Wild Tiger Health Project
Created by Dr John C M Lewis

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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.

ITEMPRIORITYCOMMENTS
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