Sumatran Veterinary Seminars

A few months ago, our partners in Sumatra conducted a two-day seminar on elephant health care for final year veterinary students. The first day of the workshop consisted of classroom lectures. The second day of the workshop focused on practical demonstrations and training on patrol elephants from nearby Conservation Response Units. The veterinary students were taught about safety concerns when working with elephants, clinical examination in elephants, drug administration, sample collection, and footcare in elephants. We are grateful for the veterinarians who are committed to educating future generations of wildlife veterinarians!

Students take part in hands-on demonstrations learning aspects of elephant care

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!

Training Future Elephant Veterinarians

For several years we have provided support for veterinary care of elephants in Sumatra along with our veterinary field partner, the Wildlife Ambulance from the Syiah Kuala University Veterinary Faculty in Aceh province.
Wildlife Ambulance activities include seminars on elephant health care conducted for veterinary students. During the first day, classroom lectures are conducted, followed by a day of practical demonstration and training with patrol elephants at the Elephant Conservation Center Saree and the Conservation Response Unit Sampoinet in Aceh.

Topics covered include the following:

* Safety precautions when working with elephants
* Clinical examination in elephants
* Drug administration and sample collection elephants
* Foot care in elephants

We are grateful for the efforts of the Veterinarians of the Wildlife Ambulance who work tirelessly to provide medical care for critically endangered Sumatran elephants.

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!

Following the Wildlife Ambulance Veterinary Team in Sumatra

We are pleased to provide support for veterinary care of elephants and other wildlife in Sumatra along with our veterinary field partner, the Wildlife Ambulance from the Syiah Kuala University Veterinary Faculty in Aceh province.
 
The Wildlife Ambulance veterinary team spends many hours on the road to reach elephant and other wildlife patients. Recently the Wildlife Ambulance assisted the Aceh provincial conservation agency BKSDA with the rescue and release of a trapped Sun Bear. The adult female Sun Bear was trapped with its right front paw in an illegal rope snare. The animal was sedated and the rope snare was removed. Antiseptic and antibiotic wound treatments were applied locally and systemic antibiotics and analgesics were administered. 

Treatment of a rescued Sun Bear

Due to the fact that this case was quickly reported by local people and the bear received immediate medical attention, the snare had not yet caused irreversible damage to the paw of the bear. Therefore, after the treatment and reversal of the sedation the bear was transported to a nearby forest area and released back into the forest.

Removing a snare from a bear paw

During the past six months, the Wildlife Ambulance Veterinarians conducted over 50 field missions for routine elephant health care, emergency treatments, wildlife rescues, and assisted with postmortem examinations on elephants and other wildlife. Routine health care is provided to more than 70 camp elephants in 12 different locations in the provinces Aceh and Lampung.
 
The Veterinarians also assisted conservation activities such as fitting Satellite GPS collars on wild elephants, wild elephant and sun bear rescues and treatment, as well as supporting rescue and release operations of different primate and bird species in collaboration with other conservation organizations and government agencies.
 
We are grateful for the efforts of the Veterinarians of the Wildlife Ambulance and the Elephant Response Unit field staff who work tirelessly to provide medical care for critically endangered Sumatran elephants and other wildlife. You can help Sumatran elephants and wildlife by donating today! CLICK HERE to donate.

(Left to Right): Banana Fodder, Pineapple meds, and primate exam

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. 

CMU Mobile Vet Clinic Updates - October 2023

Dr. Paan and the team were busy during October again, visiting elephants in Mae Wang, Mae Tang, Mae Rim and Hang Dong districts of Northern Thailand. October’s cases were mainly made up of wound care, mild lameness, lameness caused by a wound, and a dental visit thrown in to mix things up. 
 
A female elephant in Mae Wang had a pre-existing tail injury which the doctors returned to check on in October. Upon examination, it was noted that the tail was not healing as well as could be hoped. The tip of the tail had become necrotic and as the tissue was being cleaned away a piece of bone was visible through the tissue and pus present. The necrotic tip had to be removed all together. Two weeks later at her follow up appointment, the cow’s tail had recovered quite nicely with no more pus or necrosis. It is expected to heal completely. 

