REGULATORY FRAMEWORK OF VETERINARY PRACTICE IN ZOOS

Although veterinary practice in zoological institutions accounts for only a small percentage of veterinary services in France, it is subject to complex national, European and international regulations relating to the care, husbandry and exchange of wild animals in captivity. The legislation on zoological veterinary medicine is based mostly on the legal definition of veterinary practice. In addition to the use of devices subject to special regulations (x-rays, remote injection devices), the zoo vet also uses drugs (permanent use of the "cascade", occasional use of imports) within the limits prescribed by the law on pharmacy. The vet must know the rules and regulations applicable to the kind of institution he is working with, the institution being also subject to regulatory obligations on medical care, identification and registers. The vet's healthcare duties, recently redefined on a European level, remain complex but essential, particularly when treating (re)-emerging diseases.