APPENDIXES

Recommendations to veterinarians

Knowledge of the techniques which veterinarians use to treat and diagnose the diseases of animals does not differ greatly, whether talking of dogs, cats, swine, horses, cattle, or elephants. Therefore, even a veterinarian with no prior experience of looking after and treating elephants can still help elephants, at least with some preparation first. Before treating an elephant you should make several preparations as follows:

• The veterinarian should gather full details about the specific location and history of the elephant in order to plan for travel, for treatment, and for preparing the right drugs and instruments.

• The veterinarian must prepare complete drugs and instruments because usually the elephant is far from roads and human settlements and getting to it sometimes requires 5 or 10 kilometres of walking. If something has been forgotten or the drugs and instruments are incomplete, then time is lost and the results are less than they should be.

• The site for treatment must have a tying post or a tree so as to immobilize the elephant. The area must be smooth and flat, hard, not slippery, and with no holes or stones which can cause slipping or tripping of the veterinarian when the elephant struggles or becomes uncontrollable.

• The veterinarian should wear very simple, unencumbered clothing for convenience and for avoiding harm should the elephant make a surprise attack during the treatment.

• There should be an assistant, such as a mahout or somebody very familiar with the elephant or somebody who can control it, because when the veterinarian is working, the elephant is likely to try to flee or to hurt the veterinarian or nearby people.

• Before the veterinarian enters to inspect or treat the elephant, he must be certain it is under control and restraint. There must at least two mahouts or people to assist in controlling the elephant, one person in front, in the case of full-grown elephants. (Beware of the elephant's trunk, tusks, and front legs.) The second person is behind to watch over the tail and the hind legs.

After the veterinarian has treated the elephant and before returning home, if he is unable to return to provide further treatment and inspection, he must give the owner or the mahout the drugs (and instruction on their use) needed for full recovery. The veterinarian should also arrange for the mahout to call him with periodic reports.

Besides these general recommendations, the veterinarian must necessarily know how to approach and work with the elephant.

How to safely approach an elephant

When an elephant is sick, the veterinarian must consider that it is an animal which is large, strong, clever, and agile. An elephant is dangerous and can very easily use various body parts, such as its trunk, tusks, tail, feet, and even its mouth to cause injury or even death to the person treating it.

• If the elephant can be made to couch or to lay on its side during inspection and treatment, that will be much safer.

• Before getting close to an elephant, it is best to signal that you are approaching, such as making a sound or walking in slowly from the side, where the elephant can see you.

• Notice the elephant's behavior before getting close. If it has its ears folded to its head or if it appears to be staring at you, do not approach. If the elephant is moving its ears, swinging its tail, or if it turns its rump to you, that means its mood is normal.

• Do not approach elephants from the front.

• Most elephants have been trained to, and are accustomed to, receive the mahout for mounting on the right side. Therefore, if it is necessary to approach the elephant from the left, ask the mahout if this is possible.

• Do not approach an elephant from a direction where it cannot see you, for example, the side where it has a blind eye or from the rear.

• The safest place to be is on the side, near the elephant's front legs.

• If it is necessary to work from the rear beware of the tail and the hind legs. Working on the front, be aware of the front legs.

• Be as careful as you can be because elephants are big and can move very quickly. When your work is done, withdraw as quickly as possible.

• When approaching an elephant, keep the side of your body towards the elephant.

Techniques for giving medication for veterinarians

You can administer medication using many methods: orally, rectally, intramuscularly, and subcutaneously. Administering eye drops and collecting samples are also done much as with any other animal.

Intramuscular injections can be given in the muscles of the shoulder, the rump, and the top of the neck as pictured.

• Use a needle between 1.25 and 2 inches long; numbers 16,18, and 20 are all good.
• Clean the area to be injected with a disinfectant.
• With the back of your hand, strike the area four or five times.
• Insert the needle into the muscle.
• Slowly inject the medicine until it is all gone.
• Gently massage the area so as to distribute the medicine.

• Clean the injection site once again with a disinfectant.

Subcutaneous injections are for absorption under the skin, such as the antiparasitc Ivermectin, saline solutions, etc., where the elephant will absorb the drug very slowly. Subcutaneous injections often show swelling in the area injected. Behind the front leg and the side of the neck are the best areas, as pictured.

• Use a needle between 1.25 and 2 inches long; numbers 16,18, and 20 are all good.
• Clean the area to be injected with a disinfectant.
• With the back of your hand, strike the area four or five times.
• Pull up the skin and insert the needle.
• Slowly inject the medicine until it is all gone.
• Gently massage the area so as to distribute the medicine.

• Clean the injection site once again with a disinfectant.

Intravenous injections are given in the back of the elephant's ear because the skin there is very thin and the vein is very easy to see.

• Use a needle between 1.25 and 2 inches long; numbers 16, 18, and 20 are all good.
• With a disinfectant, clean the area of the vein behind the ear.
• Press the vein very lightly and insert the needle.
• Slowly inject the medicine until it is all gone.
• Gently massage the area so as to distribute the medicine.

• Clean the injection site once again with a disinfectant.

Taking blood samples uses the same methodology as giving intravenous injections, but before sucking the blood into the syringe press on the vein for about 1 to 2 minutes in order to allow enough blood to back up as is desired for the sample.

Table 1: Elephant food

Table 2: Medicinal plants