Chiang Mai University Mobile Veterinary Clinic July Update

The CMU Mobile Vet team stayed busy in July collaborating with others across the region to provide support for a standing sedation to test a 60-year-old elephant for tuberculosis, provide advice and discuss elephant health topics at a local camp, conduct a training course for Long Island University students with the TECC team, and assisted in the annual health check program for elephants in the Mae Wang region.

Elephant after her annual health check up

Thankfully, there was only a small number of additional, relatively minor, cases that needed their attention as well in July. Among the cases the CMU team visited were a minor mouth injury that, while not very pretty, seemed to cause no issues or pain for the patient and so the vets recommended no major actions and observations to make sure it doesn’t worsen. There was also a case of GI upset in a 40-year-old that had resolved with advice to hydrate more often and a suggested uphill hike with her mahout. And a tall, handsome bull presented with a chronic abscess on his left forelimb. The vet cleaned and removed the dirt outside with chlorhexidine scrub, rinsed with saline irrigation, then drained the abscess revealing the narrow tract. Finally, they dried it with a cotton swab and gauze then put bacitracin ointment on it.

Bull with abscess being treated

There were also a few cases involving young elephants this month. The first was a 13-year-old who presented with right forelimb stiffness. When the vets observed her gait, they found that she could not flex her elbow joint. After a course of painkillers, topical treatments, and a daily warm massage regimen she showed improvement. The next case was a young 5-month-old calf experiencing mild lameness with a slightly swollen left hind leg. The CMU vets examined the leg and foot pad, both of which presented nothing abnormal. The little bull was also bright, alert, and acting normal otherwise. After a round of anti-inflammatory meds and a topical treatment the calf showed great improvement.

Bright, attentive little bull with mild lameness

The most challenging case of the month was a first-time mother with a tiny calf. The newborn was reportedly lethargic and caretakers were worried she was unable to nurse appropriately. Several different groups came to help assess mother and calf. They determined that mom and calf were stuck in a cycle, because baby wasn’t nursing mom wasn’t producing the hormones required to produce milk, without the milk production baby couldn’t nurse even if she could reach, and so on.  Eventually, the solution was to give the mom domperidone to stimulate prolactin secretion for milk production, build a ramp for the calf to stand on in order to nurse, and to avoid undue stress on mom the mahout would bring them back to the ramp every couple of hours to ensure baby had the opportunity to nurse often. The calf was finally able to nurse and mahouts will keep a close eye on the two for the next weeks and months.

Tiny calf nursing during examination from the vet

Thank you to the CMU Veterinary Team for their outstanding commitment to Thailand’s elephants! And thank YOU to all who help support their work through AES!

Chiang Mai University Mobile Vet Clinic Update

June for the Chiang Mai University (CMU) Mobile Vet Team was another month of tending to some of Thailand’s most vulnerable elephants, calves. This month in addition to the adults with gastrointestinal issues, eye irritation, and tetanus vaccinations there were several cases concerning calves. One calf was unable to nurse from its mother. A naughty little calf presented with a steel rod stuck in her throat. And, unfortunately, EEHV claimed the life of yet another young calf from a camp already impacted by EEHV just a month earlier.

An owner called to consult about a mother and a calf living in Mae Tang with a case of Agalactia. (Agalactia is a condition of decreased or the absence of the production of breast milk). She said that the baby often cried, had decreased feces, and attempted to suckle for milk but he preferred only the left side mammary gland. His mother had quite a bit of shrinkage of the left mammary gland while the right was still enlarged. The owner was so worried about the lack of milk consumption she started milking the rightside mammary teat of the mother and was able to bottle-feed the baby. When the vets arrived, they examined mom and calf, recommended restricting the access of the baby to only nurse from the right side so he could nurse efficiently, and prescribed Domperidone to stimulate the secretion of the hormone prolactin to help with mom’s milk production.

Calf attempting to nurse on mom’s left side

Late in the afternoon on another day, the vets got an emergency call from the owner of a 16-month-old elephant. The owner said that there was a rod of steel obstructing the young elephant’s mouth. The team rushed to aid the calf, considering the very likely possibility of having to sedate the calf.  Thankfully, the baby could eat and drink throughout the morning until the afternoon she presented signs of vomiting but she wasn’t depressed. When a stick of sugarcane fell out of her mouth the mahout noticed a 5.5-inch-long steel rod stuck sideways in her mouth. Fortunately, the little calf didn’t swallow it. The mahout was able to remove the rod before the CMU team arrived and, once they were there, the vet did a thorough exam to make sure the calf had no internal injuries to the mouth and throat or bleeding.

