Dystocia and vaginal vestibulotomy in an Asian elephant

Abstract

Objective: To discuss a case of dystocia and the use of vaginal vestibulotomy as an efficacious treatment option in an Asian elephant. Design: Case report. Animals: 31 year old female Asian elephant from the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. Procedure: The medical record of an Asian elephant was evaluated from June 1, 2006 to July 31, 2006 by use of serum progesterone levels to determine time to parturition. Pregnancy status was monitored by means of transrectal ultrasonography beginning on the day that progesterone levels were less than 0.05 ng/mL. A diagnosis of dystocia was made on the basis of delay of active labor. Vestibulotomy was performed and technique, healing time and complications were monitored. Results: Vestibulotomy allowed for the extraction of a dead fetus. Healing time was noted to be the fastest for this procedure in the elephant; of the seven that have been performed in North America. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Results suggest that vaginal vestibulotomy can be a valid treatment option for dystocia. However, the limitations and possible complications of this procedure should be recognized by zoo clinicians and caretakers.