May2015_News from UQ Vets Dayboro

Encounters with wildlife

Well here we are approaching winter and the weather this year has once again kept us guessing.  With the extended hot and humid weather we have been seeing ticks and their consequences much later in the season.  As well as a number of tick paralysis cases we have also seen quite a few patients with life threatening snake envenomation in April.  It just goes to show that you have to be on your guard throughout the year in this area. 

While the rain has been mostly welcome, we are noticing quite a lot of wildlife (e.g. wallabies) foraging in the fresh green pick at the side of the road.  This unfortunately brings them all too often into contact with vehicles which doesn’t end well.  

If you have the misfortune of hitting wildlife, or happen to come along after the accident, it is advisable to check for a pouch.  Joeys are often overlooked and will die if left in the pouch.  Don’t be tempted to pull the joey off the teat as that can cause major injuries.  If you have some scissors in your first aid kit you can cut the teat off as far back as possible  and put a large safety pin through it to prevent the joey swallowing it.  Otherwise you can bring mum and bub in to us and we will take care of it.  

We have some wonderful carers in our community who do an amazing job of caring for and raising these remarkable little creatures, all they need is someone to take the time to rescue them in the event of accident or injury.  We are always happy to treat wildlife and will make every effort to get them back to full health and eventual release.  It is important to have as much information as possible when you drop them off to ensure their successful re-entry to the environment, e.g. exact location the animal was found.