This blog is going to focus on training for blood draws. This is being undergone on several species at the park and hopeful many more in the future.
Why do we need to take blood?
Blood samples can give an insight into the health of the animal. They can be taken from a healthy animal to give us a good reference point to compare to samples taken when an animal is suspected to have an illness.
They can also be taken routinely to detect any changes in organ function. This is especially important with aging animals. The risks of anaesthesia increase as the animal ages and therefore it is greatly beneficial to train voluntary blood draws. The veterinarian can then assess the samples and respond with various treatments. They can also be taken to detect hormone levels and pregnancy.
BioBank blood samples
Blood samples can also be donated to the biobank where they are preserved and can be used for researchers for many years to come. This biobank creates a huge database of samples with various illnesses and conditions from many different species to be studied. Here at the park we have donated many samples to contribute to the BioBank.
Who is being trained to give blood?
Currently I am training the tigers, cheetahs, jaguars, pumas, lions and giraffe. I would like to extend this further to the orangutans and chimpanzees. However, we will need a specially designed sleeve built into the enclosure which will hopefully be done in the near future.
Cats
To get a blood sample from a big cat we train them to allow us to take it from the base of the large tail vein that runs down the length. I started by getting them used to me just touching the tail and receiving a reward each time. Then I progressed to holding the tail with a little pressure applied. I often get strange looks and questions about why I’ve got a tiger by its tail!
This is required to give good pressure in the vein to allow for a successful draw and so it is essential that they become used to the sensation. Also, as always, they chose to take part in these sessions; they are free to come and go as they please and are always excited to take part.
The next step is to use a blunt training needle and hold it onto the vein. This is then repeated a few times a month to keep it a frequent part of their routine. Then, should the need arise, we can take a sample. Training this means they will not need to be darted for sedation to get a sample, a process which can be quite stressful.
This way offers a safe way to get a sample which they will willingly participate in. This training is the same for the other big cats and all are doing very well. We haven’t needed to take samples yet apart from Asha the cheetah last year, and it was a complete success.
The cheetahs are very eager to take part in their training sessions. They have even started going ‘double decker’ trying to both fit into the training area at the same time because they don’t want to have to wait their turn.
Giraffes
The giraffes have a few sites that can be used to take blood. The fetlock, neck, ears and tail are the main ones used. Robin is fully trained to allow a blood sample to be taken from the fetlock. He is very close to being ready for a sample from the ear and neck also.
The fetlock is the first joint above the hoof on a giraffe, and along the side runs a large vein.
To get to this stage took a long time and a lot of hard work from myself and the mammal team. To begin with we made sure robin was comfortable with having his feet touched. Then that he would remain still for a long enough period of time.
After this I applied slight pressure to the fetlock and held a blunt needle to the area. This is repeated a few times a month. Again to make it a routine procedure that he doesn’t need to worry about should the time come that we need a sample.
To train for a sample from the ear took a bit longer. He needed to first allow us to touch his face and ears without pulling away or flinching. I then moved on to continuous rewards for letting me hold his ear in position. The longer he allows me to do this the better!
The ear needs to be held forward exposing the large vein that runs along the back of the ear. He will happily let me hold his ear this way for several minutes and with the blunt needle in place, which would be more than enough time to take a sample.
We haven’t had to take a sample yet but I have great confidence he will do great! The sharp needle will feel similar to an insect bite to them and so as long as the reward is delivered at the right point, he should show little to no reaction. He thoroughly enjoys his sessions and always chooses to participate. We often struggle to get him to leave the training area so that Reudi can have a turn!
More training
If you want to know more about training check out my previous blogs here.
