Page 10 - Gateways_Spring2017_Neat

News Bites continued
Dr. Tom Meehan (left) and
Dr. Sathya Chinnadurai consult on
a case at the Chicago Zoological
Society’s high-tech CT scanner.
10 GATEWAYS | NEWS BITES
Medical Mentors
How do organizations that exhibit CARE
animals know the best practices for the
medical well-being of the creatures in
their care? Thankfully, there’s a manual. The American
Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV) developed
the comprehensive Guidelines for Zoo and Aquarium
Veterinary Medical Programs and Veterinary Hospitals.
Seven authors wrote the recently released sixth edition, to ensure the best quarantine strategy.
two of whom are Chicago Zoological Society vice
president of veterinary services Dr. Tom Meehan and
senior veterinarian Dr. Sathya Chinnadurai.
Under the Animal Welfare Act, the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) requires that the roughly 2,500
organizations in the United States that exhibit animals— us. As a leader in this area, it is our responsibility to share
including the 232 institutions accredited by the
Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)—must have
a license to do so. To maintain that license, they must
follow USDA standards for animal care. The guidelines
illustrate best practices recommended by AAZV. For its
own part, AZA mandates that its members adhere to
the guidelines.
First published in the 1980s, the guidelines
determine the standard for appropriate veterinary care.
For veterinarians, including those in zoos and aquariums
not large enough for a hospital or a full-time doctor,
they reflect the most modern veterinary practice and
collective experience.
In 2009, when Meehan served on the board of AAZV,
he oversaw the revision of the guidelines. Because
of his expertise and leadership, AAZV reached out
to him again last year to coordinate another update.
The update includes a new section on anesthesia, an
essential aspect of zoo medicine. Chinnadurai is the only
veterinarian in North America who is board-certified in
both zoological medicine and anesthesiology. He was
the ideal author for this section.
The authors also reevaluated quarantine
recommendations. Zoos carefully monitor the health
of incoming animals to ensure they are free of disease
before being introduced to exhibit habitats or other
animals. The revised guidelines provide a new protocol
for investigating the medical history of an animal and
other animals from both the sending and receiving zoos
Perhaps the most important change of all is one that
focuses on the importance of integrating veterinary
medicine into the overall care of an institution’s animals.
According to the guidelines, for the sake of animal
health, veterinarians must work closely with staff who
provide day-to-day care, monitor behavior, and manage
nutrition, environmental quality, reproduction, and
exhibit design.
Pride in a first-rate veterinary program isn’t enough for
expertise with others so that all zoos, aquariums, and
animal care organizations maintain the absolute optimal
level of welfare possible.