engleski

WILDLIFE REHABILITATION TRIAGE

When wild animals are found sick or injured veterinarians should be aware that the clinical examination and triage differ from those in domesticated animals. In wildlife medicine, animals with the highest chances of survival are treated first. This is because the purpose of wildlife triage is not only to increase the probability of survival but to decide which animal can be released back to nature, which is the final goal of wildlife rehabilitation. For this reason it is sometimes referred as „reverse triage“ because the least ill patient should be treated first. The first step is taking patient history and it is followed by “in-the-box“ hands-off exam to check for any visible abnormalities. The animal can then be removed from the box to assess its movement as it can often reveal injuries that are not apparent when the animal is in the box. The next step is hands-on exam which should last no more than 15 seconds. Since major threats for wildlife survival are stress and pain, clinical examination should be done in a dark and quiet room with minimal staff present and the pain should be relieved as soon as possible. After the hands-on exam, the animal should be situated in the appropriate housing before the development of correct treatment plan. When assessing animal's condition, species characteristics, natural behaviour, age, sex, treatment options, probability of release, rehabilitation time, available resources and legislative requirements should be considered. Injuries that warrant euthanasia are, with some exceptions, amputations, traumatic joint injuries, loss of vision and spinal cord injuries with the loss of deep pain. In case of injuries that cause permanent disability, imminently fatal injuries as well as those causing heavy pain and suffering, euthanasia is justified. Although some injuries are treatable, it is important to balance the suffering with the probability of release. The purpose of triage is to decide whether to treat or euthanize, based on animal's chance of surviving in nature after rehabilitation.

wildlife, reverse triage, rehabilitation

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