Student Symposium in Cambridge covers topics ranging from bird diets to baboon spiders.

The Southern Veterinary Zoological Symposium hosted by the Cambridge University Veterinary Zoological Society (CUVZS) took place at the Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge over the weekend of 11^th-13th October 2024. It attracted over 100 students from various veterinary schools.

Formal lectures on the Saturday and Sunday mornings were supplemented with practical workshops each afternoon. Lectures covered such topics as exotic animal ethics (David Williams), rabbit ear disease (Sonya Miles), dealing with fish in practice (Sarah Pellett), wildlife health surveillance (Becki Lawson) and the treatment and rehabilitation of hedgehogs (Judith Large).

The practical workshops also covered diverse subjects, amongst them avian medicine, invertebrates, rabbit surgical skills, live reptile handling, and veterinary forensics.

One of interest and relevance to many followers of the Haith’s blog was an Interactive practical session entitled “Is that eagle legal? Dealing with unusual, unexpected or suspicious samples and specimens in veterinary practice”. It was organised by Professor John E Cooper (Veterinary Advisor to Haith’s) and Mrs Margaret E Cooper, a husband and wife/veterinary pathologist and animal lawyer team. See Figure1. 

Figure 1. (The Coopers welcome students to the session)

The session took place in the veterinary school’s pathology laboratory and started with a joint lecture by the Coopers.

The Coopers defined veterinary forensic medicine as ‘the applied use of veterinary knowledge to the purpose of the law,’ but stressed that forensic techniques can be employed under other circumstances also (for example, in testing of animal diets, environmental assessments, insurance claims and alleged malpractice by veterinary surgeons).

Margaret Cooper introduced the question of forensic work relating to conservation and the growth internationally of ‘wildlife crime’.

The lecture included a section on the feeding of birds and the problems, both veterinary and legal, if a diet is contaminated or adulterated. The Coopers referred to Haith's, its history and its role in promoting clean, safe, healthy diets. See Figures 2 and 3. Each student was given a copy of the “Haith’s PRO” flyer, which was originally produced a few years ago but which still provides valuable information for veterinary students (and bird-keepers!) about the importance of QA and QC in avian nutrition.

Figure 2. (Teaching slide about Haith’s work and the need for QC) 

Figure 3. ( Forensic investigation of samples. Note Haith's PRO leaflet in use).

There followed a forensics quiz. The ‘evidence’ included bones and hair of animals, a shed snake skin, snares from East Africa, molluscs and other invertebrates and a stuffed lanner falcon that was of questionable legality. See Figures 3. 4 and 5. 

Figure 4. (Students investigating invertebrates).

Figure 5. (A suspect lanner falcon)

Figure 6. (The close of the forensics session – students and snake skin (and two Coopers!)

Another practical session of relevance to followers of the Haith’s blog, especially bird-keepers, covered the health of invertebrates, and was organised by Benjamin Kennedy, a veterinary surgeon specialising in exotics and invertebrates (www.invertivet.com). The main focus was on the veterinary treatment of captive invertebrates (invertebrate medicine is not part of the core curriculum of veterinary education) but it was also relevant to the feeding of birds and other animals – there is a growing commercial sector devoted to the production of insect protein for animal and human consumption.

Students rotated between six stations at which they were able to learn and practise insect handling (live locusts) and clinical assessment for signs of disease; phasmid mis-moulting rescue; spider sexing; haemolymph sampling and autotomy; snail shell repair and butterfly wing transplantation and repair (using dead specimens).

The whole weekend was a great success, full of interest and value. In addition to the specific lectures and practical sessions, students had access to experts in different fields and learnt about organisations concerned with what are often now termed “non-traditional companion animals” (exotic species). As an example, Margaret Cooper made an announcement in a main session, told all the students about the 2025 BCG (British Chelonia Group) Spring Symposium – and encouraged them to attend: http://www.britishcheloniagroup.org.uk/events/spring-symposium-2025.

A highlight of the weekend was a formal dinner at St Catharine’s College. See Figure 7.    

 Figure 7. (The organisers and some lecturers at the formal dinner).

The CUVZS Committee are to be congratulated on organising such an excellent, diverse and highly educational Southern Veterinary Zoological Symposium.

Figure 8. (Two leading members of the CUVZS Committee – Laurent Trepanier. Treasurer (left) and Krithi Muli, President (right), with the Coopers). 

Written by John and Margaret Cooper

December 2024