November was a very busy month for the CMU Mobile Vet team. There were over a dozen cases with several of them requiring follow-up visits. From the typical cases dealing with wounds and gastrointestinal issues to support for musth bull management and pregnant females.
Early in the month, the team was called to treat a 21-month-old calf with gastrointestinal discomfort and parasites in her fecals. To be safe, the calf was tested for EEHV. Gratefully, after a negative test result, the administration of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, an anti-parasitic medication, and a three-day course of deworming medication the calf’s condition improved and her feces returned to normal. Later in the month, the vets received a call regarding a 52-year-old cow with digestive discomfort. The mahout reported that she hadn’t defecated yet, had laid down twice, and refused to eat. A full history showed she had a history of digestive issues, including the discovery of a small piece of tooth, and her feces had been consistently large and coarse. After fluids, transrectal palpation, and plenty of supportive care the cow was feeling better. The vets instructed the mahout on food management, suggesting chopped grass mixed with pellets, and the cow ate well.
Elder cow feeding happily on chopped grass and pellet
On two separate occasions, the CMU Mobile Vets were called to help support the relocation of two musthy bulls. While each case was different, both bulls needed to be sedated to assist in their safe transfer to areas better equipped to manage each bull during their musth season for their safety, as well as, the safety of the mahouts and other elephants. Musth bulls can be extremely challenging and dangerous to work with. Thankfully, the CMU Mobile Vets were able to aid mahouts for good outcomes!
Vets prepped sedative darts for musth bull management
Several of the cases over the course of the month involved the ups and downs of pregnancy in elephants. The CMU Mobile Clinic vets were called in to assist in ultrasounds on two cows. The team could not visualize the calf in one case, probably due to mom’s large size. In the other instance, the vets were able to assess the condition of a cow experiencing dystocia. They were able to visualize the rib cage of the fetus, but were unable to detect a heartbeat. The mother had labored on and off for a couple days and had made no progress; she passed the deceased fetus a week later. Happily, at the end of the month the vets were called to a remote area in Mae Wang to check on a mom and her newborn calf who had been born early that morning at 3 am. All was well with mom and baby. The little girl was strong and already nursing well.
Vet detecting the ribs of baby during dystocia
Healthy, happy newborn and mom
Help AES continue to support the efforts of the CMU vet team in caring for Thai elephants, by donating TODAY at www.asianelephantsupport.org/donate