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Zoo Animal Medicine

Author: Gretchen Kaufman, DVM

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1. Zoo management

1.1. The Mission

Education
Research
Conservation
Entertainment

1.2. Zoo Administration

Funding base - Public vs. Private
Community role
Veterinarians position
Support organizations - AZA, SSP, ISIS, etc

2. Captive Animal Circumstances

Animal acquisition and disposition (surplus, trading, selling?)
Cage/enclosure design - a continual renewal process
USDA and AZA input
Keeper interactions, target training to facilitate movement and treatment

3. Role of the veterinarian - many hats

Animal health - preventative medicine emphasis
Human health and safety - zoonotic diseases, public health & physical safety issues
Administrative role?
Curatorial role?
External role - AAZV, communication with colleagues
Public image - role in high profile cases and in zoo marketing
Conflicts - inadequate funding for resources, inadequate consultation/respect for input from administration, relationship with curatorial/keeper staff
Positives - working with unusual species, stable patient population, scientific contribution, opportunity for field study

4. Target Issues in Zoo Medicine

Funding for animal health services
Resistance to standard quarantine procedures
Reluctance to fund preventative medical issues
Medical decisions influenced by external concerns
Conflicts over enclosure design

5. Support resources and continuing education

5.1. Professional organizations

Association of Avian Veterinarians http://www.aav.org/

Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians http://www.arav.org/

American Association of Zoo Veterinarians http://www.aazv.org/aazv

5.2. Continuing education resources

Annual conferences of professional organizations above

North American Veterinary Conference, Western States Veterinary Conference, etc.

5.3. Formalized Training/Board Certification

5.3.1. Internships and Residencies (selected)

There are both academic centered and zoo centered residencies available in zoological medicine. A complete list is maintained on the AAZV website http://www.aazv.org/internship_residency.htm. Some of these are listed below.

Residency Program in Zoological Medicine at the University of Florida - Gainesville http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu/sacs/wildlife/RESIDENT.html
Zoological Medicine Residency Program at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville http://www.vet.utk.edu/avi_zoo/residency.shtml
Zoological Medicine Residency (Zoo Emphasis) at the University of North Carolina - http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/studentservices/intern_resid/zoology.html
Zoological Medicine and Surgery Residency Training Program at the University of Wisconsin http://vmthpub.vetmed.wisc.edu/sa_services/special_species/residency.htm
Resident Training in Zoo and Wildlife Pathology at UC-Davis and the San Diego Zoo http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/pmi/resprogram.Z&WP.htm
Residency in Zoological Medicine with rotations at UC Davis, San Diego Zoo, San Diego Wild Animal Park, Sacramento Zoo and SeaWorld http://www.vmth.ucdavis.edu/vmth/residency/otherres/zoomed.html
Clinical Residency in Zoological Medicine at the Bronx Zoo (Wildlife Conservation Society) http://wcs.org/home/science/wildlifehealthscience/1897/

5.3.2. Board Certification

American College of Zoo Veterinarians http://www.aczm.org/aczmmain.html

6. Ancillary Material

6.1. Readings

6.1.1. Books and Journals

American Association of Zoo Veterinarians. Infectious Disease Reviews. 1991-current.

Fowler, Murray E. Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine. W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, PA, c1986. Part 1 General Information.

Fowler, Murray E. Zoo and wild animal medicine: current therapy 3. W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, PA. c1999. Part I General Topics.

Fowler, Murray E. Zoo and wild animal medicine: current therapy 4. W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, PA. c1993. Part I General Topics.

Wild Mammals in Captivity: principles and techniques. Devra G. Kleiman, et al. (ed.). University of Chicago Press, 1996.

6.2. Websites

International Species Information System ISIS https://www.isis.org/

American Zoo and Aquarium Association http://www.aza.org/

American Association of Zoo Veterinarians http://www.aazv.org/aazv

Guidelines for Zoo and Aquarium Veterinary Medical Programs and Veterinary Hospitals, prepared by the Veterinary Standards Committee, American Association of Zoo Veterinarians, 1998. link

Foreign Animal Diseases Gray Book http://www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/gray_book/index.htm

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