Case Report
Salmonellosis in 7 yr-old Asian elephant
Place: Dak Lak elephant Conservation Center Vietnam
Date: 2017
Data provided by: Van Thinh Pham, DVM
History
During the rainy season, a 7 yr-old orphan Asian elephant bull showed severe diarrhea, lethargy and anorexia for 1 week before it developed abdominal edema. It was kept with another orphan elephant in the open air in a range country. No parasites were found in fecal samples.
Bacterial culture from feces showed growth of Salmonella typhymurium.
Before Salmonella was cultured, the elephant was treated with trimethoprim sulpha (TPS) and metronidazole (dosages unknown).
Based on the sensitivity found in the antibiogram, an oral antibiotic treatment with ciprofloxacin (5 mg/kg BW BID) was given for 5 days.
Treatment results
36 hours after the start of the antibiotic treatment, the elephant resumed eating. feces were normal again after 3 days. The edema resolved within 7 days.