WildWays Resources

Nothing stirs emotions to the presence of a wild neighbor than a raccoon. These awesome, intelligent, and creative mammals, have a huge role in our lives, whether it is trying to defeat their raiding of our garbage bins, setting up house in our buildings, or marveling at mom and babies exploring their world for the first time. Sadly, they are also vulnerable to many viral diseases. This review of the four major ones will help you make better decisions as to their care and the responsibilities we face in responding to a raccoon in trouble.

Rodenticides are a global issue for our wildlife, impacting often through secondary poisoning. Our casualty has eaten a rodent poisoned by eating a rodenticide. Some poisons can be managed rapidly, while others have long term implications, with fatalities being a very common outcome. The resource sheet is designed for New Zealand conditions, however, is a great guide to managing casualties anywhere, where rodenticide poisons are involved. Watch for webinars coming up this year, showing techniques such as PCV and Presumptive Clotting Times that can be a great way to monitor your patient’s recovery and help guide your care.

We are often so busy doing, we forget that we need to think about what it is we are doing, and keeping ourselves current. We also need to ensure that we can walk away and take a break, leaving colleagues to care for our patients because they have a great guide, your comprehensive SOP filed in your Resources Manual. So how do we capture this information and make it realistic and related to your facility and local conditions? The attached handout may give you some ideas on how to begin this process. If you need more help, please contact Lynn at WildWays lynn.miller@wildways.co.nz and explore just how WildWays can bring your knowledge and practices together in one package. Then book that vacation and take a well-earned rest, leaving your wild patients in the care of your team.

This naturally occurring toxin devastates wildlife, especially water birds, globally, when the conditions are right! The Botulism Staging document is designed to ensure appropriate care is given to victims of this toxin. It was designed to cover mallards, but works well for all species. To truly understand the issues and learn about the toxin, a new webinar will be launched in WildWays later in 2024. In the meantime, this document will aid you with the management of any casualties impacted by botulism.