Wildlife - The Process of Wildlife Rehabilitation

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Process of Wildlife Rehabilitation

  • Day to day care
    • amount
    • frequency
    • must mention
  • Initial assessment: identify injuries requiring immediate attention
    • history and examination
  • Rehabilitation: treatment and care of sick, injured or orphaned wild animals and prep for release
  • Things to consider:
    • the animal
    • the environment
    • the rescue team and other members of the public
  • Rescuing
    • observe without handling and without the animal being aware it is being watched
    • action may not be needed
    • correct capture technique - equipment
  • Early recognition that an animal is unlikely to survive or should not be released menas that euthanasia is necessary. It is important to prevent unnecessary pain and sufferin to the casualty.
  • Prolonged treatment to a wild animal with extensive injuries from which it cannot recover is not in the best interest of the individual animal.
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Equipment List

  • crush cage
  • noose and catch pole
  • towel
  • gloves/gauntlets
  • muzzles
  • nets
  • bags
  • personal protective equipment
  • transporting animal back to the rehabilitation centre
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Initial Assessment

  • initial means 'first'
  • physical signs
  • diagnosis
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What should we be assessing? : Breathing and Pulse

  • is the animal conscious/awake?
    • what things do we need to consider if the animal is awake?
    • what things do we need to consider if the animal is asleep?
  • physical signs
    • breathing/respiration
      • high = exercise, haemorrhage, shock, pain, excitement or fear, heat stroke, disease
      • low = unconsciousness or sleep. some poisons.
      • signs that an animal is finding breathing difficult
        • forced breathing out
        • flared nostrils
        • extended head and neck
        • mouth breathing
        • large movements of the chest or abdomen
        • noisy breathing
        • blue mucous membranes
    • pulse
      • fast: excitement or stress, heart disease, shock or blood loss, pain, high temperature
      • slow: sleep or unconsciousness, heart disease/disease
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What should we be assessing? : Temperature

  • High (hyperthermia): infection, convulsions, pain
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What should we be assessing? : Bleeding/Haemorrhag

  • stopping the bleeding is essential
  • pressure is extremely useful for control of haemorrhaging (be careful of material)
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What should we be assessing?: Fur or feather loss

  • parasites, animal fight, burns
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What should we be assessing?: limping

  • no putting weight on a limp
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What should we be assessing? : Vomiting

  • parasite overload, stomach upset, poison, abdominal obstruction
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What should we be assessing?: dehydration

  • the loss of water & salt essential for normal body function'
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What should we be assessing?: shock

  • a medical emergency
  • organs and tissues not receiving adequate blood flow, starved of oxygen and a build-up of waste
  • shock can result in serious damage and potentially death
  • caused by RTAs, animal fights, poisons, diarrhoea
  • best emergency treatment in warmth and fluids
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Triage

  • 'Triage': from the french word for 'sorting'. Term used to describe the basic categorisation of casualties depending on the required response.
  • Large number of casualties, what individuals:
    • can wait for treatment
    • need immediate attention
    • won't survive, so you shouldn't attempt treatment
  • Single casualty, determine whether the animal:
    • should be taken in; and is suitable for immediate release
    • examination/treatment required
    • unlikely to survive - euthanasia
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Diagnosis

  • using blood testing and faecal and urine samples
  • clinical testing (such as X-ray or MRI)
    • MRI = magnetic resonance imaging
      • MRI is very expensive
    • X-ray is more common
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