A licensed veterinarian may treat wildlife during the acute care stages.

• A. True
• B. No
• C. Only with additional state wildlife rehabilitation license
• D. It depends on the species

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that licensed veterinarians have the authority to provide medical care to wildlife in emergency, or acute, situations. Acute care is about stabilization and life-saving measures—things like initial diagnosis, pain relief, fluids, wound management, and rapid stabilization for transfer to ongoing care. Because veterinary medicine covers treating animals in distress, a veterinarian can deliver this initial care to wildlife even if they aren’t a dedicated wildlife rehabilitator. Licensing for wildlife rehabilitation is typically about long-term care and release decisions, not the first emergency treatment. So this scenario is true: a licensed veterinarian may treat wildlife during the acute care stages.