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.
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.
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.
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.
Scientific name |
Common name |
Part(s) eaten |
|
English |
Thai |
||
Ananas comosus Merr. |
Pineapple |
Saparod |
Fruit and leaf |
Arundinaria pusilla A. Chevalier & A. Camus |
- |
Yaa peg |
Leaf and stem |
Arundo donax Linn. |
Spanish reed, Giant reed |
Aw |
Leaf and stem |
Bambusa spp. |
Bamboo |
Mai phai |
Leaf, stem, shoot |
Benincasa hispida Cogn. |
Wax gourd, White gourd |
Fak khiow |
Fruit |
Brachiaria mutica (Forsk.) Stapf. |
Para grass, Buffalo grass |
Yaa khon |
Leaf and stem |
Brachiaria ruziziensis Germain and Everard |
Ruzi grass |
Yaa rusii |
Leaf and stem |
Brassica oleracea var. capitata Linn. |
Cabbage |
Kalamphlii |
Leaf |
Brassica pekinensis Lour. |
Chinese cabbage |
Pakadd |
Leaf |
Carica papaya Linn. |
Papaya |
Malagaw |
Fruit |
Centrosema pascuorum Mart. ex. Benth. |
Cavalcade |
Thua khawekhaed |
Leaf and stem |
Citrullus vulgaris Schrad. |
Watermelon |
Taengmo |
Fruit |
Citrus nobilis Lour. |
King orange, King mandarin |
Som |
Fruit |
Cocos nucifera Linn. |
Coconut |
Maphraw |
Leaf |
Cucumis sativus Linn. |
Cucumber |
Taengkwaa |
Fruit |
Daucus carota Linn. |
Carrot |
Khe-rawd |
Leaf and stem |
Digitaria eriantha Steudel |
Pangola grass |
Yaa pan-go-laa |
Leaf and stem |
Hymenachne pseudointerrupta C. Muell |
Del or bamboo grass (India) |
Yaa phlong |
Leaf and stem |
Lycopersicon esculentum Miller |
Tomato |
Makheua thet |
Fruit |
Manihot esculenta Crantz. |
Cassava |
Man sampalang |
Stem |
Musa sapientum Linn. |
Banana |
Gluay |
Fruit and stem |
Oryza saliva Linn. |
Rice |
Khaaw |
Seed |
Panicum maximum Jacq. |
Guinea grass |
Yaa ginii |
Leaf and stem |
Panicum plicatum Willd. |
- |
Yaa gong gai |
Leaf and stem |
Pennisetum purpureum Schumach. |
Napier grass, Elephant grass |
Yaa naepia, Yaa chang |
Leaf and stem |
Pennisetum purpureum x P. americanum (hybrid) |
Bana grass |
Yaa banaa |
Leaf and stem |
Psidium guajava Linn. |
Guava |
Farang |
Fruit and leaf |
Raphanus satibus Linn. |
Chinese winter radish |
Huapakadd |
Leaf and stem |
Saccharum fuscum Roxb. |
- |
Kham |
Leaf and stem |
Saccharum officinarum Linn. |
Sugar cane |
Aoi |
Leaf and stem |
Saccharum spontaneum Linn. |
Wild sugar cane, Thatch grass |
Pong |
Leaf and stem |
Solarium tuberosum Linn. |
Potato |
Man farang |
Leaf and stem |
Zea mays Linn. |
Maize, Corn |
Khawphood |
Leaf, stem, cob |
Calamus spp., Daemonorops spp., etc. |
Rattan |
Wai |
Stem |
Many species in certain genera of the palm family (except for the rattan group) |
Palm |
Ton paam |
Leaf |
Scientific name |
Common name |
Part(s) used |
Indication |
|
English |
Thai |
|||
Internal use |
||||
Acacia catechu Willd. |
Black catechu, Cutch |
Som poy |
Pod & leaf |
Laxative/purgative |
Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr. ex Roxb. |
Bael fruit tree, Bengal quince |
Matuum |
Fruit |
Antidiarrheal |
Albizia procera (Roxb.) Benth. |
Forest siris, White siris |
Thawn |
Bark |
Digestive |
Coix lachrymal-jobi Linn. |
Job's tears |
Deuay |
Root |
Anthelmintic |
Dillenia aurea Smith |
- |
Maa san |
Bark |
Tonic |
Diospyros mollis Griff. |
Ebony tree |
Ma gleu |
Fruit (ripe) |
Anthelmintic |
Entada pursaetha DC. |
Sea bean |
Kheua sabaa |
Seed |
Tonic |
Ficus benjamina Linn. |
Golden fig, Weeping fig |
Sai yoi |
Fruit, flower &bark |
Anthelmintic |
Harrisonia perforate Merr. |
- |
Ton jii |
Leaf, stem &root |
Anthelmintic |
Ricinus communis Linn. |
Castor-oil plant, Castor bean |
Lahoong |
Seed |
Laxative/purgative |
Scindapsus officinalis Schott |
- |
Phluu chang |
Leaf & stem |
Tonic |
Tamarindus indica Linn. |
Tamarind |
Makhaam piak |
Fruit |
Laxative/purgative |
Tinospora tuberculata Beumee |
- |
Boraphet |
Stem |
Tonic, digestive |
External use |
||||
Bambusa spp. |
Bamboo |
Mai phai |
Stem |
Blister treatment |
Capsicum frutescens Linn. |
Chilli |
Phrik |
Fruit |
Anti-infective (skin, eyes) |
Cocos nucifera Linn. |
Coconut |
Maphraaw |
Seed (oil) |
Fungicide, anti-infective (skin, especially for burns) |
Columella tenuifolia Merr. |
- |
Yaa pogtaw |
Stem |
Hot fomentation (ingredient) |
Crinum asiaticum Linn. |
Crinum lily, Asiatic poison lily |
Ton plab phleuang |
Leaf |
Reduce swelling |
Curcuma longa Linn. |
Turmeric |
Khamin chan |
Rhizome |
Anti-infective (skin, eyes) |
Entada pursaetha DC. |
Sea bean |
Kheua sabaa |
Bark & stem |
Anti-infective (skin, eyes) |
Eupatorium odoratum Linn. |
- |
Yaa saab seua |
Leaf |
Haemostatic |
Imperata cylindrica Beauv. |
Thatch grass |
Yaa khaa |
Rhizome & root |
Anti-infective for eyes |
Mimosa pudica Linn. |
Sensitive plant |
Mai yarap |
Stem Leaf |
Anti-pruritus |
Musa sapientum Linn. |
Banana |
Gluay |
Fruit (unripe) |
Haemostatic (for bleeding from cut tusks) |
Pterocarpus indicus Willd. |
Narra, rosewood |
Praduu |
Bark |
Anti-infective for skin (esp. abscesses, wounds, feet) |
Ricinus communis Linn. |
Castor-oil plant, castor bean |
Lahung daeng |
Branch |
Anti-infective for eyes |
Tamarindus indica Linn. |
Tamarind |
Makham |
Fruit |
With lime, on abscesses |
Thunbergia laurifolia Linn. |
Blue trumpet vine, Laurel-leaved thunbergia |
Rang jeud |
Stem & leaf |
Hot fomentation (ingredient) |
Zingiber cassumunar |
Cassumunar |
Plai |
Rhizome |
Hot fomentation (ingredient) |