1
Q
What are the beliefs around wildlife rehabilitation?
A
- All life is sacred: all life is sacred
- Darwinian selection: failed
2
Q
What are the beliefs around wildlife euthanasia?
A
- Bound to be differences of opinions between different finders, rehabilitators and vets.
- Some believe all animals presented to have ‘failed the fitness test’ and require PTS
- Some believe all life is sacred and that no animal should be put to sleep
3
Q
What is the pragmatic middle ground to attitudes towards wildlife rehabilitation?
A
- Save the saveable
- Early triage
- Reassess constantly
- Release the releasable
4
Q
What are the species variation on ease of rehabilitation?
A
- Some species are much easier to care for than others
- Hedgehogs very amendable to captivity
- Deer less so
5
Q
How do some species have more exacting requirements for release than others?
A
- Such as kestrel must have perfect vision, should and carpal function and leg/foot function
- Mallard ducks can cope with a limp, a wing injury or impaired vision to a degree
6
Q
Why treat wildlife in practice?
A
- Welfare
- Sentinels for disease in populations
- Personal satisfaction
- Good PR
- Training for nurses and vets
7
Q
Describe assessment of wildlife when they are brought into practice.
A
- Full assessment – where possible
- Knowledge of natural history – migration, breeding and territory
- Full clinical examination – under GA if necessary
- Diagnosis: examination, radiography, blood tests, response to treatment
- If deemed treatable and releasable – suitable accommodation and suitable food. Treat and asses response to treatment. Reassess at every stage and release or give more time.
8
Q
What are 3 triage options?
A
- Euthanasia – have to euthanise any animal not likely to be releasable. Very few exceptions, such as breeding animals like red squirrels and display and education animals like bats.
- Release – rarely an option.
- Rehabilitation
9
Q
What are the differences between wildlife in practice to other practices?
A
- Not used to human contact
- More difficult to medicate reliably
- Cannot ask them to pop back in a month for a check up
- Need to fend for themselves
10
Q
What are the health and safety risks in wildlife practice?
A
- Need to look after yourselves, staff and clients as well as the animal
- Direct injuries from animals – bites, footing injuries, antlers, kicks
- Disease risks – zoonoses and risks to domestics
- Potentially very serious consequences, such as concussed deer waking up loose in cars
- Rabies, leptospirosis, brucellosis
11
Q
What are the zoonoses relevant to wildlife in the UK?
A
- Ringworm (dermatophylosis)
- Enteric infections, such as ampylobacter spp
- ‘Seal finger’ (mycoplasma spp.)
- Chlamydophiliosis (ornithosis)
- Lyme disease
- Sarcoptic mange
- Rabies
- Tuberculosis
- Seal pox
- Brucella maris
12
Q
What are the legal considerations in wildlife practice?
A
- Vet care of wildlife generally exempt from ‘taking and keeping’
- Finder becomes owner so have consent
- Treatment controlled by VSA, Medicines Act, Animal Welfare Act
- Licences (Natural England) to mark prior to release
- Release exemptions: listed species - grey squirrel, Canada geese, Muntjac deer
- Wildlife is included under the Veterinary Surgeons Act (VSA)
- RCVS guide to professional conduct
13
Q
What is the BVA and RSPCA ‘Memorandum of agreement’?
A
- The emergency care or euthanasia of small mammals and wild birds brought to practices during normal surgery hours will be provided free of charge
- The RSPCA contributes to the cost of out of hours call out fees or visits to large mammals such as deer
- This agreement is not legally binding
14
Q
Describe the passeriformes/perching birds that come into practice.
A
- Range from wrens to raves
- Very prone to septicaemia following puncture wounds such as cat bites
- Reasons for admission include RTA, window collisions, caught be cat CBCs and orphans
- Greatly calmed by darkening room
- Can be stressed to death so be cautious of handling and presence of predators
- Grounded Hirundinidae and Apodidae – swifts, swallows and matins. Not easy to rear as they are specialised aerial feeders. Often ground, needing test flying. If non-flyers may just need short hospitalisation and retest flying ability daily.
15
Q
Describe the columbiformes that come into practice.
A
Pigeons and doves. Reasons for admission include RTA, window collisions (less common) and CBC, especially collar doves
16
Q
Describe waterfowl that come into practice.
A
- Geese
- Ducks – few genuinely 100% wild mallards, many hybrids, many semi-tame, some are migratory.
