Veterinary Care of UK Wildlife

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[BWR]

I am wondering if anyone knows if Vets in the UK are bound by any legislation to provide FREE veterinary care and/or consultation to a wild animal?

This is a common question which I find myself discussing with many members of the public over the phone when giving advice; I just don't know for sure what the correct answer is.

I have heard off other carers that I have spoken to that vets cannot charge a consultation fee for a wild animal. Yet, many of my local vets (the ones I don't visit!) require excessive amounts of money just to take a look at an animal!
 
So, as you can see, I want to get my facts straight incase I am wrong!

I can understand Vets wanting to charge if the animal required surgery, but surely not just for looking at an animal and giving a physical examination.
 
There was one occasion about two weeks ago where I found myself phoning round many vets looking for someone to treat an injured Toad that required veterinary attention. After going through vets within a 15 mile radius, there was one vet who said he wouldn't even give a consultation WITHOUT a £100 payment. And to top it off, he said that was JUST for a consultation, and any extra medication or surgery would be added on top of that.

To me, a Vet refusing to look at an injured wild animal, for example, without payment from finder, is very much like an NHS Doctor refusing a quick consultation to a sick person in need of treatment or even bypassing injured persons in a car crash, and then refusing to give any treatment purely on the basis of being 'out of hours'. I know such comparisons seem a little extreme, but Im sure people will agree with me.

Any views/facts that people have about this would be greatly welcomed!

[dramalisa]

oh my goodness - £100 just for consultation! I thought vets were bound to treat wild life - my vet certainly does and has never charged me. I volunteer for an animal re homing service - i will ask them if they know what the legislation is as we often get handed wile life too.

Lisa

[BWR]

Thanks Lisa. Somebody out there must know for sure!!

[Mouse]

Hi BWR,

I looked on the RCVS website earlier today after reading your post and there are various downloadable documents of requirements.  I was hoping to find something that said 'all wildlife should be treated for free' but sadly there was no such statement.

I've found it's really hit and miss - some charge, some don't.  You could ring the BHPS for a list of vets in your area prepared to treat hedgehogs (and other wildlife too, I should imagine).

If you come across the magic formula please let me know!!

[BWR]

Will do, Mouse!
I think it really important that everybody knows, as I certainly never know what to tell people if they phone me up asking for advice on what they should do with an injured wild animal- this usually happens when the person with an injured animal is out of my area, so the only thing to do is to advise them to go to their local vets!

.......then.......10 mins later, they phone back saying 'my vet wants to charge me £25 plus fees!!!!!'

I think its something that definately needs addressing.

I'm actually doing a fund rasing event at a local nature reserve soon, which I plan to produce information leaflets from my Wildlife Rescue which details all local vets within a 15-mile radius who are prepered to offer people FREE veterinary care for injured wild animals. Maybe it is something that all of us should consider, as wildlife carers, to do some research and let people know who they can go to in the case of an emergency. Simple as that!

....And if any Vets DO refuse any FREE treatment for wild animals, the  THEY'RE the ones who are going to be frowned upon!

Thanks for your reply, Mouse.

[Mouse]

Definitely.  I think a bit of public pressure wouldn't go amiss.  But who knows?  I have a huge amount of respect for the veterinary profession BUT firstly, I think ALL wild animals should be treated for free (pay for drugs, etc., that's fine) and secondly, IF a vet does not know how to treat an animal then they should be big enough to admit that and seek advice. 

Last year (here we go again I hear you all say...) I used an excellent vet but they charged me full price but were willing to ask the experts (Derek!  ), However, during the same time my sister in law needed vet advice about her guinea pigs and the vets said 'sorry, we just don't know' and that was that.  If you can't be bothered to research a problem then move over and let someone who will.  I'm very passionate about this as I think lots of qualified people become complacent (I hope I won't when I'm a teacher!) once they're qualified.  As a result, my sis-in-law went to Cambridge to the Cavy rescue people and got help there (probably about a five hour drive, there and back).

Personally, I don't want something for nothing but would be very happy to settle for some kind of middle ground.  Being a student, most of the time I can't afford to eat but will pay for the drugs and treatment to make an animal well again but I take real offence to being ripped off.

Oh dear, just get me a soap box...I'm having a rant again!!
Ali x

[Derek]

Why don't you email the Royal vet college and ask

I always understood that a vet had a moral if not a legal duty to prevent suffering and give basic emergency treatment to anything presented to him/her


All the vets in my area always take in any injured wildlife from a finder & some will immediately put it down but others will treat when they can and pass on to a rescue centre or wildlife centre

Many vets have an arrangement with RSPCA to take in & if treatable to contact them to get an agreed amount of payment for strays & wildlife

Perhaps I am lucky where I am but my main practice, Goddards never charge for emergency initial treatment & consultation & we discuss afterwards if it needs continuing care

some vets however are run by accountants and everything is money & the animals come second & that is very wrong

[BWR]

I have also experienced that before as well, Derek - I've taken an animal to the Vets because it was either out of my control, or I needed a second opinion; I arrive at the vets, and I don't even get past the reception desk!
I think it is fair to say that many Vets, unfortunately, prefer to euthanase a wild animal otherthan do the decent thing, and treat the animal for releaseback into the wild. The job of taking up extra time and money in a Veterinary practice must be too much, therefore putting the animal to sleep must be regarded as a simple and quick solution to a problem. It's sad.