A piece of tailbone protruded from the wound

Another highlight was the CMU vets visiting a male elephant in Mae Tang who was stiff on his right front leg. The vet at the camp where the tusker resided had requested the CMU team bring their laser therapy equipment, which they did on October 10. About a week earlier, the mahout had noticed a small swollen nodule on that leg, and now the elephant was stiff. The vets determined that this nodule would eventually turn into an abscess, so quick treatment was necessary. Using the thermal scanner, the team was able to determine where other areas of swelling and inflammation were located on the leg. Luckily, there weren’t any other areas of inflammation found on that leg, so the vets decided to start laser therapy on the nodule to
stimulate the cells and  relieve some pain for the elephant. Another laser treatment was done a week later, but by that time the abscess had burst. However, after the second round of laser therapy, the elephant was walking normally, and seemed to be in less pain.

Dr. Pann applying laser therapy to an abscess causing pain and lameness

Later in the month, the team went to Mae Rim to perform some traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, on an eight-year-old female elephant that the vets were following up with who was suffering from lameness. The team couldn’t perform the acupuncture with needles, since the elephant
wouldn’t stand still, so they went to plan B and used laser acupuncture. Due to the high power and heat coming from the acupuncture machine, the elephant was a little frustrated, however, the vets finished the procedure within 5-10  minutes. Laser therapy was also performed on the lame area for further treatment. The team will perform the laser acupuncture 1 time per week for a total of 6 weeks. 

CMU Vet applying laser acupuncture technique with help of guest expert

To support Dr. Paan and 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.

CMU Mobile Vet Clinic Updates - September 2023

Dr. Eye and the CMU team were back at it again throughout September. The first week of the month saw the vets joining forces with Thai Elephant Alliance and the Thai Elephant Conservation Center (TECC) to conduct health checks for elephants in the Mae Chaem and Mae Wang areas. Twenty elephants from four different villages were seen by the vets. These checks were a part of the annual National Elephant Institute elephant health service initiative.

Elephants in the Mae Wang region turn out for vet checkups

During their time in Mae Wang, they also treated a 15-year-old pregnant elephant who was suffering from diarrhea. The vets were able to determine the cause and prescribed de-worming medication. After learning the mahout and owner’s concern for the unborn calf was the reason they had ceased to give the cow antiparasitic drugs, they were able to educate the owners explaining they are safe to use and better for mom and baby in the long run. The pregnant elephant started recovering within 24 hours.

CMU mobile unit with vets from CMU, TECC, TEA and a private vet

Later in the month, the team visited a 21-year-old male elephant in San Kham Pang who was presenting with colic and hadn’t passed a fecal since the previous day. The owner of the elephant told the vet team that the male elephant was acting lethargic, standing still, and lifting his hindlimbs, which is a sign of abdominal discomfort. He also was not eating or drinking well. The team started the male on GI stimulating medications and administering fluids, and eventually administered a rectal enema and walked the elephant to stimulate better movement in the intestinal muscles. Treatments were stopped in the evening of that day, to let the team and the elephant rest. Unfortunately, no feces were produced, and treatments resumed the following morning. After 48 hours of no fecal production, it was feared there was something more serious than colic that was affecting the elephant. The elephant owners decided to send the elephant to TECC. Fortunately, the elephant was able to finally pass feces, and started eating and drinking normally after a day at the hospital. After a week stay at the hospital, he was cleared to return home.

Bull receiving enema treatment for severe colic

Heading back to Mae Wang, Dr. Eye’s team visited a 34-year-old female elephant who was stiff in her hind legs. Upon examination, the vet decided to administer an anti-inflammatory shot. However, due to the elephant being obese, it was hard for the team to determine where the stiffness was originating. The team then decided to use the thermal camera to pinpoint if there was a lesion and where it was located. The camera revealed there was a lesion on her left hind limb, and it was recommended that the owner let the elephant rest while she heals. Furthermore, they suggested warm water treatments, topical pain medications and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Thermal imaging helps diagnose injury on hind leg

To support Dr. Eye and her CMU veterinary team as they provide life-saving health care to Northern Thailand’s elephants, please visit www.asianelephantsupport.org to make a donation.