Examining a Puma (Puma concolor) cub

This is a photograph of a 78-day old female puma. Yesterday it was my privilege to attend the semi-rural police station where it was being held pending relocation to a big cat sanctuary in São Paulo,

The photograph was taken soon after I had completed my physical examination of the animal.

Chemical restraint was not reesorted to.  Instead, with the aid of an assistant I was able to obtain

• heart rate
• respiratory rate
• corporal temperatire 
• capillary refill time
• the body weight had to be estimated. 

When choosing an assistant, it helps if he or she is relatively fearless.  Mine started to comment on how painfaul hos wrist was some minutes into the examination.  However, I will be eternally grateful for his willingness to help me out.

The cub returned to feed as soon as she had been unceremoniously thrust back into her enclosure, indicating that, even ubder stress, her appetite was unaffected.  

I did feel that her body condition score was lower than it should have been. Other body systems seemed fine: heart, musculoskeletal, respiratory, ears, skin, nervous system, urogenital, . ocular, lymphatic, oral cavit.  But I scored the bosy condition as 2/5. 

Discussing the case with a colleague that afternoon, two questions arose:  what is the weaning age for a pum cub, and what is its correct nutrition?

Weaning age is approx three months and correct food should match that which the mother would provide in the wild state.

Veterinary Aspects of the Examination of the Puma, Puma concolor.

It came to my attention recently that a puma cub has been brought into captivity and is in the care of the authorities. Last week I got in contact with them and Monday I will visit the cub for the second time in order to carry out a physical examination.

I am in the process of entering what I refer to as the 'veterianrian mindset'.  As you may have guessed if you are a regular reader, I am a big fan of 'mindset' and mental attitude to life, love and career.

My vet school taught me to pass exams, and a common gripe of new veterianry graduates is that they realise they need clinical experience.

Wildlife conservation veterinarians need to get into the field.  I went to a sanctuary last week and saw Ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) and Jaguarundis (Herpailurus yaguarondi).  The local names for both of these medium-sized wild cats are Jaguartiríca and Gato-do-Mato, respectively.

In an effort towards clinical improvement, I realised recently that I needed to change my mindset.  I do it through downloading forms for, as a certain web site says: 'There's a form for that'.

It has certainly clarified my thinking.

For instance, on Monday I have to go and do this physical examination and I need to have an algorithm in my head of what I am going to do and how.  My developing algorithm is thus:

• observe the patient from a distance to note behaviour and neuropathies
• use physical restraint in as stress-free a manner as possible.  I completely understand recommendations for using operant conditioning, but as the photo shows, these are the conditions on the ground.
• weigh the patient
• palpate body for foreign masses and to locate veins for blood work
• check skin for ectoparasites (fleas)
• check dentition
• take corporal temperature
• do basic ophthalmic examination
• check buccal cavity
• check paws
• check pulse, heart and respiratory rate as well as capillary refill time. 
• Finally, check maxillary, scapular, poplitial and inguinal lymph nodes

The first item, when applied to domestic species, refers to neuropathies and also to conformation. A wild animal with poor conformation would have a greatly reduced chance of survival in the wild, so conformation need to apply.

This will be a necessarily incomplete exam as I will not be able to take blood,  Not, at least, on Monday. I have promised the staff (they are soldiers), that I will conduct a non-invasive examination.  Collaboration with local university vets will reveal if the patient has been tested for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), Feline Infectious Peritonitis ((FIP), Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV) and Toxoplasmosis, 

So I face two challenges: carrying out stress-free physical restraint and doing blood work.  How do you find the jugular vein on a non-compliant puma cub?

Diary of a First-Year Veterinarian

Today was my second Sunday shift and it was non-stop.  There was medication to give to five patients, then I was surgical assistant during a Caesarian.

The open area in front of the Pantanal Shopping mall ths mornign was full of cars on the verge.  There were some highway agency officials directing traffic and pulling some cars over.  It was controlled chaos.

And last night there was a big open-air concert in the Pope John Paul the Second Exhibition Park which is close to my home. I was relieved that they had turned down the music by 1:30am.