Anaesthetic Equipment List
Please find below a list of basic anaesthetic equipment suitable for use in tigers. Where items are written in orange, click to see an illustration.
| ITEM | PRIORITY | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|
| Anaesthetic emergency box | HIGH | A box containing anaesthetic emergency drugs and equipment is invaluable |
| Anaesthetic emergency protocol sheets | HIGH | Laminated best for field use |
| Artery forceps | Used to stop arterial blood flow following trauma | |
| Binoculars | Useful for monitoring at a distance | |
| Calculator | HIGH | For calculating drug doses |
| Clippers - electric | HIGH | Preferably operated by rechargeable batteries |
| Cool boxes | For preventing drugs and biological samples overheating in the field | |
| Dark cloth | To cover and/or protect the head - especially eyes | |
| Darting equipment | HIGH | A dart rifle +/- pistol, plus darts. Many types are available |
| Digital camera (or modern phone) | HIGH | For recording and sharing observations |
| Drug dose chart | HIGH | A chart showing doses of anaesthetic & emergency drugs for different weights of tigers can be of immense value for field staff. The chart can be laminated for its protection |
| Endotracheal tubes (ETs) | HIGH | Straight ETs of internal diameters from 12 to 24 mm |
| Foot covers | For cold conditions. Golf club head covers or thermal gloves will work | |
| Gas anaesthetic equipment | Field gas equipment is appropriate. Isoflurane is the standard anaesthetic gas | |
| GPS unit | To record accurate location of anaesthesia | |
| Hobbles | HIGH | Can be made from soft rope or commercially available types |
| Ice packs | Useful in hot conditions | |
| Insulated body jacket | For cold conditions - especially useful for small individuals | |
| Intravenous drip thermal bag | For cold conditions | |
| Knife, pliers and wire cutters | Essential if dealing with snared tigers | |
| Laryngoscope | HIGH | Laryngoscopes with long, straight blades are appropriate < 360 mm. Commercially available or can be made simply |
| Mouth props | HIGH | Simplest types are made from plastic tubing - eg: water pipe |
| Multi-tool | eg: "Leatherman" | |
| Oesophageal stethoscope | ||
| Oxygen cylinder - portable | HIGH | A supplementary oxygen supply is essential for safe anaesthetic practice |
| Plastic sheeting (orange) | Very useful to lay out equipment | |
| Pulse oximeter | HIGH | Many types commercially available |
| Resuscitation bag (eg: "AMBU" bag) | HIGH | To artificially ventilate a non-breathing tiger |
| Scissors - curved blade, blunt ended | ||
| Space blankets | HIGH | For use in low temperatures |
| Sponge-holding forceps - long | HIGH | To safely remove foreign objects and material from the back of a tiger's mouth during anaesthesia |
| Stethoscope | HIGH | Good quality - cheap ones are of little use! |
| Stomach tube | HIGH | For decompressing gastric bloat & administering fluids per rectum to counter hyperthermia |
| Stretcher or carry-mat | HIGH | |
| Suction device - simple | The "VVAC" portable suction unit is relatively cheap & does not rely on a power source. Alternatively a large syringe attached to a catheter can be used. | |
| Suture kit - basic | Basic kit comprising needle holders, plain & rat-toothed forceps, artery forceps, scissors and a scalpel handle | |
| Thermometer - rectal | HIGH | Preferably electronic with extended rectal probe |
| Timer | HIGH | |
| Torch | HIGH | Head torches are useful, but night work requires more powerful light sources |
| Tourniquet | To aid blood collection | |
| Urinary catheters | Small diameter |
