C-SWHC case studies
C-SWHC · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Certified Specialist in Wildlife Health Care (C-SWHC) is a professional credential intended for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, rehabilitators, wildlife biologists, and conservation staff who assess, treat, and manage the health of free-ranging and captive wildlife. It signals that a practitioner can reason across clinical medicine, rehabilitation, disease control, nutrition, anesthesia, population health, and the legal framework that governs wildlife work - a combination rarely covered by a single degree program. The C-SWHC case studies are 5 cases and about 2,576 words.
1Eastern Cottontail with Abscess and Suspected Tularemia
A permitted home-based rehabilitator in a suburban county receives a juvenile eastern cottontail found in a garden by a homeowner who handled it barehanded for roughly five minutes before placing it in a cardboard box. On intake the rabbit is quiet but alert, weighs 640 g, has a 1.5 cm fluctuant swelling over the left tarsus, and a crusted lesion on the pinna.
640 words, about 3 min2Hypothermic Red-Tailed Hawk with Suspected Anticoagulant Exposure
A red-tailed hawk is brought to a rehabilitation clinic in late January after being found on the ground beside a barn for two days. It is sternal, dull, and has a body temperature of 36.1 C by cloacal probe, a packed cell volume of 18 percent, and a prolonged clotting time on a slide test.
551 words, about 3 min3Neonatal Squirrel Litter and Feeding Protocol Under Staffing Limits
A rehabilitator receives four orphaned eastern gray squirrels estimated at 10 to 12 days old, eyes closed, weighing 28 to 34 g, with dry skin and a weak suckle. The finder had fed them cow's milk from a syringe twice over 18 hours.
485 words, about 2 min4Postsurgical Release Decision for a Rehabilitated Raccoon
An adult female raccoon was admitted eight weeks ago with a distal radius fracture that was stabilized with an external fixator by a veterinarian. The fixator was removed two weeks ago, and radiographs show bridging callus but a slight angular deformity.
481 words, about 2 min5Anesthesia for a Fractured Turtle in a Low-Resource Clinic
A box turtle with a shell fracture and a 3 cm soft tissue wound is brought to a small clinic that has isoflurane, a precision vaporizer, oxygen, a Doppler, and a single syringe of ketamine. The turtle weighs 450 g, is cold to the touch at 18 C, and has a heart rate of 18 beats per minute by Doppler.
419 words, about 2 min