc
Consider euthanasia of wildlife casualties for the following cases:
- Imminent death
- Extensive trauma +/- exposure of internal organs
- Severe emaciation
- Exposed fractures (specially birds)
- Severe or extensive myiasis (maggots)
- Blind/naked neonates
- Untreatable disease
- Permanent disability
- Legal reasons
- Any circumstance where the patient’s welfare and release back to the wild can’t be guaranteed
What can be assessed whilst a patient is still in the carrier?
- Mental status and activity
- Abnormal behaviour
- Gait and posture
- Signs of dyspnoea/respiratory disease
- Obvious lesions
What needs to be examined during the clinical exam of wild birds?
- Weight and BCS: pectoral muscles and SC fat (migratory birds)
- Check: eyes (if possible, full ophthalmologic exam), nostrils, ears and oral cavity
- Hydration status
- RR and HR (if possible), auscultate lungs and air sacs
- Palpate crop and coelomic cavity
- Musculo-skeletal exam
- Check integument: wounds, bruises, hematomas, damaged feathers
What needs to be examined during the clinical exam of wild mammals?
- Weight and BCS
- Temperature?
- Hydration status
- Integument
- Mucus membranes and CRT
- Teeth and oral cavity
- Eyes, nostrils and ears
- Auscultation, HR and RR
- Abdominal palpation
- Musculo-skeletal exam
What needs to be examined during the clinical exam of wild reptiles/amphibians?
- Consider minimal exam/clear plastic container
- Weight and BCS
- Integument
- Oral cavity and MMs
- HR - doppler or direct observation (amphibians)
- Coelomic palpation
- Musculo-skeletal exam
What are the main signs of severe dehydration in birds?
- Cold extremities
- Decreased corneal tension
- dry mm with thick saliva
- decreased CRT on ulnar vein
Describe the routes of medication for birds
IV - ulnar vein, medial metatarsal vein
IM - pectoral
IO - distal ulna, proximal tibiotarsus
SC - intrascapular, flank
Describe the routes of medication for reptiles
IV - ventral tail vein, intra-cardiac
IM - lumbar muscles, front limbs
IO - lizards: proximal tibia
SC - small volumes, limited
What are the common presentations of shock in wildlife?
- Blood loss and hypovolemia
- Dehydration and emaciation
- Poisoning
What are they key points to note on the physical exam of a patient with shock?
- Mental status (collapsed to quiet)
- Hydration status (always assume 10-15% dehydration)
- Temp (hypothermic)
- Pain (might not show obvious signs)
Describe the emergency treatment to give to shock patients
- Thermal support
- Oxygen supplementation
- Fluids: bolus and maintenance
- Correct dehydration
What are some useful diagnostic tests for shock pateints?
Bloods: • PCV • Total Proteins • Blood smear • Glucose +/- Urea Radiographs: • Specially on trauma cases • Always under sedation/GA • Only when patient stable
Describe ongoing rehabilitation of wildlife key points
- Limited contact with humans/other animals:
• Biosecurity concerns
• Stress
• Changes in behaviour - Housing during treatment should meet the species requirements
- Hospitalization area: ideally separated in avian, mammal and herp patients
- Large outdoor enclosures
Describe release of wild animals
- Planning ahead release area:
• Ideally same area where animal was found
• Season and time of day - Pre-release general health-check and disease screening
- Monitoring released animals
How can different wild animals be monitored following release?
- Birds – rings, wing marks, telemetry or GPS devices, data loggers, etc
- Mammals – ID chip, telemetry colar
- Reptiles – ID chip
- Amphibians – not usually marked
When would orphaned bird need examination/treatment?
- Obvious trauma or lesions
- Imminent risk of predation/injury
- If still present on the same area after 12-24h
Describe the initial approach to orphaned birds?
- Provide supplemental heat
- Once rewarmed provide fluids and supplemental feeding by crop tube
- Reduce human contact to prevent imprinting and behaviour changes
Name the different traumas that birds may present with
Head trauma Wing fractures Leg fractures Lacerations and bite wounds Other less common trauma (luxation, spinal trauma, electrocussion)
What are signs to look out for in birds with head trauma?
- Altered mentation
- Haemorrhage on oral cavity/ears
- Hyphema (bleeding in the front (or anterior chamber) of your eye, between the cornea and the iris)
- Anisocoria = unequal pupil size
- Facial paralysis (check head feathers)
What is given to provide analgesia in birds?
