Means of Rescuing Large Animals - Research Paper Example

Introduction Owners of large animals like cattle and horses are willing to put themselves at risk to safeguard their animals because they are either an asset, a source of income or have sentimental value. To keep the owners and the animals safe when such a situation presents itself, training including special approaches and paraphernalia contribute to helping them be best prepared for rescues. Animals were invaluable in the time before innovations like the combustion engine as a means of transport for both accessories and animals. Their vitality in everyday tasks ensured that their safety and well-being was a priority for humans, which led to the development of large animals rescue procedures from an early age. For example, the first equine ambulance in Massachusetts in 1876 was complete with a crude sling. Today, animals no longer play the part in our lives than they used to. Once one of the most pivotal parts of our work life, the American culture has now categorized them as mere companions. Although still a food source, they no longer hold a central role in our day. This decline led to decreased developments in rescue programs. One of the clearest indications would be the shutting down of Harvard University’s veterinary hospital. They were deemed unnecessary as cars were more readily available. However, that does not mean that animals still do not have some degree of dependence on humans. Even today, situations can arise where human assistance is crucial and today’s methods enable us to carry out a rescue with less risk and more efficiency. Due to the developments in technology, we can shift or even lift the animals. Before these developments, an owner who found himself in a predicament where their horse or other animal required human assistance like if it was stuck in the mud, would be forced to seek out help from friends and neighbors alike to get the horse out. Back then, the tools of choice being ropes, winches or tractors, there were chances of injury or even death to the owner and the animal especially without the training that was required to carry out the rescue. However, such events, though not a common occurrence, are still a possibility today. On the other hand, many owners are more likely to call the police with the conjecture that the authorities will be able to handle the situation effectively. An informal survey by Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue of law and fire service personnel by the authors uncovered that only a meager 5% have basic knowledge about the handling of these animals and even fewer of them possess the required ability to handle them (Gimenez, 2008). This portrays the need for proper training for the rescue of animals like horses and cattle. This training is now being offered by some organizations and schools. Overview The paper’s purpose can only be achieved with a definition of the word ‘rescue’. One common definition that many people associate with animals is saving them from dire predicaments where neglect, mistreatment or cruelty is being inflicted upon them (Appleby, 2011). On July 22, the first law allowing punishment for the mistreatment of farm animals was passed in the United Kingdom and is known as Richard Martin’s Act. Richard Martin bought an abused donkey in the courtroom to show the way it had been beaten by the farmer. And although such acts represent the more sentimental side of society, this paper will be focused on a different aspect of rescue. This paper talks about the different situations where an animal will require immediate humanitarian assistance in the form of retrieval from the rubble, medical attention if in an accident, rescue aid if caught or trapped in a confined and dangerous area, etc. These accidents are termed as ‘incidents’. And a number of these incidents, if occurring simultaneously or in a chain reaction, can lead to confusion in the rescue personnel (for example, after a hurricane) and have disastrous results as a consequence (Gimenez, 2009). Unfortunately, there is no proper note of records of the accidents involving animals thereby resulting in scarce statistics. Police report to lack the involvement of animals. Dr. Gimenez and a few other people have kept a record of several such incidents through stacks of articles and even personal recollections of the events. Despite the broad training criteria for firemen and police officers, Standard Operating Protocols, a guide in many rescue situations, hardly include any information regarding large animals. This is the reason behind special training programs now being offered in organizations and schools. These programs teach the proper handling of the animals in such predicaments along with a collection of the different events involving animal rescues that have taken place. Animals and American Culture Why do people spend time and money on saving the life of one animal? Can an animal impact a human’s income or life simply from the sentimental value that it possesses? In the United States of America, some animals have gained an elevated status with owners considering them to be a part of their family. An example of this from large animals would be the horse, and the consumption of horse meat in the USA is unmentionable. Even in the threat of natural disasters like hurricanes, horse owners have shown reluctance in evacuation without their pets. One of the most popular examples of this would be when Hurricane Katrina struck and the refusal of the owner to evacuate early for fear of being separated from their animals or when a separation was necessitated at shelters that did not have pet accommodations. As a result of Hurricane Katrina, President George W. Bush passed the PETS Act (Pets Evacuation and Transport Standards Act) in 2006 which enforced the inclusion of pets in emergency