Birds and Non-Domestic Animals

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2011:

Diseases of birds: topics include 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.

Diseases of non-domestic animals: topics include the role of the veterinary surgeon in wildlife work; characteristic anatomical features of various groups of native mammals; diseases and husbandry of marsupials including orphans; other native mammals; exotic (zoo) mammals; reptiles; veterinary role in regulatory activities and wildlife disasters; and diseases of fish.

At the end of this course students should:

• 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;
• 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;
• 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.

One 3-hour written paper Birds (60%) and Non-domestic animals (21%) and one 15-minute oral examination on Birds (19%) all at the end of semester. Students are required to pass all three components of assessment.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

After completing this subject students should have developed:

• cognitive, analytic and problem solving skills, involving independent thought, rational enquiry and self-directed learning;

• professional and technical skills; and

• respect for intellectual integrity and professional ethics.