UC vet assists animals burned in fires in Australia

Australian authorities are seeking the expertise of a UC Davis veterinarian in the care of animals burned this month in the country’s deadly wildfires.

Dr. John Madigan, one of only a few experts worldwide on treatment of severe burns in hooved animals, is acting as a consultant to veterinarians at the University of Melbourne who are treating burned horses and donkeys, according to University of California, Davis officials.

As the head of the veterinary school’s Emergency Response Team, Madigan led a group of specialists who helped evacuate and treat sheep affected by devastating wildfires in Yolo County in September 2006.

Australian vets contacted Madigan in the aftermath of howling wildfires this month that killed more than 100 people and injured countless other humans and animals.

– Cynthia Hubert