Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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Moo Crew Maintenance

by Sabrina

This week the cattle had a pedicure appointment with the hoof trimmer and a check-up with the Doc. So for today’s blog Dr. Erin shares an update on the bovine girls!

Dr. Erin

“Thursday was hoof trim day for the sanctuary herd.  Like all healthcare interactions with the sanctuary residents, I both look forward to these opportunities to improve their health and well-being and dread causing any stress to these animals that we work so hard to provide with a peaceful and comfortable life.  I arrived at the sanctuary bright and early Thursday morning to secure the girls were in the “Bud Box”, which is a small pen within the upper paddock that they exit via a narrow lane leading to the trimming chute.  My plan to entice them into the box with a yummy breakfast of alfalfa hay (a treat generally reserved for very cold weather days) and some grain was witnessed mid-fail by Krissy, and pre-veterinary student Carly Ledbetter who came to help.  Thirty minutes into my plan, when the trimmer is about to arrive, all three cows are standing at the opposite end of the paddock from where I want them giving off strong “not today doc” vibes.

Meredith & Betsy
Dr. Erin & Autumn with Meredith and Honey


Autumn with Honey

I spent many years working primarily on horses and let me tell you, showing up to a farm call only to see your (known to be elusive) patient not caught and waiting for you can really throw off a day and a mood!  Luckily, John Thomsen and his family of Thomsen Livestock Services are not only professional and kind, they have a sense of humor and are skilled cattle people.  With John’s daughter Autumn and her husband Joel (a medical student from Sweden) we managed to herd all of them into the small pen, performed all the needed procedures in short order and returned them to their current “wetlands” pasture to recover from their ordeal in peace.
By the time I checked on them a couple hours later, they were all more than willing to eat their daily, individualized rations and accept my peace offering of hay.   All three cattle had blood drawn to check basic health parameters and mineral levels as well as routine parasite checks to make sure we aren’t missing anything from a physical/nutritional standpoint.  Because Meredith is on pain medication, routine blood tests are in order to check for adverse effects and Honey and Betsy are now ‘senior cows’ at 17 so occasional blood work is warranted.  Meredith’s most recent x rays show a bit more fusion in the arthritic joint that was treated at Washington State University and hopefully that will continue to progress to full fusion which will mean less pain for her.  While she moves more slowly than the mama cows, she isn’t limping on that foot anymore and is doing relatively well being back on pasture and out of her barn pen.
Honey

John working away on Honey’s hoof
This little herd has been through a lot in the last few months between Meredith’s trips to WSU followed by confinement to treat her arthritic right foot and the passing of our sweet Nutmeg, Betsy’s son.   While Betsy’s appetite is still good, the signs of stress and grief are apparent in her overall appearance.  A bit more thin, her hair coat is somewhat dull with uneven shedding, a little discharge from the eyes now and then. Cattle are herd animals, have a social order, bond to their herd mates and show signs of distress when they are separated or loose a herd mate. Co-director Diana shared this article with the staff recently, Cows have best friends and panic when separated from them | by Go Veg | Medium, that highlights how stressful it is for cattle to be separated from their friends.  I am so thankful that Betsy and Nutmeg had so many years with each other, unlike most cows and their offspring.  We all wish it could have been more.
Dr. Erin drawing blood
The girls will move to a different pasture on the property next week and my hope is that the change of scenery and full time grazing will provide some physical as well as emotional healing for these beloved bovines.”
Moo Crew 2024:  John, Krissy, Carly, Joel and Autumn

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Comments

  1. Nancy Duryea says

    Thank you for the updates on Betsy, Honey and Merrdith. The information was very interesting.

  2. Julie Medrano says

    I love the way you all take care of the “critters”! Having interacted with some of them from the Wildlife Waystation, it is great knowing they are still loved and well cared for!! Thank you!!

  3. Marcie says

    Thanks for an update on Betsy. Sweet Mama misses her baby boy. Glad you had many helping hands to care for the girls.

  4. Tobin says

    Thank you, Dr. Erin, for the update on Betsy, Honey, and Meredith. It is heartening to read that Meredith is on the mend, however slowly.

    Still, how we miss Nutmeg, and wish that he had more time…at least he was allowed to live into adulthood, and in the company of his mother.

  5. Kathleen says

    I am sending out thanks and gratitude to you Dr. Erin and to the entire Moo Crew, too! Grateful to all of you for the love and care you give to this small beloved herd. I appreciate this detailed post as I have been worrying about the cows, especially mama Betsy, it’s been a difficult year for them. (Thanks for including Diana’s link on the social and emotional lives of these amazing and intelligent creatures.)

    I am so happy to hear that progress is being made regarding Meredith’s arthritic right foot. Hope it continues so she can find some comfort and enjoyment this summer.

  6. Adrienne says

    Thank you for the updates on the bovines, for your great work and for the link to the interesting article, Dr. Erin and Moo Crew!

  7. Eli says

    Thanks for the update on the bovines, I am so happy they are so well cared for.
    Poor Betsy, I can’t imagine how difficult it is for her to lose her child. I’m glad they got to spend so much time together, but there’s always the wish for more time.
    I’m glad Meredith is doing well. I hope her arthritis will continue to be well managed!

  8. Pat F. says

    Great article on the ladies getting their health updates. Did not realize cows were so family and friend oriented. Thank You.