Why should a tourniquet generally be avoided in treating bleeding in wildlife?

• A. It is safe and effective
• B. It may result in limb loss
• C. It speeds healing
• D. It should be used routinely

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is that restricting blood flow with a tourniquet can cause metal ischemia and tissue death. In wildlife, tissues in the limb can suffer damage quickly if blood supply is cut off, and once nerves, muscles, and skin begin to die, the limb may be unsalvageable, leading to limb loss. Animals also often face delays before definitive care, transport times, and limited ability to monitor the limb, which increases the risk that a tourniquet remains on too long. For these reasons, the common approach is to control bleeding with direct pressure and rapid transport to veterinary care, reserving a tourniquet only as an extreme, last-resort measure when life-threatening bleeding cannot be controlled another way and removing it as soon as possible once the bleeding is stabilized.