Meloxicam
How are wing fractures managed?
- Immobilize wing as soon as possible
- Different splinting techniques:
• Coracoid/Humerus – figure of 8 bandage + body tape
• Radius/ulna – figure of 8 bandage
• Carpus/metacarpus – tape splint - Once stable, GA + radiographs
- Ideally, orthopaedic surgery to restore normal wing function
How are leg fractures managed in wild birds?
- Immobilize leg as soon as possible
- More difficult to stabilize than wing fractures Different splinting techniques:
• Femur – difficult to stabilize hip joint, require surgery
• Tibiotarsum – lateral splint with lightweight material
• Tarso-metatarsum – lateral splint or tape splint (birds <150g)
• Digits – cage rest (small birds), ball bandage or snowshoe splint. - Once stable, GA + radiographs
- Ideally, orthopedic surgery for femoral and tibiotarsal fractures
What are the general principles of wound management?
- Consider sedation/GA for wound examination/ management
- Flush with sterile Saline 0.9%
- Remove any necrotic tissue
- Cover wound with hydrocolloid gel, Manuka honey or Silver sulfadiazine creams
- Wet-to-dry dressing or non-adhesive dressing applied
- Most wounds are contaminated/infected – healing by 2nd intention, do not suture
- Analgesia + Antibiotics (specially if bite wounds) – Amoxicillin + Clavulanic Acid
Which wild birds have an increased risk of lead poisoning?
Swans and waterfowl
Birds of prey
What are the sources of lead?
Gun pellets left in the environment/game
What are the clinical signs of lead poisoning?
- Variety of neurologic signs
- Pale mucus membranes
- Haemoglobinuria
How is lead poisoning diagnosed and treated?
- X-rays: look for metallic densities on GI tract
- Lead blood levels: significant if > 0.02ppm
Treatment (options): - Calcium EDTA
- Penicillamine
- Supportive care
What is the cause of botulism in wild birds?
Ingestion of toxin type C produced by Clostridium botulinum
What are the clinical signs of botulism?
- Progressive flaccid paralysis (+ neck muscles)
- Associated with more or less high mortality
- Outbreaks can last several weeks
How is botulism treated?
- Fluids
- Activated charcoal
- Supportive care
- Anti-type C toxoid serum (not cost-effective)
- Severe cases should euthanized
Describe treatment for oiled birds
- Supportive care (fluids, activated charcoal, bismuth subsalicylate)
- Provide supplemental heat
- Clean mucosas and eyes first with sterile Saline 0.9%
- Start prophylactic antifungals
- Remove oil from plumage (water 40° C + Fairy®)
- Remove detergent from plumage – soft warm water
- Dry plumage
- Restore feather structure
What are the common presentations for hedgehog casualties?
- Trauma (eg RTA, bite wounds) – nasal trauma carries poor prognosis
- Complicated wounds – necrotic tissue, infection, flystrike
- Emaciation
- Neonates
- Respiratory disease – incl. hedgehog lungworm
- Limb entrapment
- SC emphysema
- Accidental poisoning
How must bats always be handled?
Always handle bats with latex + garden gloves due to risk of zoonosis
What are common problems in bats?
Trauma: • Cat bites • Wing tears and lacerations • Fractures - Entanglement - Contamination (glue, oil) + chemical burns - Intraspecific bites (during breeding season) + facial abscesses - Orphan pups
What are common problems in foxes
- Trauma (wounds, fractures)
- Mange: Sarcoptes scabiei, potentially zoonotic!
- Dental trauma (during capture/captivity)
- Orphan pups
Describe the pathophysiology of capture myopathy
Intense muscle activity -> Tissue acidosis (Lactic acid) -> Metabolic acidosis -> Inflammation and muscle necrosis (incl. myocardium) -> Acute renal failure
What are the risk factors for capture myopathy?
- Acute stress
- Capture/restraining
- High temperatures
What are the clinical signs of capture myopathy?
- Paresis
- Paralysis
- Ataxia
- Sudden death
How is capture myopathy treated?
- Fluids
- Midazolam
- Vitamin E + Selenium?
- NSAIDs?
- Even aggressive treatment is frequently unrewarding
- Consider euthanasia if not responding in 24h
