

Hand-raising handbook
index
8 JAN 2021
INTRODUCTION
Why calves become orphans
Mother killed, calf injured and abandoned eg caught in snare, separated from herd due to unknown reasons.
Calf mortality
What is reported in literature
Why this manual is needed
Lots of good info but not all in one place that is easily accessible info needed
Poor survival reported in literature
Intent to have a practical guide for vets, vet techs, mahouts, caregivers, or anyone else involved with elephant hand-rearing; So we have tried to use clear and succinct language and have defined medical terms that may not be familiar to all.
Disposition
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Release to wild
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Keep in captivity
CHAPTER 1. FIRST ENCOUNTER
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Quick health assessment
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Guidelines to attempt re-uniting with the herd (Calf has best chance of survival if it can be reunited with its mother)
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Transport to care facility
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Fostering (If has own young calf < 2 may not accept or if does may not produce enough milk for two)
CHAPTER 2. PHYSICAL EXAMINATION AND PREVENTIVE HEALTHCARE
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Introduction
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Physical examination
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Daily / Weekly Monitoring
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Training for Veterinary Procedures
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Blood collection
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Fecal examination
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Vaccinations
CHAPTER 3. THE NURSERY AREA
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Location
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Enclosure
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Staffing
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Supplies and Equipment
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Cleanliness
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Need for statement re: Nursery “herd”?
CHAPTER 4. FEEDING: MILK
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Supplies and Equipment
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Hygiene
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Record keeping
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Methods of administration
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Cautions re aspiration
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Colostrum – elephant and using commercial products from other species
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Feeding schedule
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Feeding amount and frequency in mother-reared calves
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Frequency and quantity in orphan
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Artificial milking
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Stimulating milk production in surrogates
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Milking the dam – see Emanuelson in EBMS
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Milk composition changes during stages of lactation
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Composition of milk
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Solids/water
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Carbohydrates
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Proteins
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Fats
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Ash/minerals
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Vitamins
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Energy
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Formulas
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Home-made
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Commercial formulas (and sources?)
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Comparison of formulas
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CHAPTER 5. DIGESTIVE PHYSIOLOGY / GUT FLORA
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Meconium will usually pass within 7 hours and no more than 48 h or may be a problem
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Rate of passage
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Feces appearance
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Microbiome?
CHAPTER 6. FEEDING: INTRODUCING SOLID FOODS
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Acceptable food items
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Types
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Proportions (e.g. fruit to veggie)
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Sources
CHAPTER 7. GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
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Developmental stages
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Monitoring growth / growth curves – see Olsen 2004 Weaning chapter
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Weaning
CHAPTER 8. SOCIAL NEEDS AND BEHAVIOR
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Behavior
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Mother
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Calf
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Surrogates
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Allomothering
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Cross-fostering / adoption
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Refer to Chapter 3 here about usefulness of a “crèche” group?
CHAPTER 9. MEDICAL PROBLEMS AND TREATMENT
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Introduction
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Medical equipment and supplies
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Anorexia (loss of appetite)
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Anthrax ???
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Bloat
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Constipation
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Dehydration
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Dental problems
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Diarrhea and GI problems
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Dry skin
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Elephant Endotheliotopic Herpes Virus (EEHV)
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Failure of passive transfer of antibodies
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Fractures
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Hemorrhagic septicemia ??
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Metabolic bone disease
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Parasites
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Rabies
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Sepsis (septicemia, systemic infection)
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Sunburn
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Umbilical hernia
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Umbilical infection
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Wounds (including snares) / prosthetic devices?
CHAPTER 10. Medical Procedures
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Anesthesia and sedation
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Basic supplies and equipment – better in Appendix?
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Blood collection
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Blood culture
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Culture
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Enemas
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Fecal analysis
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Feeding tubes
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Fluid therapy - IV / rectal
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Hematology (include manual platelet count for EEHV)
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IM injections
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IV injections
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IV catheters
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Oxygen therapy
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Plasma collection – ref EEHV
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Postmortem exam
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Urine analysis
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Vaccinations
CHAPTER 11. TRAINING FOR VETERINARY PROCEDURES
CHAPTER 12. GUIDELINES FOR RELEASE TO THE WILD (reference Chatchote doc)
+/- LITERATURE CITED (in each chapter but also include all at the end?)_
APPENDICES
Care forms
Physical exam – long and short
Body score
+/- Daily Elephant Calf Healthcare Checklist for Mahouts and Caregivers
Milk/Formula/Diet intake
Fecal consistency
Growth
Reference blood values
Drug doses
EEHV Asian manual
How to build a scale platform
Links to other resources
Contacts for help
Suppliers
Potential Reviewers
Khyne U Mar
Sonja - Singapore
Willem - Netherlands
Bhaskar – India
KK Sarma? - India
Chatchote - Thailand
Khyne - Myanmar
Michele Miller?
Dr. Yeow