Zoo Animal
Lameness CPD

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This expert workshop is designed to empower zoo professionals to proactively manage musculoskeletal health in their collections. It is suitable for Veterinary Professionals, Curators, Team Managers, and Zookeepers.

Musculoskeletal issues and subtle lameness are common in zoo species yet often missed until chronic conditions develop. This course covers multiple taxa (mammals, birds, and reptiles) and emphasises a crucial holistic approach to prevention and early intervention.

Professional memberships

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Key Learning Outcomes

The workshop utilises theory and practical case studies to cover the following:

Identification skills: developing skills to spot subtle gait changes, varying severities of lameness, and compensatory stance changes
Monitoring techniques: learning evidence-based methods for tracking lameness, including gait-scoring, video assessment, and analysing functional tasks
Pathology prevention: understanding how to minimise or delay the development of common pathologies like osteoarthritis, in conjunction with veterinary treatment
Holistic management: examining the importance of integrating husbandry, environment, and behaviour for successful musculoskeletal health and treatment
Taxonomic differences: specific considerations for biomechanics, gait, and musculoskeletal health across different taxonomic groups (mammals, birds, reptiles)

Booking and Certification

This workshop can be run over one or two days depending on your needs. Contact us to arrange a bespoke workshop for your collection. Upon completion, attendees receive a certificate and a digital copy of notes for ongoing professional development.

Who we have worked with

Lameness Workshop - Reviews

I attended Louise and Matthew’s first BIAZA certified ABWAK training day about recognizing lameness in Zoo species. Many exotic species have evolved to hide all signs of pain to ensure their survival and so this goes massively undiagnosed and untreated. Shackleton’s workshop effectively gives zoo keepers, veterinary professionals and enthusiastic hobbyists basic tools to identify changes in body movements that indicate underlying musculoskeletal problems which will cause the animal pain. Recognizing these problems allows for early detection and more effective treatment and this will have a huge positive impact on animal welfare. As an exotics vet with a special interest in chronic pain I highly recommend this workshop.

Amazing course, second we've done with Shackleton Vet physio, and they are incredibly informative and interesting'

'Highly recommend this workshop (Identifying and support Lameness) to all animal care professionals. Held earlier in the year as an internal workshop and what the team learnt was invaluable to the animals in their care.

Attended Matt’s first ABWAK workshop on lameness in zoo animals a few days ago and was very impressed with the experience! Matt is very knowledgeable on identifying lameness and went through things so thoroughly for those in the workshop. Not only does he specialise in domestic animals but exotic zoo animals from most taxa too, which few animal physiotherapists do. Came away with so much new knowledge, I feel much more confident now that I could begin to identify an animal that is starting to show signs of lameness which is a massive help in my field and for the progression of animal welfare in zoos. Highly recommend attending a workshop by Shackleton physiotherapy if you’re a keeper and want to really understand the science and intricacies of lameness and how to manage and prevent it.

Zoo Animal Lameness CPD