ABSTRACT: Veterinary professionals should act on a crucial role in wildlife rehabilitation. We took an oath to “ABOVE ALL … endeavour to ensure the health and welfare of animals” (RCVS code of professional conduct 2012) – this does not stop at domestic species. Wildlife care is both exciting and rewarding, offering us the honour to use our skills to help relieve individual suffering while potentially improving species numbers. Veterinary practices are not set up for treating wildlife, but they are often the first line of care. How we respond to wildlife casualties can have huge implications for the ongoing welfare of that patient.

Author

Nicola Louise Ryan

Nicola entered the nursing world after completing a BSc (Hons) in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, completing her RVN training at a 24-hour referral hospital in 2015. On qualifying, she secured her dream job working with wildlife as an RVN/wildlife assistant at a busy wildlife hospital in Cheshire. She has since gone on to complete the City and Guilds Veterinary Nursing of Exotic Species and continues to volunteer for various wildlife charities in her spare time, including carrying out dawn chorus bird s
urveys for the Wildlife Trust.

E-mail: Nicola.wildlife@gmail.com

Keywords: Cinical, Wild side

To cite this article: Veterinary Nursing Journal • VOL 32 (10) • October 2017 pp301-307

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