Birds, Wildlife, Fish and Exotic Pets

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2011:

None.

Prospective students are advised to familiarise themselves with the Faculty's Academic Requirements Statement http://www.vet.unimelb.edu.au/docs/CoreParticipationReqs.pdf

Birds component includes:

• clinical signs, diagnosis, pathogenesis, and epizootiology of diseases in individual animals as well as affected flocks;
• poultry management: nutrition, preventive medicine; and
• cage and aviary bird medicine.

Wildlife component includes:

• the role of veterinary surgeon in the area of wildlife work;
• veterinary role in regulatory activities and wildlife disasters; and
• characteristic anatomical features of various groups of native mammals;
  - husbandry and diseases of:
  - marsupials including orphans;
  - other native mammals;
  - exotic (zoo) mammals; and
  - reptiles

Fish and exotic pets components include:

• husbandry and diseases.

At the end of this subject students should:
With respect to birds:

• be aware of the management and welfare issues associated with the keeping of poultry and other birds;
• be aware of the variety of diseases affecting poultry and other birds;
• understand the factors influencing outbreaks of disease in flocks and/or individual animals;
• be able to suggest a probable diagnosis/ differential diagnosis from the history, epidemiology, clinical signs and gross post-mortem lesions;
• be able to recommend appropriate ancillary tests to facilitate a definitive diagnosis and prognosis;
• be able to specify appropriate therapy or other course of action for affected flocks and/or individual animals;
• be able to recommend appropriate measures for disease control and/or prevention;
• know the statutory regulations applicable to the husbandry, welfare, disease control and use of therapeutic substances/vaccines in these animals;

With respect to wildlife:

• be familiar with the various groups of Australian mammals;
• possess the essential information to be able to clinically examine and make a diagnosis of disease in non-domestic mammals;
• understand specific features of the husbandry of these animals as they relate to disease prevention and the management of clinically ill animals;
• be familiar with the legislation governing protected animals, particularly legislation with specific veterinary involvement;
• be familiar with the husbandry, clinical examination and the principal diseases of reptiles;

With respect to fish:

• be familiar with the principal features of the management of farmed and aquarium fish, be able to carry out a clinical examination, diagnose and treat specific diseases of fish;

With respect to exotic pets:

• be familiar with the principal features of the management and husbandry of such species, and be able to carry out a clinical examination, diagnose and treat specific diseases.

• One 1-hour written paper at the end of Semester 1 (40%)
• One 15-minute oral examination at the end of Semester 1 (20%)
• One 1-hour written paper after the Semester 2 intra-semester break (40%)
  Students are required to pass the subject on aggregate mark

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.