planning for FEMA and other emergency agencies. In a survey conducted by the American Animal Hospital Association, 74% of the pet owners were willing to get loans for their animals’ welfare while 27% of them have left them a share in their wills (Gardyn, 2006). All these examples come together to fully portray the status of animals in American Culture as well as answer the question posed; Why are owners willing to put themselves at risk to save their animals? To protect these owners, resources are to be set aside to rescue the animals. Large Animals Large animals, in general, are not as popular as small ones in the eyes of an average person (except perhaps horses), but if in need, people want to see them helped out of their predicament. However, large animals are harder to rescue in comparison with small animals. If trapped in a well, a large dog can still be rescued by a man because it can still be carried with a little effort. An animal like a horse, even a small horse, will require effort and strength not possessed by any one man. Training and equipment will be essential in its rescue. The development of different ways that will ensure or increase the safety of the large animal and the rescuers are underway. Importance The status of animals in American culture is quite high. This can be seen in the way that individuals can often be seen as becoming amateur rescuers in their determination to help the animals that require assistance. The process of rescuing large animals, such as horses or cattle, or perhaps even I llamas, swine, sheep and goats, is a lot more complex and challenging than it seems. While it is easy to rescue smaller animals simply because of their reduced mass and volume the larger animals are a lot more difficult. For example, a cat or a dog is easy enough to be carried but a horse or a pig poses a greater challenge. Amateur rescuers who attempt to extract a cow that has fallen in a raving would have to make use of the large animals' head or neck or perhaps his legs as anchor points. This would entail pulling from these anchor points which can frequently cause the animal to struggle and pull back and as a result fight rescuers instead of being of help. Also, there is a great chance that by making use of this method the animal can receive further injuries (Gimenez, 2008). This is where the need for proper training becomes essential. It is through proper training that attempts made to rescue animals can be more successful as well as efficient. The research was conducted on the importance of training for the rescue of large animals and it was found that by making use of proper equipment and methods for animal rescue the rate of success increased from about 10% to a 96 % success rate. It is often the case that untrained rescuers overlook the importance of assessing the situation before the rescue. This results in the animal that needs rescuing to not be able to get the initial life-support or medical support. Overlooking the medical needs of the animal at this stage is a huge mistake mostly because it is a lot easier to administer and treat the animals while they are trapped compared to after it has been set free. This concept can be understood by looking at an appropriate example; say you come across a horse which is stuck in mud for over a few hours; the chances of the animals being dehydrated are high making it a lot simpler to administer an IV while the animal is unable to move freely than when it is out and would want to escape to avoid the crowd of people. Furthermore due to a lack of planning, often it is seen that amateur rescuers do not know what to do once the animal is out of its predicament. They forget to equate questions like what measures they should take to prevent the animal from running back into the mud or if it runs off into a busy street. Also, the transportation of the animals so that they can safely be taken away from the area, or towards medical treatment of its injuries are critical parts of the rescue plan which amateurs overlook often. Another key aspect of consideration is that of human safety. Numerous injuries occur yearly due to efforts made by individuals to rescue animals. Research shows that some individuals as a result of their rescue efforts have to stay at a hospital for three days or more, and from the years 1999 to 2005 over 200 grave injuries were recorded from the large animal as well as small animal rescues (Gimenez, 2008). Often rescuers in their haste to free the animal to forget that even animals that are usually gentle and calm have a higher tendency to be frantic and unpredictable during the rescue process due to the high level of stress involved. Furthermore, the choice of equipment can exacerbate the situation and increase their stress levels if loud or strange equipment is used which might result in frightening the animal and cause them to react unfavorably. It is critical to remember that horses are prey animals, so despite being well trained, they will have a self-preservative instinct to react in a certain way when under stress. They might kick ferociously when a crowd gathers to undertake rescue efforts. You see, the animal will not understand that you are trying to help it but will interpret the situation as a form of danger which will heighten its stress level. This can result in making the situation dangerous if the rescuer has not undergone proper training because no matter how highly trained the animal is a situation that proves to be highly stressful can cause it to react instinctively and aggressively (Gimenez, 2008). A kick by even a small horse can result in a serious injury or death which is why trained respondents must undertake animal rescue efforts to prevent the general public from improvising and becoming injured in the effort. Equipment As far as equipment goes often it is seen the initial respondents