I have emailed the RCVS, so I will immediately post a response as soon as I get one.

[Kerry Lodge]

Hi all,

After searching locally for a 'wildlife friendly' vet, the best ones, who are great, are Companion Care, they are all around the country and ours treat wildlife on a donation only basis.  I always leave them a few quid depending on what needs doing and how helpful they are with a specific case etc.

Have a look here to see if you have one local to you:

http://www.companioncare.co.uk/portal/ccvets/azsearch.html

I used to work as a veterinary nurse but this was about 9 years ago.  At that time we had a duty of care to any wild animal bought in to us but things seem very different now.  One of the receptionists at my nearest vets told me they had a memo round to say not to take in ANY birds due to the bird flu scare!!  Such a shame.

Anyway, I am bordering on a rant too so better go!!

Much love

[Mouse]

Thankks for the link Kerry, very interesting.  Sometimes you just can't help ranting! lol! 

Much love to you too

Ali x

[sheila 2]

Have recently visited my vet on 3 occasions with the same hedgehog (abscess on leg), she didn't charge me, (she normally doesn't), but said she would like a nurse to see the hedgehog a 4th time for another injection on Saturday. We arrived for the appointment with the nurse who took a great interest in "Wynn" as she looks after hedgehogs too, after the injection she took me out to the reception area and I was charged for the treatment!  I never assume I shouldn't pay but why charge on the 4th visit? Have another appointment this afternoon with the same hog, see what happens then. Not really complaining but where is the consistency? To pay or not to pay that is the question. If I had tp pay every time I couldn't afford to look after hedgehogs, expect to pay for drugs but I feel that consultations should be free. Indeed, when I asked the vet about not charging me she said she was happy to help and the wildlife work carried out was payment enough as they often have hedgehogs brought in and do not have the facilities for after care and know they can call on me if necessary.

[BWR]

OK. Heres an update on the information we have all been wanting to know!

I have just recieved a call this morning from the RCVS, who told me that it is common practice for vets in the UK to charge for any consultations or treatments of a wild animal. They are ALSO required, however, to treat any wild animal, and they CANNOT turn any wild animal away from treatment, whether there is any source of payment or not. A wild animal must be treated by a vet.

This may not of been the news we have wanting to hear, but at least someone has been able to give us an accurate answer to the question.

SO, now that I know what the score is in the treatment of wild animals, I am going to take some action against this. Although they are meant to treat wild animals without hesitation, there is still an area concerning the payment for a consultation which I feel a little uncomfortable about.
The 'Wild' animal DOES NOT belong to anyone, therefore it can't be considered to be the responsibility of the person who brings the injured animal to the vets attention.

Am I the only one who feels this way? Surely this is an urgent metter for change in today's modern society?

Well, anyway, to save blabbing anymore and to cut to the point; I'm certainly going to send a letter to my local MP (for Blyth Valley, Northumberland) detailing the situation, and then maybe, just maybe, the case may be brought up in the House of Commons.

I urge anyone else out there to do the same - just to see what happens, and to let the government investigate it further. If we are to conserve our native, British wildlife in some way, then there needs to be changes in the way that wild animals are treated by vets. Many people are not prepared to PAY for an animal, which quite rightly belongs in the wild, to have any treatment by a vet who is basically saying - "look! if you want me to treat this animal, I'm gonna need at least £25 off you!".

Also, I'd like to hear anyones thoughts on a petition to the PM, maybe? Remember, for any action to be taken, we need quite a lot of people to agree on this!

[Derek]

From what I find in my area

If you take a wild animal to the  vets and hand it over to them then they take over responsibility for it & treat accordingly

If you want to keep it & provided it is an animal you are legally allowed to keep then it in effect becomes your pet & you are responsible for its care & treatment

I am very lucky in that I use the Goddard vet group and they take in any wildlife with no problems & pass it on to the local wildlife hospital where several of the Goddards vets do give their time as volunteer vets for it

When I take in any hedgehog to any of their branches or the hospital, if I am intending to keep it & attempt treatment then they give a free initial consultation & treatment which includes anaesthetic to examine it if needed

If it needs major surgery  or long term treatment we discuss any fees and a lot of the time there are no fees apart from some medicines/drugs and the actual cost of the disposables used in the  operation

I do find that 80-90% of those I do take to the vet need to be euthanized and I normally know that before going there and am prepared for it

I am lucky in that I can treat many minor things myself which are about 90% of all the cases I get, which tend to be ringworm, mange, lungworms, infections etc

Other vet practices nearby are not so enlightened and want to charge quite a lot and they seem to be run by accountants not vets & the animal's welfare come a distinct second to the need for  profit

I feel that is a very short-sighted view as I have heard it said on many occasions that because the vet was so kind & good when treating the pigeon with a broken wing or the injured hedgehog or squirrel or whatever brought in they will take their dog/cat etc to that vet now.So they do get the money off you in the long run and probably a hell of a lot more with pets who need treatment for life

[BWR]

So do you think there is a cause for action, in your opinion?

[Derek]

So do you think there is a cause for action, in your opinion?

Yes I think it would be a very good idea to write to MP &  MEP  and also get a petition on number 10 site saying wildlife should be treated free by all vets

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