Though most injuries to humans result from an unexpected action by the animal, we are ultimately responsible--not the patient.  It is the vet, after all, who has made the decision to intervene. 

Unless the animal is believed to carry an infectious disease that could be transmitted by a bite or scratch, no special action is called for.  If the animal could be a carrier of a potentially lethal disease that can infect people, it will be observed for signs of illness, anesthetized for testing, or in extreme cases, euthanized for a definitive diagnosis.  The latter happens very rarely.  Examples include bats, skunks, and raccoons infected with rabies and macaques carrying herpes B. 

In the course of a career, vets who work with wild animals will suffer a number of minor injuries. A few will be injured badly. Most injuries occur at some point during physical or chemical restraint, the first step in performing a hands-on exam.

Our patients are well-armed with defense mechanisms designed to fend off predators or competitors for food, space, and breeding rights. Their weapons include sharp teeth or beaks, strong jaws, long nails or talons, toxic venom, powerful limbs, tails, and wings.

When the patient is a free-living wild animal, the risk of injury to the vet increases. In these situations, we must often track a patient for days or even weeks in harsh environments. A bad fall can result in a sprain or broken bone; exposure to temperature extremes can lead to dehydration or frostbite.

What kinds of injuries happen?

Wild animals will put up a fight--understandably--if restrained by hand. Even so, this is often the best form of restraing for smaller birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates, and mammals.  Vets almost always work with skilled handlers and safety equipment like nets or restraint tubes, gloves, and long-sleeved coveralls. If all goes well, we piss off our patients, literally, and that's about it. But some manage to free their heads or limbs long enough to inflict a bite or scratch, or to spit.

For thorough exams on small patients, and any exam on a larger patient, vets anesthetize the animal first. We have special anesthetic drugs and remote delivery equipment like plastic darts and rifles powered by compressed air. And we use a variety of anesthetic protocols designed to maximize safety for the animal and the people involved. But anesthesia is an art as much as a science. We don't always get it exactly right for the patient and the situation. A wild animal that is nervous before anesthesia may not respond to the drugs normally; or we may chose to give a very sick animal a lower dosage as a safety precaution. In such cases, the patient may appear to be asleep when we approach it for the exam and then wake up suddenly, or it may begin to move during the procedure. The animal is not fully aware of its actions at this point, but it can still injure the vet.

What happens to a wild animal that injures the vet?

Though most injuries to humans result from an unexpected action by the animal, we are ultimately responsible--not the patient.  It is the vet, after all, who has made the decision to intervene. 

Unless the animal is believed to carry an infectious disease that could be transmitted by a bite or scratch, no special action is called for.  If the animal could be a carrier of a potentially lethal disease that can infect people, it will be observed for signs of illness, anesthetized for testing, or in extreme cases, euthanized for a definitive diagnosis.  The latter happens very rarely.  Examples include bats, skunks, and raccoons infected with rabies and macaques carrying herpes B.