AVMA ABVS-recognised specialty boards · USA · AVMA American Board of Veterinary Specialties; each college runs its own exams
Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papersHealth care of zoo and free-ranging wild animals: management and nutrition, chemical immobilisation, the major wildlife diseases, wildlife law and forensics.
In the exams: SAVC wildlife 10; ACZM and ECZM specialist colleges
How our questions for AVMA ABVS-recognised specialty boards spread across the units of Wildlife, Zoo Animal & Conservation Medicine. Difficulty: 11 easy, 38 medium, 24 hard.
| Zoo animal management | 12 | |
| Zoo animal nutrition | 9 | |
| Tuberculosis and anthrax in wildlife | 9 | |
| Rabies and FMD in wildlife | 9 | |
| Chemical immobilisation | 8 | |
| Wildlife legislation | 8 | |
| Capture myopathy | 6 | |
| Wildlife forensics | 6 | |
| Zoo animal breeding | 5 | |
| KFD and surra in wildlife | 1 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
A marmoset colony housed indoors without ultraviolet light shows fractures and bowed limbs despite receiving vitamin D2. What is the most likely explanation?
C. New World monkeys need D3 or UVB, not D2
New World primates use vitamin D2 poorly and need dietary vitamin D3 or ultraviolet B exposure; otherwise they develop metabolic bone disease. Calcium is absorbed normally when vitamin D3 is adequate, D2 is not the cause of toxicity here, and vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy rather than these bowed limbs.
Further reading: Kleiman, Thompson & Kirk Baer, Wild Mammals in Captivity
A white rhinoceros immobilised with an opioid combination has a low arterial oxygen level and laboured breathing. Which response is most appropriate?
D. Oxygen insufflation and partial opioid reversal while monitoring the animal
Opioid-induced hypoxaemia is a well-known problem in rhinoceroses; oxygen insufflation and partial reversal with an opioid antagonist or mixed agonist-antagonist improve ventilation. More opioid worsens it, dorsal recumbency compresses the lungs, and no dissociative antagonist exists.
Further reading: West, Heard & Caulkett, Zoo Animal and Wildlife Immobilization and Anesthesia
Why is ketamine not used alone to immobilise large felids?
C. Alone it causes muscle rigidity and convulsions, so a sedative is combined
Ketamine alone gives poor muscle relaxation, rigidity and seizure activity in felids, so it is combined with an alpha-2 agonist or benzodiazepine. Ketamine is not too potent, atipamezole does not reverse it, and it tends to support heart rate rather than cause asystole.
Further reading: West, Heard & Caulkett, Zoo Animal and Wildlife Immobilization and Anesthesia
What is the main reason captures of wild ungulates are planned for the cool part of the day?
C. To reduce the risk of hyperthermia and capture myopathy
Heat from exertion, environment and drug effects causes hyperthermia, which also predisposes to capture myopathy, so captures are timed for cool hours. Dart flight, sunlight inactivation and sleeping animals are not the reasons.
Further reading: West, Heard & Caulkett, Zoo Animal and Wildlife Immobilization and Anesthesia
A translocated impala walks with a dropped hindquarter and hyperflexed hocks three days after capture. Which muscle is classically ruptured?
D. Gastrocnemius
Ruptured muscle syndrome involves rupture of large hind-limb muscles, classically the gastrocnemius, giving a dropped hindquarter and hyperflexed hocks. The back, diaphragm and jaw muscles are not the classic site.
Further reading: West, Heard & Caulkett, Zoo Animal and Wildlife Immobilization and Anesthesia
How is the intradermal tuberculin test traditionally given and read in non-human primates?
D. In the upper eyelid, read for swelling and drooping at 24, 48 and 72 hours
The palpebral test injects tuberculin into the upper eyelid, which is easily observed without handling, and it is read for swelling, erythema and ptosis over about three days. Cervical comparative testing is used in cattle and deer and read at 72 hours, not 2 weeks.
Further reading: Miller & Fowler, Fowler's Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine
A tuberculosis serological test for elephants has 90% sensitivity and 95% specificity. In a population with 5% prevalence, what is the positive predictive value?
D. About 49%
True positives = 0.9 × 0.05 = 0.045; false positives = 0.05 × 0.95 = 0.0475. PPV = 0.045 / 0.0925 = 0.486, about 49%. 90% is the sensitivity, 95% the specificity, and 99% is roughly the negative predictive value. At low prevalence half the positives are false, so confirmation is needed.
Further reading: Miller & Fowler, Fowler's Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine
What is the WOAH reference test for rabies diagnosis in a dead animal?
C. The direct fluorescent antibody test on fresh brain tissue
The direct fluorescent antibody test on fresh brain tissue is the reference test. Negri bodies are found in neurons, not the liver, and histology is less sensitive; serum tests do not diagnose rabies in the dead animal, and the virus does not grow on bacterial media.
Further reading: Williams & Barker, Infectious Diseases of Wild Mammals
A kestrel arrives at a rehabilitation centre with a healed but non-functional wing that prevents flight. What is the most appropriate outcome?
D. Euthanasia, or permanent captivity only if it has a clear purpose and good quality of life
A raptor that cannot fly cannot hunt or escape predators, so release is not humane. The options are euthanasia or permanent captivity where the bird has a defined role and acceptable welfare. Release into fenced areas does not solve its inability to hunt, and indefinite caging without purpose is poor welfare.
Further reading: Miller & Fowler, Fowler's Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine
Which markers are used to show that a seized rhinoceros horn came from a particular poached carcass?
A. Nuclear microsatellites or SNP profiles matched between horn and carcass
Individual identification needs highly variable nuclear markers such as microsatellites or SNPs; matching profiles link horn to carcass. Cytochrome b identifies species, not individuals; horn is compacted keratin, so hair medullary index and Schreger lines (an ivory feature) do not apply.
Further reading: Huffman & Wallace, Wildlife Forensics; Cooper & Cooper, Wildlife Forensic Investigation
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