and sometimes even the animal specialist doesn’t have the specialized ‘large animal’ rescuing equipment. There are certain procedures; like in a mud rescue, it is necessary to have the right kind of equipment, like the nikopoulos needle, not just because it is necessary but also because it makes the procedure more efficient. However, there are certain techniques for the rescue or large animals that have been developed and the equipment for the initial responders defined making the process more fluent. Some of this equipment includes webbing for drags as well as glides and being trained to construct A-frames which are used for vertical lifts. Techniques The first of these procedures is the Forward assist-Drag backward and Sideways Drag – This procedure is used to shift a recumbent animal from a dangerous spot. The requirement of this procedure dictates that rescuers carry out a webbing, comprising of the width of about four inches at least. This is so that they can prevent any kind of internal damage to the animal. It is also important that the weight of the animal be considered to carry out the webbing procedure correctly. The rescuers need to be trained to manipulate and place correctly the webbing under the animal. To carry out the forward assist, the webbing is placed underneath the torso of the animal with the ends placed under the belly and going all the way over the front legs as well as the crossing above the neck. As far as the backward drag is concerned the webbing has to be done similarly. Lastly for the sideways drag, refer to the picture, as you can see the webbing firstly goes under the horse’s torso and then crossed between the animal’s legs to prevent him from rolling due to the traction of the ground. Also noticeable is the fact that it takes excessive manpower to drag the horse. Vertical Lift As the name suggests this procedure incorporates the lifting of the animal upwards. A situation in which the use of this procedure would be needed is that of an animal falling in a hole. There are there further classifications of using a vertical lift procedure. The first is by making use of a helicopter, the second is by using heavy equipment with a boom, and lastly would be the use of an A-frame. Making use of a helicopter to carry out a vertical lift is an option that is impractical and very expensive. The second option which makes use of heavy equipment with a boom can be made use of but the disadvantage it poses is that it might scare the animal or perhaps might have difficulty in getting close enough to the site due to its location. The simplest way to perform this procedure is by using an A-frame and the equipment to set up the frame is one that requires training. Figure 2 shows how this can be done. Overseeing the A-frame technique is an essential part of setting it up as well as incorporating the weight of the animal to set up a sturdy frame is important. Also, it is critical to know where to place the webbing when it comes to handling the rescue of a large animal. The webbing should not be too far back in the front or be placed too far forward. This is done to prevent any chances of causing serious internal injury to the animal. Other equipment used for this procedure is the chest strap because the weight of large animals is mostly on the front end and this will make sure that the animal does not slide out and fall. Glides Sometimes there comes a situation when an animal requires rescue when it falls or cannot get up on its own, and so needs to be moved out of a certain area. This is when making use of drag is impractical, due to lack of enough individuals to pull the animal or because by dragging the animal from the surface of the ground might injure him. To make this process easier the best solution would be to make use of glides. These will be used to get the animal off the ground with an easier amount of pulling by making use of glides and avoid dragging the animal from the ground’s surface. Caution must be taken when the animal is secured onto the glide so that it does not roll off or move and injuring itself further or harm the rescuer. An understanding of the anatomy of the horse is essential to manipulate the limbs of the animal safely and secure them close to its body. An example can be seen in the figure provided. Swimming a horse There are certain situations in which swimming a horse could be used in an appropriate way when it comes to moving it from one place to another. Swimming a horse can be done in several ways. Horses can swim on their own however it is important to guide them by boat over short distances. However, this procedure has certain drawbacks. The rescuer has to be careful that the horse not be injured by the boat’s motor or the possibility that the boat goes over the animal that is submerged in the water. Other areas of concern while conducting this procedure could be avoiding the animal’s head being forced underwater; preventing the animal from panicking or even the use of a low sided boat can cause the animal to panic and cause danger to the animal itself or the rescuer. Other risks can arise from getting into the water to guide the animal. Rescuers must be trained to do so and be strong swimmers, this is because for this kind of rescue the chances that a horse might kick underwater and accidentally injure the rescuers are high. Also because horses are fast swimmers so keeping up with their pace is important. Equipment which is necessary for this procedure is the use of Personal Flotation Devices or lifejackets as well as helmets. Sometimes a surcingle is used by rescuers which are put on the horse to attach to a floating device which then helps the hours as well as protects the swimmers. Other equipment used consists of a piece of fire hose which is inflated with air and acts as a floatation device. Usually, it is bent in a specific