Many of you have found an injured or orphaned animal and brought it to us, but do you know what happens after you drop it off? Come with us as we walk you through everything that happens when wildlife visits the Wildlife Medical Clinic here at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign! When you bring an […]
The Wildlife Medical Clinic commonly receives turtles in need of shell repairs. Recently, an injured adult Midland painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) was admitted to the clinic for “having a cracked shell.” Chrysemys picta are the most widespread native turtles of North America. They are normally found in slow moving freshwater. These turtles do not migrate […]
Introducing our newest house officers at the Wildlife Clinic: Dr. Erica Bender and Dr. David Minich! We look forward to seeing you around the clinic! We asked them some questions to get to know each of them a little better. Dr. David Minich, DVM, MAS, CertAqV Where are you from? What vet school did you […]
Interns and Volunteers’ Memories Every year during the blazing hot summer, the Wildlife Medical Clinic welcomes its busiest season with a team of students eager to learn and ready to experience one-of-a-kind clinical experiences. This year it was four vet students from both first- and second-year classes joining the team and working alongside the house […]
What should you do if you come across a venomous snake? If you are out for a hike and come across a venomous snake, it is best to just leave it alone and give it space. As you have probably heard several times since childhood, the animal is more afraid of you than you are […]
Every fall and spring, just like how thousands of students use the American highway system to return to home or school, hundreds of species of birds use a system of “flyways” to migrate according to the seasons. A flyway is an intricate pathway connecting all the regions birds use, including breeding, non-breeding, and staging areas. […]
Summer is drawing to a close which means the Wildlife Medical Clinic is preparing for the return of our student volunteers! During the summer, the clinic is staffed by a team of 4 clinic interns, 2 student managers, undergraduate volunteers, and fourth year veterinary students. As classes begin in the fall, the clinic will welcome […]
Emydomyces testavorans is a recently discovered fungus associated with freshwater habitats that causes shell disease in a wide variety of turtles and terrapins (Woodburn et al 2019; Woodburn et al 2021). The fungus has been found in both wild and human cared for turtles and has been identified in individuals with active lesions and those […]
The Wildlife Medical Clinic at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine embraces a threefold mission: to provide veterinary care to sick or injured wild animals; to educate veterinary students and wildlife professionals about wildlife medicine; to promote conservation initiatives and ecosystem health through collaborative research, dissemination of scientific information, and public education programs. […]
Several weeks ago, we made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize our resident opossum, Patty. This decision came about due to her increasing age and declining health. Patty was a huge part of our ambassador program at the Wildlife Medical Clinic, and she will be missed greatly. She was loved by many and will continue […]