Re: Sonography of elephants & in zoos
From: James S Smeltzer MD (gaperina@mindspring.com)
Sat Nov 18 19:46:22 2000
Hi,
I believe that Jim Crane (Associate Dean at Washington University School of
Medicine) and Lori Lieberman (Last heard of as a golf pro shop owner, but
former ATL salesman) were scanning animals in the St. Louis zoo many more
than 5 years ago, since they are both 5 years out from the field. I am
completely unsure if they were the first, but you could ask them.
Jim Smeltzer
>реща: RE: Elephant Ultrasound - update
>
>>For those who have been following the sonographic images of the developing
>>elephant embryo at the preserve here in Arkansas, there is an article on
>the
>>subject in today's NY Times. It mentions Dr. Dennis Schmitt's work, which
>>was discussed in the earlier messages (below). You can see the NY Times
>>article at:
>>http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/science/071700sci-elephant-zoo.html
>><http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/science/071700sci-elephant-zoo.htm
>l
>>>
>>
>>Terry J. DuBose, M.S., RDMS
>>Director, Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program
>>CHRP, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
>>Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
>>501-686-6510
>>http://www.io.com/~dubose/ <http://www.io.com/~dubose/>
>>http://www.uams.edu/CHRP/dmshome.htm <http://www.uams.edu/CHRP/dmshome.htm>
>>
>>http://www.obgyn.net/us/panel/panel.htm
>><http://www.obgyn.net/us/panel/panel.htm>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Riddle's Elephant Sanctuary
>>[mailto:elephantfarm@alltel.net]
>> Sent: Saturday, July 15, 2000 11:29 AM
>> To: Multiple recipients of list ULTRASOUND
>> Subject: Re: Elephant Ultrasound - update
>>
>>I will give you a bit of a long-winded answer:
>>With elephants the ultra-sound examination of the internal reproductive
>>tract is done trans-rectally. The veterinarian holds the probe inside the
>>elephant's rectum. Yes, it is very messy (the feces have to be manually
>>removed from the tract and the elephant needs a water enema with a hose, at
>>least to visualize some of the organs such as the ovaries or testes on the
>>males - which are internal in the elephant) so the veterinarian is well
>>suited up and uses shoulder length gloves. The procedure does not see to
>>bother the animals much. Our elephants are very tractable and have been
>>conditioned to this procedure, so they stand very well while restrained
>>simply by a rope or chain around the leg. We have not needed any sort of
>>sedative drugs.
>>This procedure has been done on a fair number of elephants now, and appears
>>to be a very viable technique for imaging elephants internally - and one
>>that the animals seem comfortable with. As you can imagine, x-rays of most
>>of the head, chest, abdomen or hip area are not possible on a full-grown
>>elephant due to their size. With ultra-sound, the vet can also image
>organs
>>such as heart or liver by holding the probe against the (out)side of the
>>animal, but due to the size you can imagine that the whole organ does not
>>appear in the field!
>>Using ultra-sonography with elephants is a very recent study project (about
>>5 years) and was mainly developed by 2 veterinarians at the Institute for
>>Zoo Biology in Berlin, Germany - Drs. Thomas Hildebrandt and Frank Goeritz.
>>The veterinarian that does the ultra-sound at our facility is Dr. Dennis
>>Schmitt from Springfield, Missouri and he learned from and collaborates
>with
>>the German vets. It was through the use of ultra-sound that Dr. Schmitt
>>succeeded in artificially inseminating an elephant for the first time ever
>>in early 1998. The resulting calf was born in November 1999 at the
>>Dickerson Park Zoo in Missouri. These 3 vets have since succesfully
>>inseminated 3 other elephants. The second birth occured at the
>Indianapolis
>>Zoo in March 2000 and the next one (also in indianapolis) is due next
>month.
>>The 4 th sucessful insemination is in an elephant at the Vienna Zoo in
>>Austria.
>>The pregnancy in our female is unique because this female had not cycled
>for
>>several years (referred to as flatliner) then in 1996 she began to cycle
>>irregularly. This is the first time in captive elephants that a known
>>flatliner has become pregnant. We had seen breeding mid-April, and in late
>>June were hosting the first ever Elephant Ultra-Sound Workshop for
>>veterinarians when the pregnancy was confirmed by ultra-sound. It is
>>unusual to get such good images of an early pregnancy in an elephant.
>>I hope some of this background information helps and would be glad to
>answer
>>any other question you may have!
>>Heidi
>>
>>Riddle's Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary
>>PO Box 715
>>Greenbrier, Arkansas 72058
>>USA
>>501-589-3291 phone
>>501-589-2248 fax
>>http://www.elephantsanctuary.org
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: Terry J DuBose <tjdubose@juno.com>
>>To: <soundadvice@listbox.com>; <elephantfarm@alltel.net>
>>Cc: <soundadvice@listbox.com>; <WintersRonaldH@exchange.uams.edu>;
>><ULTRASOUND@OBGYN.net>
>>Sent: Saturday, July 15, 2000 9:46 AM
>>Subject: Re: Elephant Ultrasound - update
>>
>>> Peg, you are correct the "logistics" of this exam must be extraordinary,
>>> at least for us "human sonic anatomists" it seems daunting. I did have 3
>>> doctors of veterinary medicine as students in Austin Texas, and it seems
>>> that the endovaginal sonograms on large animals (high $ breeding cattle
>>> and race horses) involves restraint and/or sedation, rubber suits and
>>> long gloves that reach to the shoulder!
>>>
>>> Your's is a good question, perhaps we can ask Heidi from Riddle's
>>> Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary to join our discussion with something of
>>> an explanation.
>>>
>>> Heidi, if you will, please tell this list of professional sonographers
>>> about the "logistics" of the elephant endovaginal exams (you will need to
>>> reply to "all".
>>>
>>> Thanks, Terry J DuBose, RDMS
>>> Univ Arkansas for Medical Sciences
>>>
>>> ---------------------------------------------------------.
>>
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>>
>>> ---------------------------------------------------------.
>