shape, mostly a V and placed around the horse or any other animal that is in the water. It is placed close to the head of the animal so that it can rest its head on top and prevent him from swimming out of it. Some straps with clips placed on the hose are then attached to the rings on the surcingle. A demonstration of this procedure is shown in the picture displayed. Loose Large Animals Not only is it necessary to make sure that the animal is contained after the rescue to prevent it from running back into the danger zone and harming itself, but also to take preventative measures so that animals don’t get loose in the first place. It is the responsibility of the owners to make sure that their animals are secure. This is because any damage caused by the animals the owner is liable for. There are certain measures that owners can take to prevent such a thing from happening. Portable fencing can be made out of several things, but the most often used material is plastic barricade netting. This is because it is light and easy to roll up for storage. Furthermore, knowledge of large animals is necessary when it comes to catching or containing them. Mud Rescue There are numerous times that large animals become entrapped in mud due to several reasons. These could be due to floods or landslides or simply because animals venture into areas that they shouldn’t go to. Any attempts to rescue animals in such a situation should be handled with care to prevent further injuries and to aid the animal in getting out as quickly as possible. If it is difficult to get the animal out by moving it forward then it can be vertically lifted to get it out. This can be done by the use of heavy equipment or an A-frame. There are certain challenges when it comes to removing a large animal from the mud. This could have to do with setting up the webbing underneath the animal if their torso is submerged too deeply in mud. In this case, there is specialized equipment available to cater to this need. The nikopoulos needle is specialized rescue equipment made specifically for this purpose. It is available in the shape of a large and wide C and its measurements are about six feet long and four cm wide. All along the barrel, numerous pinholes can be seen, and on one end there is an opening that has a loop that can be attached to the pilot line. On its other end, a fixture to screw on a hose can be seen. By attaching a hose to it and making use of either water or air pressure the needle, as well as the pilot line, can go through the mud a lot easier. Once the placement of the two strips of webbing as well as the front guard are in order and firmly attached to the horse, it can easily be attached to the lift. There are still certain issues that might arise. These could have to do with the pressure of the mud which could result in further injury to the trapped animal. What can be done in a situation like this is through the suction of the mud a vacuum can be created which outweighs the animal by at least three times its weight. Complications to this procedure can result in the way the webbing can be broken, or further injuries to the animal or the animal can also be killed in case this vacuum is not broken. There have been cases that hooves have been sucked off horses (Gimnez, 2008). Several things can be done to break this suction. These could be by making use of mud lances, which are approximately over four feet long, consist of pinholes throughout them, and have one open end and the other end which can be attached to hoses. These are a lot like the nikopolous needle and have to be positioned in quarters or encompass each limb of the animals and make use of air or water pressure much like the nikopolous needle. It is critical to keep in mind that if the animal is stuck in a pit, water pressure might be an impractical option to break the vacuum since it may lead to the hole being filled up too quickly and result in drowning the animal. So care must be exercised to break down the suction and lift the animal out safely. Better Rescues of large animals Improper rescues can result in prolonging the time that the animal spends in a difficult situation; this can cause further harm to their condition, exacerbate their injuries or sometimes result in death, and greatly affect the medical needs of the animal. By the year 2006, there was a significant increase in training offered to rescue large animals. Research shows that over six veterinary schools in the United States covered training aspects of large animal rescue. And in the UK, statistics go to show that before the TLAER program, there were approximately 91% of animal injuries were caused because of the animal undergoing rescue efforts and not because of the actual incident (Gimenez, 2009). This goes to reflect the critical importance of this training and the level of care and expertise necessary when efforts to rescue large animals are undertaken. Other Techniques used for animal rescue There are numerous techniques, methods, and procedures which have been developed to rescue large animals and can be applied and used every day. Numerous animal hospitals specialize in caring for and giving treatment to large injured animals. These hospitals use a wide range of equipment and anesthesia to sedate the animals to minimize the pain and treat them with lesser resistance and risk of injury. They also use several techniques to safely transport animals and minimize their stress. These techniques are simple and effective and by a certain amount of training can be used outside the scope of rescue operations and healthcare, this could be in zoos when there is a need to move animals to various enclosures (TLAER.org). The perfect rescue is a concept that can be falsely misleading. Firstly it is impossible to carry out a rescue that is flawless in every respect. Numerous flaws are possible as