Standards & Advice update: December 2024

Following on from the decision by our Standards Committee earlier in the year regarding the euthanasia of wildlife by lay people in wildlife rescue centres, we are asking the professions to refresh their knowledge of their responsibilities around what to do when wildlife is presented to a veterinary practice.

In April 2024 the Standards Committee was asked to consider whether controlled drugs (CDs) could be remotely prescribed for the purpose of euthanising wildlife, and whether a lay person in a wildlife rescue centre could administer the CD to wildlife via intraperitoneal, intracoelomic, and intrahepatic injection. The Committee agreed that there was already provision in the guidance for the remote prescription of CDs in exceptional circumstances, however, did not feel that there was a way to allow lay people to euthanise wildlife via the specified routes under the current legal framework.

This means that an animal presented to a wildlife rescue centre can only legally be euthanised using CDs administered via the aforementioned routes by a veterinary surgeon, or where suitable, a veterinary nurse working under direction.

When ill or injured wildlife is presented to a practice for treatment, the usual Code of Professional Conduct (Code) obligations around 24-hour emergency first aid and pain relief apply. This means that veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses in practice must either provide the care themselves, or facilitate the provision of first aid and pain relief elsewhere. The provision includes the use of euthanasia, where appropriate. It is not acceptable, and is contrary to regulatory obligations, to unreasonably refuse to provide or facilitate emergency treatment for wildlife.

The profession is also reminded that the ability of veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to provide appropriate and adequate care to wildlife presented to the practice should not be compromised by commercial pressures or policies.

Further information on the obligation to provide 24-hour emergency first aid and pain relief can be found in Chapter 3 of the supporting guidance to the Code.

A scenario-based course on handling wildlife is also available on the RCVS Academy. Developed with the RCVS Standards and Advice Team, the course uses practical examples, based on real-life experiences. Working through the scenarios, the courses help the veterinary team to understand how to apply the RCVS supporting guidance and ensure the best outcomes for wildlife patients.

If you have any queries about the guidance, or the Code of Professional Conduct for veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses in general, please contact our advice team at [email protected] who will be happy to help.