Naughty calf with her junior caretaker and steel rod compared to a ballpoint pen

Unfortunately, EEHV reared its head again in Mae Wang when the CMU team was called to see a 4-year-old elephant when the mahout noticed that she was depressed. One young elephant from this camp got sick from an EEHV type 1 infection in April, was treated at the TECC hospital, and went back home in May. The vet performed a physical examination and found the calf already had petechial hemorrhage starting to present on her tongue, mild facial swelling, and a high fever, so the calf was immediately referred to the TECC hospital.

Calf receiving treatment for EEHV

Before the 3-hour trip from Mae Wang to the hospital in Lampang, the calf received antipyretics, Vitamin C, and antiviral drugs. A blood sample was also collected for hematology and EEHV diagnosis. When the truck arrived at the hospital the TECC vet team stood by to start the intensive treatment for her. The next day, results from CMU EEHV lab revealed that she was infected with both EEHV type 1 and 4. Sadly, despite all their efforts, she could not overcome the infection and passed away at 7 p.m.

Thank you to the CMU Veterinary Team for their outstanding commitment to Thailand’s elephants! And thank YOU to all who help support their work through AES!

Chiang Mai University Mobile Vet Clinic May Update

Sad news this month from Thailand. In the afternoon of May 16, the chief mahout of camp in Mae Wang called our vet about a 3-year-old calf who got facial swelling.  A mahout had noticed that the young male calf presented mild swelling on his jaw but was still acting normally; eating well, sleeping, urinating, and defecating. The CMU team immediately asked the mahout to send pictures and some videos for evaluation. The team rushed to see the calf for a physical evaluation and referred the calf to the TECC hospital for emergency treatment. The calf was depressed. He had mild to moderate facial swelling, especially at both jaws and the area above the eyes. His tongue presented the purple spots consistent with hemorrhaging. He also had a fever and a mild watery diarrhea with quite a bad smell. Many EEHV symptoms were present. At the same time the TECC team was working hard to find suitable blood donors to immediately start a blood transfusion when the calf arrived.

Calf was lethargic upon the team’s arrival

The veterinarians gave an antiviral drug and vitamin C to the elephant. The calf also received non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the fever from infection and the inflammatory process. At the hospital he got a platelet-rich plasma transfusion that night. The next day he got a second blood transfusion. The TECC team provided extreme treatment against EEHV. The EEHV test from CMU showed that the calf tested positive for type 1 and 4 co-infection. Unfortunately, he couldn't be saved. He passed away on day 3 of the intensive care.

Veterinarian draws blood to match for plasma donation

This case reminds us just how important our work is and how much fundraisers like Pizza for Pachyderms can help impact the care of elephants in Asia. This little calf’s treatment was funded in part through AES and donations from people like you. We are extremely grateful to the teams from the CMU mobile vet unit and thee TECC for their efforts to treat this calf and others affected by EEHV.

  Thank you to the CMU Veterinary Team for their outstanding commitment to Thailand’s elephants! And thank YOU to all who help support their work through AES!

CMU Mobile Vet Clinic April Update

April was a busy month for the CMU Mobile Vet team! In addition to routine health checks and blood draws there seemed to be many calls concerning wounds of all types this month along with some musculoskeletal concerns.
 
Early in the month the team checked in on two geriatric cows who had not been seen by vets in a couple years. At 50 and 60 years old, both cows were deemed to be in good health and body condition. They received parasite control, tetanus vaccines, and blood work all showed normal conditions. The vets also visited three other elephants for blood work a few days later. And later in the month, the vets visited a small, 5 member herd with a new owner who wanted to ensure the health of all including a 1.5 month old calf. All seemed happy and healthy and the team educated the owner and mahout on preventative care and EEHV. 

Geriatric cow getting a check up

Newest member of the small herd to get a check up

There were several wounds that seemed to be the result of minor interactions. One cow had a small wound with swelling under the eye after being hit inadvertently by her young son’s small tusk, which healed well a few days later. Another case presented an elephant who had knife wounds in the right shoulder area and right rear leg. The vets were able to flush necrotic tissue from the area, removed pus, dressed the wound with instructions on how to continue cleaning and dressing for the mahout. She also received antibiotic treatment and pain medication. On her second follow up they found the wound had dried and closed up. In one wound case, a young elephant at a festival managed to slice her tongue and lip on broken glass. The mahout was able to stem the bleeding and vets later cleaned the wound, administered pain medications and a tetanus shot upon assessing the wound condition. The little cow was still able to eat well and healed up nicely.  

