Delhi Zoo trains vets on using gas anaesthesia to sedate animals

team of experts from the US is providing hands-on training to Indian veterinarians at the Delhi zoo on using gas anaesthesia so as to avoid drugs to sedate animals, which have numerous side-effects.

Gas anaesthesia is primarily used for sedating cats and dogs, and the training, in which more than 30 vets are participating, is a step forward towards employing it for wildlife in Indian zoos, Delhi zoo director Renu Singh said.

The training is being conducted by experts from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC.

Budhan S Pukazhenthi, reproductive physiologist at the institute, told PTI, “Sometimes if you can hold an animal safely, you can do the diagnostics without using any drugs. Gas anaesthesia is one such way of sedating animals by eliminating the need of medical drugs and the numerous side-effects that come with it.”

The physiologist said gas anaesthesia is rarely used in Indian zoos and veterinarians in the country lack adequate training in this method.

“Though this technique is primarily used in cats and dogs field, we are trying to introduce it to the wildlife in the Indian zoos,” he said. Besides ensuring the safety of animals, Pukazhenthi explained, using an inhaled (gas) anaesthetic device also gives more flexibility and confidence to the clinicians.

The Delhi zoo director said the training will come handy for the staff in giving best care to the inmates. “As zoo keepers, we often face challenging situations in terms of various zoonotic diseases. Using gas anaesthesia will also help us minimise risks to animals,” she said.

Some animals may carry harmful germs which can infect people and cause illness which are known as zoonotic diseases or zoonoses. Tony Barthel, Curator, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, underlined the importance of anaesthesia in animal diagnosis, and how using injectable drugs for the same purpose could run many risks.