- Swans – mute swan is most common. Also Whooper and Bewick swans
17
Q
How are swans handled and restrained?
A
- Can be aggressive, but will not break leg
- Especially aggressive is defending nest
- Restrain wings
- Restrain head/neck
- Point feet and tail end away from you – nearly always produce very watery faeces when handled
- Swan bag for longer term restraint and transport.
18
Q
Describe raptors seen in practice.
A
- Reasons for admission: ballistic injuries, impact trauma, candidiasis ad ocular damage
- Owls have many fractures of the wings and legs for little owls, ballistic injuries less common, trichomoniasis and eyes, especially in tawnies.
19
Q
What are the reasons hedgehogs are admitted to practice?
A
- Out during the day ODD
- Too small to hibernate
- RTA (rare and usually dead)
- Predation (uncommon)
- Entanglement – litter
- Lungworm
- Skin disease
- Miscellaneous trauma, such as strimmers and litter
- Predation
- Poisoning
- Orphaned
20
Q
What are some things to remember when handling hedgehogs?
A
- Do not get ringworm: tedious to get rid of in humans, tends to inoculate under skin from spines, wear thick gloves, wash/scrub hands in pevidine if spined. Scoop up hogs with newspaper.
- To open up hedgehogs, stroke dorsum backwards from head, bounce gently, gently holding the hind legs, wheelbarrow posture to examine
- Shallow water
- General anaesthetic
21
Q
When are hedgehogs put under general anaesthesia?
A
- They have stertorious breathing
- They smell
- They cannot walk
- They do not want to eat
- They have no obvious or suspected open wounds
- It is summertime
- You feel like it
22
Q
How can hedgehogs be treated?
A
- Amenable to treatment (unlike many species)
- Difficult to orally medicate
- Easily kept in captivity for prolonged periods
- Danger that they may be treated where possibly not appropriate, such as burns
23
Q
Distinguish red and grey squirrels in practice.
A
Red – rare, lovable, protected
Grey – common, despised, law actively encourages destruction and forbids release
24
Q
Why are deer admitted to practice?
A
- Reasons for admission: RTAs, orphans, dog attacks, caught in railings
- Always radiograph deer that cannot stand on back legs
- Distressingly common to find pelvic and spinal fractures
25
Why can foxes be admitted to practice?
RTA, orphans, snares, old age, shot
26
What makes a release site suitable?
- Ideally all adults go back exactly where found
- Juveniles need new sites
- Safe (e.g. roads, hunting, people)
- Population density suitable
- Risk of disease transmission
- Landowner consent
27
What are protected animals in laboratory use?
- All living vertebrates, except man
- All cephalopods
- Debate on inclusion of decapods
- Wild caught primates. Must be bred in a specific research establishment to minimise the impact on welfare.
28
Why do some species get additional protection?
- The act is based around a social contract
- So public perception of ‘special sense’ dictates which deserve more protection
- It also dictates what sort of research should be allowed
- Great apes have highest level of protection
- Dogs, cats, horses, primates. Companion animals and primates as they are similar to us
29
What is a regulated procedure?
- Any procedure that MAY cause pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm and carried out for a scientific purpose must be documented in a project licence.
- Each procedure has a prospective severity category, based on potential adverse effects.
- There are Humane endpoints where the study must be stopped because the benefits of the work no longer outweigh the harms caused to the individual animal.
30
Describe establishment licenses.
- Lists the named persons at the research site
- What facilities are available and designates room with specific uses (e.g. NSEP, SEP, SF)
- These must meet the codes of practice: environmental conditions, stocking density and behavioural needs
- Different to DEFRA
31
Describe personal licenses.
- Grants permission to carry out specific regulated procedures
- Category of procedure – 5 categories
- Training record to document competency
- Licensee has primary responsibility for welfare of animals on which they have performed the procedure
- Must have a PIL to work under a PPL and the ASPA.
- Could have a personal license to do surgery without having veterinary or medical training.
32
What types of procedures can be done on lab animals?
- Procedures in conscious animals
- Procedures in briefly anaesthetised animals
- Surgical procedures or long during anaesthesia (over 15 mins)
- Complex procedures involving the use of neuromuscular blocking agents
- Scientific procedures under 1 project only
33
Describe project licenses.
- Valid for five years
- Reviewed internally by AWERB
- Reviewed externally by the Home Office
- Must follow the principles of the 3Rs: replace, reduce, refine
34
What information is given on a project license?