far as the choice of a technique and carrying out procedures, as well as the choice of equipment can result in errors or flaws, whether minor or major, from causing the situation to become more complex and difficult to resolve. These natural flaws leave room for error and barriers to arise when it comes to large animal rescue. Despite this fact, this does not mean that the rescuers should not do their best and try to resolve the situation and save the animal to the best of their ability. Something proactive measures can be taken by the rescuers such as following several ideas that can aid them in being more efficient and perform as professionally as possible keeping in mind their training and appropriate safety measures. Which equipment is selected by the rescuers also plays an important role when it comes to carrying out the rescue of large animals with care as well as innovation. Furthermore planning ahead is a very helpful aspect of the rescue one which encourages the rescuers from making the appropriate plans not just to carry out the rescue but to make sure they have analyzed the entire situation well and know what measures to take before rescuing the animal, like ensuring the presence of the vet to administer medicine to the animal, and after the animal has been helped out of its predicament, like ensuring there is proper transportation available to take the animal to safety. Future of Large Animal Rescue Nation Wide Different types of large animal rescues are now being offered by organizations and professional schools. In the United States, Eastern Kentucky University was one of the earliest schools to initiate an ‘ani-medic’ program. The purpose of this program was to teach the first responders in predicaments involving animals a few basic techniques and procedures to follow until the arrival of a veterinarian. TLAER courses are now being sponsored by US Rider for students. Lack of faculty has postponed the ‘ani-medic’ program, although it may be restored in the coming future. Arizona and EKU have resembling emergency vet assistant courses. Dr. Gimenez has stated that since the year 2006, six veterinary schools now offer large animal rescue training programs. After the hurricanes in 2009, the American Association of Equine Practitioners formed their Equine Emergency Task Force. In Louisiana A State Animal Response Team can be found in most states. This team is called the Louisiana State Animal Response Team in Louisiana (LSART). The commencement of LSART was as a committee of the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association but was soon established as a foundation to obtain non-profit status. LSART has taken an active part in providing relief for all animals, regardless of their size, during hurricanes, a flood, and an Oil Spill. Although these services have never been called upon, the organization assists in the rescue of large animals and run off grants. Dr. Rebecca McConnico, director of the equine department in LSART, will be called frequently by the people. Dr. Renee Poirrier believes that to ensure the safety of the rescue team and the animals, the required training will play a pivotal role. Therefore, LSART will continue its program in training people and making the first responders aware of the assistance that they can turn to in any such situation (Poirrier). Dr. McConnico states that there is a rising expectancy for veterinarians to take lead in predicaments involving animals and to possess the required knowledge to help the animals and their owners get through the situation. However, the necessary knowledge and training in the form of reactions, planning, analyzing and dealing with the situation are not as readily available as it should be. The recent affiliation of LSART and LSU aims to counteract this problem and the development of a systematic and planned program including evacuation, shelter, emergency response etc is underway. Not only veterinary students will be eligible for this program, in fact, since the course will be covering a basic level with fifty practical hours of work it can qualify as a part of a continuing education course. Conclusion Large animal owners see their animals’ worth in different ways; they may see them as a source of income, financial security or an object of sentiment. To the extent that some owners are willing to brave danger to save their animals. To make the saving of these animals safer and more efficient, various techniques and new apparatus have been developed which have reduced the risk factor in these situations. The environment is preserved and the chances of the spread of diseases and bacteria reduced by the rescue of large animals. There are organizations and schools today that offer programs training people to deal with such a situation professionally and how to use the necessary equipment. LSU and LSART’s affiliation is working towards its goal of spreading awareness and helping response teams be the best that they possibly can. References Appleby, Michael C., and Tonya Stokes. (2011). "Why Should We Care About Nonhuman Animals During Times of Crisis?." Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science. 90-97. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Gardyn, Rebecca. (2001). "VIPs (Very Important Pets)." American Demographics. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. Gimenez, Rebecca.(2009). Personal Interview. Wiley-Blackwell. Gimenez, Rebecca, Thomas Gimenez, Kimberly A. (2008). “Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue.” Iowa: Wiley-Blackwell. "PETS Act prevails. (2006). “DVM: The Newsmagazine of Veterinary Medicine Academic Search Complete.” EBSCO. Web. Poirrier, Renee. (2011). Web. Retrieved on 17th April from: http://www.lsart.org/site/view/107337_trainingexcercises.pml TLAER. (2009). Web. Retrieved on 17th April from: www.TLAER.org Read More