Peter Rogers, [26 Feb 2024 at 16:29:16]: Good afternoon, all. A client of mine has 12 habituated orphan elephants of varying ages. They are largely free roaming during the day, but are stabled at night where they are fed browse, bana grass, lucerne and cubes. Recently, one of the subadult elephants has been developing recurring abscesses in different sites. Serum analysis shows a deficiency in Mg and Se. We are supplementing them all now with Molatek blocks - any other pearls of wisdom out there please? Henry Labuschagne, [26 Feb 2024 at 16:46:16]: I would do a culture and antibiogram of abscesses. Peter Rogers, [26 Feb 2024 at 20:13:02]: Sorry Henry. I forgot to mention culture isolated Streptococcus agalactiae which is resistant to the oral antibiotics such as potentiated sulphas and enrofloxacin; so, I can give a massive once off dose of long-acting penicillin or Excede after cleaning the abscess, but to repeat such large volumes is totally impractical without sedating the animal again. My question I guess is - are the abscesses not secondary to some sort of deficiency perhaps? Henry Labuschagne, [27 Feb 2024 at 06:35:36]: Peter. I would put hot compress on the abscesses under sedation to ripen. Drain the abscesses and flush with peroxide, then instil iodine, then instil mastitis Dry Cow medication. Inject iv iodine and I/ m Excede. Good luck. Henry Labuschagne, [27 Feb 2024 at 07:38:15]: Sorry forgot to mention. Any deficiency would cause nutritional stress and make them more susceptible for an infection. Check with animal nutritionist to work out a balanced ration. Peter Rogers, [27 Feb 2024 at 08:06:07]: Thank you, Henry - busy with that now 👍🏻