Mom with a swollen eye

Elephant from festival getting tetanus vaccine

In several of the cases involving wound or musculoskeletal issues the vet team was able to use laser therapy to help with inflammation. One 30-year-old female presenting with stiffness in her forelimbs received laser therapy after the CMU team was able to utilize a thermo-scanning camera in order to detect the area of inflammation. In addition to the laser treatment, she also received painkillers and a prescribed hot oil massage. Laser treatment was also used in another case. This female had a history of nail rot and during a recent foot care session 2 new fistula wounds had occurred under the nail. The vets swabbed the wound for bacterial culture and then were able to apply laser therapy using the stick laser probe which was inserted into the holes in the nail.

Using a camera to find inflammation on a thermal scan

Inserting laser probe into nail to treat wound

Thank you to the CMU Veterinary Team for their outstanding commitment to Thailand’s elephants! And thank YOU to all who help support their work through AES!
 

CMU Mobile Vet Clinic - February

As always, February was a busy month for the CMU Mobile Veterinary Clinic Team. There were a variety of cases to keep the vets on their toes. From very young calves to older individuals and from tummies to toes, there were plenty issues that required the veterinary expertise of the CMU vets.

Early in the month, the team responded to a very young (5 day old) calf with a swollen navel. During the examination by the veterinarian, it was observed that the calf would often use its hindleg to scratch at its navel and that the floor was quite wet from cleanings. Thankfully, the navel was already closed up and so treatment was prescribed along with a recommendation to dry out the ground on which mother and baby were standing. After 5 days, the baby’s navel was doing much better.

Vet trying to examine baby’s navel

There were three different cases with gastrointestinal symptoms. One adult female was colicky and was eventually made comfortable. A younger, 13-year-old cow presented as anxious, thin, and eating soil. She was discovered to be infected with parasites. The day after treatment she was better. And an older, 38-year-old female was depressed and sleepy looking. Only slight improvement after treatment prompted the vets to suggest she be taken to the hospital for closer treatment options.

Physical exam of colicky female

A 2.5-year-old calf required quick examination after presenting with symptoms that could be consistent with EEHV. The vets took blood for testing, provided preventative treatments, and suggested keeping the calf away from the other mother and calf living with the sick calf. The following morning the owner reported the calf was much improved and so EEHV was no longer suspected.

Blood testing to rule out EEHV

Finally, there were also a couple of musculoskeletal cases. One was a 50-year-old cow with the entire hind limb swollen, unable to bend, and stiff upon walking. The team treated her with laser acupuncture therapy and soaks. Over a period of 20 days there was improvement but she was still not fully able to bend the knee. There were also a couple cases of nail splits. A young calf had a split nail that the vets attempted to trim up, but due to the calf’s young age did not stand well for the process. She was given meds for inflammation and pain. The last case was an abscess which developed behind the nail of an older female. The foot was thoroughly cleaned and the surrounding nail and cuticle was trimmed to allow the foot to heal. Further foot care will be required to fully heal the injury.

Thank you to the CMU Veterinary Team for their outstanding commitment to Thailand’s elephants! And thank YOU to all who help support their work through AES!

CMU Mobile Vet Clinic Update - January

January kept the veterinary team of the Chiang Mai University Mobile Vet Clinic busy, as usual. With the help of three other agencies, they completed the annual census of elephants in the Chiang Mai region (nearly 850 elephants). During the census the teams also collected blood, monitored for diseases, and administered de-worming medications as needed.

The census teams assessing elephants and collecting blood

Throughout the month acute cases also required the attention of the CMU vet team. There was a sudden elephant death requiring investigation, a couple of musculoskeletal issues, some parasitic cases and vaccinations, and an irritated eye.

Vets getting measurements on a calf with abnormal gait issues

CMU Mobile Vet Clinic Updates - December 2023

December was a busy month. Not only did the CMU vets stay busy with cases, but there was also lots of collaboration with other groups. From the 10th – 13th of the month Dr. Paan along with Associate Professor Dr. Chatchote Thitaram, the Director, and Dr. Janine Brown of the Smithsonian Institute visited the Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) in Sayaboury, Lao PDR. They observed two sets of mothers with their calves along with a male bachelor group and were also able to help support glaucoma care for an ECC patient in addition to seeing their management and target training. It was a valuable exchange of time and resources.

Then from the 21st-22nd the CMU vets along with the staff from the TECC hosted veterinary students from Ohio State University. They discussed management and treatment of geriatric elephants, tourism elephants, musth elephants, and free roaming elephants.  They also got to practice exams and medical treatments on elephants at the TECC under the supervision of professional veterinarians.

