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?