- Project Licence Holder – background and qualifications
- Place(s) – suitable facilities
- Scientific Background – does it fit with the current thinking
- Plan of Work – overall aim of the project, justifying the protocols, 3Rs, special species
- Protocols – what will be done, what safeguards can be put in place
35
What research is allowed?
- Basic Scientific research
- Translational or Applied research
- Development, Manufacture or Safety testing of products
- Protection of the natural environment
- Research aimed to preserve the species of animal subjected to the regulated procedures
- Higher education and Training to gain vocational skills
- Forensic enquiries
36
What research is not allowed?
- Research on Great Apes – banned since 1986
- Cosmetics – banned since 1998
- Use of endangered species
37
Describe regulated procedures.
- Any procedure that may cause pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm and carried out for a scientific purpose
- Each procedure has a prospective severity, based on potential adverse effects
- Some set limits as to what falls under each category, but plenty of grey areas
38
Describe the mild severity category.
- No significant impairment to well-being/condition
- Short-term, mild pain, suffering or distress
- Insertion of a hypodermic needle according to good veterinary practice
- Procedures that could cause more suffering but effective safeguards can be put in place to treat/end procedure
39
Describe the moderate severity category.
- Likely to experience short-term moderate, or long-term mild, psdlh
- Procedures likely to moderately impair animal’s well-being
- Any act of surgery
40
Describe the severe severity category.
- Likely to experience severe or long-lasting psdlh
- Likely to cause severe impairment of animal’s well-being
41
Describe the non-recovery severity category.
- Animals are anaesthetised at the start of the study and do not regain consciousness at any point throughout the process
- They are euthanised at the end of the procedure
42
What are the 3 Rs in lab animal use?
Replace – has the applicant explored alternative options or can they work to develop non-animal alternatives?
Reduce – appropriate study design to minimise number of animals necessary to attain statistical significance and translatable findings.
Refine
- Using appropriate pain relief
- Ensuring good housing and enrichment
- Ensuring the most refined approach for any procedure
43
Who approves research licenses?
Researcher, named veterinary surgeon, named animal care and welfare officer and lay member are the main 4 required.
44
Who are the members of an AWERB review board?
- Researcher
- Personal License Holder
- Statistician
- Named Veterinary Surgeon
- Surgical Technicians
- Named Animal Care and Welfare Officer
- Lay member
45
What is the research scientist tasked with reviewing?
- General scientific background
- Scientific justification
- Experimental plans
- Likelihood of statistical validity
- Assessing viability of alternatives
46
What is the named veterinary surgeon tasked with reviewing?
- Surgical and anaesthetic protocols
- Appropriate Analgesia and refinements applied to procedures
- Appropriate Humane endpoints implemented
- Potential risks to animals all identified
- Appropriate severity is applied to each protocol
47
What is the named animal care and welfare officer tasked with reviewing?
- Suitability of facility for housing species
- Endpoints clear and easily recognisable during the study
- Technicians have the ability to assess the adverse effects
- Welfare of the animals can be maintained throughout without breaching the protocol severity limit
48
What is the lay member tasked with reviewing?
- Lay summary
- Work is understandable
- Procedures are justified
- No unnecessary harm
49
Describe humane euthanasia of lab animals under the ASPA.
- The act specifies how animals must be euthanised
- This is a “humane” method of euthanasia e.g. Overdose of a general anaesthetic
- This is known as Schedule 1 euthanasia
- All personnel should know how to carry out a Sch1 euthanasia of the species they work with
- This is not a regulated procedure
- Harder to get CO2 euthanasia wrong but ‘blow to the head’ concussive method is more humane but harder to get right every time.
50
What are the specific guidelines for housing lab animals?
- 5 freedoms met as much as possible
- Biosecurity and standardisation models
- Health screening every 3 months
- Ensuring good enrichment and good health by continually improving practice
51
Describe the biosecurity and standardisation model.
Germ Free is the highest level, where animal has no microbial life on its skin or anywhere within its body. Raised in strict isolation with no exposure to any material that has not be sterilised. All water is sterilised, all food and bedding is irradiated. Difficult to maintain so have very strict entry requirements.
Gnotobiotic is the next step down where they are germ free bit introduced to a known specific agent.
SOPF – specific opportunistic pathogen free, meaning any disease causing agents or any agents that may interfere with the research.
SPF
Conventional – intro to a disease that will spread throughout all the animals in eth unit.
Animal Management Y2
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