Elephant cases for the month had a variety of causes and symptoms. A bull with his tusk cracked got x-rays. The vets followed up on a cow who had been receiving a series of laser light treatments for lameness. They found her gait had corrected and there was no neurological impairment. The vets rushed immediately to a two-month-old calf who had a swollen cheek and resided in an area near where another calf was lost to EEHV recently. Upon arriving the veterinarian found the calf alert and the mahout reported that the calf had fallen and hit its head the day before. The calf was prescribed a steroid cream to help with inflammation and edema. Another adult female was treated with laser therapy for lameness in both forelimbs and is recovering. There was a follow-up tetanus vaccination and, finally, a 35-year-old female with a split toe nail who was seen by vets with her 10-month old calf clinging to her side. Due to an old injury on one front foot, the cow spent all her time with the majority of her weight resting on the other foot. This caused the malformation of her nails which then were cracked and overgrown and, eventually, infected. She was treated to a nail trimming and rasping along with a series of foot soaks and her own tetanus shot.

Bull group at ECC playing together

Veterinary students learn about tourism elephants

Bulls getting tusk X-ray

Foot soak prep for mom’s nail and pad trimming

CMU Mobile Vet Clinic Updates - November 2023

November was a very busy month for the CMU Team. It was a month of excitement, highs, and sadly, some hard lows. It’s months like these that exemplify exactly why the CMU veterinarians and the Mobile Vet program are so invaluable to the elephants and surrounding communities.

In addition to all their usual responsibilities the CMU team was also quite involved in preparations for and hosting of the 5th Asian EEHV Working Group Meeting and the 19th International Elephant Conservation and Research Symposium. The meeting and symposium ran back-to-back over five days in the middle of the month and was a huge success!

The November cases consisted of several cases involving youngsters. One little 7-month-old female presented with lameness in her front right leg which she was dragging as she walked. The vet team tentatively diagnosed her a radial nerve injury which could have caused the dragging. They then gave her analgesia, anti-inflammatory meds, laser therapy, and recommended acupuncture to help with her neuromuscular movement.

Calf receiving laser therapy on her stiff leg

Two other young calves presented with eye issues during the month. At the beginning of the month a 7-month-old little bull had swollen eyes with a laceration. After the vets were able to examine the calf and observed flies gathering near his eyes and the calf itching them repeatedly, they were able to rule out EEHV as a cause and suspected allergies. It took a couple follow-up visits throughout the month to discover a bacterial infection in the laceration that might have been contributing. The owners were instructed on how to rinse his eyes and apply antibiotic treatment. Later in the month, an 18-month-old calf also in the Mae Wang region was seen for lacrimation (excessive tears). The vets recommended an eye rinse for her one to two times a day to help wash away dust, dirt, and other possible irritants.

(Left) Calf with blepharitis (inflammation of eyelids) in both eyes. (Right) Other calf had lacrimation (excessive tears) in both eyes

Unfortunately, November also brought some difficult cases. On the morning of November 9th, a Mae Tang camp owner called for help concerning 8 elephants with colic ranging from moderate to severe. They had all eaten from the same plot of grasses. Another vet from the TEAA was asked to aid in the emergency response. They started fluid therapy in 5 elephants and provided supportive drugs including an anti-inflammatory, opioid, anti-gastric acid secretion, and vitamins. Two elephants were considered severe and transported to the hospital for more intensive care. The elephants at the camp continued treatment through the night and some got better, but the following morning two of them were sent to the team at the hospital at the TECC. In the end most of the elephants recovered with the constant care and intensive treatments, but two elephants died, one from intestinal torsion and the other from sepsis.

Obvious bulging sides of cow experiencing colic

The vets were called out for the necropsy and sample collection of a six-year-old calf in Mae Tang who had been depressed and not eating just the day before and died suddenly that morning of the 22nd. His death was attributed to EEHV 4 and is the first of the season in that region. The vets visited the rest of the young calves in the camp and all non-pregnant and weaned calves were given antihelminth and vitamin C. The veterinarian gave suggestions for management to the owner and the mahouts were educated about the importance of vigilant observation (especially of the young calves) for the detection of EEHV.
 
To wrap the month up Dr. Paan teamed up with several other vets to collect whole blood that was to be donated by a healthy female elephant. Thanks to the Mae Tang Elephant Camp the team of vets were able to collect 19 bags of 450mL of whole blood from a cow named Kam Noi. Whole blood donations are a very important component of treating seriously ill elephant patients with a myriad of conditions, including EEHV. These bags of donated blood can be spun down into plasma and then kept cold for the next several months and ready to use in the next critical case.

The veterinarian team for blood collection including: vets from CMU, a vet from Mae Tang camp, a vet from TEAA, and a vet from Lao PDR (internship) along with donor, Kam Noi

To support the work of the CMU Veterinary Team as they
provide life-saving health care to Northern Thailand’s elephants, please visit www.asianelephantsupport.org to make a donation.