Caring for others can be extremely satisfying, yet it can also incur a cost, "the cost of caring," commonly known as compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is recognized as an occupational hazard within the health care professions, where compassion is at the core of practice.

Compassion is key to the delivery of veterinary services and the cornerstone of the helping relationship, yet the ability to work in a compassionate manner can wane. Almost everyone who cares for ‘others in distress’ will eventually experience some degree of compassion fatigue, and the consequences are real and often far-reaching – personally, professionally, and even organizationally.

Presenter:  Debbie L. Stoewen, DVM, MSW, RSW, PhD

Sunday, November 21, 2021 - 3 pm EST (New York)

The Bird of Prey Health Group is excited to offer this one-day event focusing on raptor rehabilitation educational ambassadors. We realize the importance these birds bring to the education atmosphere of raptor rehabilitation. We also realize the difficulty in providing complete medical evaluations for these birds due to the costs endured by the non-profit rehabilitation group. For this day, the only cost to the raptor rehabilitation facility is the cost of the laboratory work up. The all-volunteer BPHG mobile veterinary team will be donating their time and expertise for the complete physical exams.

Overview:

The BPHG mobile veterinary team will offer a one-day health-screening event for raptor rehabilitation organization’s educational ambassadors. This event is provided by the BPHG and the all volunteer BPHG mobile veterinary team. Enclosed with this document is the information on the mobile veterinary team.

Location:

The Bird and Pet Clinic of Roseville will be the central location for this event. This event will be held on Sunday, September 13. Participating raptor rehabilitation organizations should be prepared to travel and arrive at this location on the given date and time. The number of educational birds

to be evaluated will be 20. Depending on the request, raptor rehabilitation groups may be limited in the number of educational birds that can be seen.

Goals:

Over the course of one day, the mobile veterinary team will provide the following for the educational ambassadors and raptors with special needs:

-Complete physical exams, including ophthalmology and cardiac evaluation

-Avian blood chemistry evaluation and complete blood count

-Written document for each bird evaluated; including interpretation of the physical, cardiac, ophthalmology and laboratory evaluation

-Comfort care protocols and recommendations for the aging educational bird of prey

-Recommendations on housing, husbandry and ongoing medical care if required

The BPHG is also happy to provide guidance to your veterinary support staff on providing continuing care for your educational ambassador. They are more than welcome to attend.

If interested:
Please email Vickie Joseph DVM at gosridge@zetabroadband.com

An email packet of information will be sent to those registered for the Raptor Health Day

FREE, live, interactive LafeberVet webinar* 

Reptile Wildlife Euthanasia Techniques

Presenter: Renée Schott, DVM, CWR

Sunday, June 28, 2020 - 3 pm EDT (New York) 
What time is this in my time zone?

The question is not, can they reason?
Nor, can they talk?
But, can they suffer?
--Jeremy Bentham, philosopher, 1780

Wildlife often present to veterinarians and wildlife rehabilitators with conditions that warrant euthanasia. It can be difficult, however, to apply mammalian methods of euthanasia to species with unique physiology such as reptiles. This interactive presentation will use cases to discuss practical euthanasia methods for reptiles and the (brief) physiology behind these methods compared to others. Emphasis will be placed on freshwater turtles as these represent some physiological extremes.

Dr. Renée Schott will present this live webinar event. Dr. Schott is the Medical Director and a Senior Veterinarian at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota (WRCMN), one of the largest rehabilitation centers in the country. Renée has been involved in wildlife rehabilitation for over 15 years and she has worked at WRCMN for over 10 years. Additionally, Dr. Schott teaches courses at the University of Minnesota-College of Veterinary Medicine and she is a Course Instructor for the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council. Renee also does relief work at The Raptor Center in St. Paul and she is a former member of the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association Board of Directors.

Register here

Lecture topics:

• Wildlife rehabilitation definition

• Pain?

• Legalities

• Definition of euthanasia

• Evaluating euthanasia methods

  • Animal factors

  • Human factors

  • Remains (carcass) factors

• We must view the above considerations with a practical systems view or process flow

Recommended reading

Before the live session, Dr. Schott strongly recommends attendees read the brief article "Euthanasia: Quality of the Life"
by Katherine McKeever.

This copyrighted material is reprinted with permission of the 
National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association 
from Principles of Wildlife Rehabilitation, 2nd edition, 2002 (pp 215-216). 

Register today and visit LafeberVet for more information.