Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

clinic

Dora’s Check-Up

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Dora made her first appearance in the veterinary clinic last week for a routine physical exam. Like Rayne, she willingly took the anesthetic injection (this time from Sabrina and Dr. Erin, with a prior assist from the entire positive reinforcement training team). While we have to wait for specialists to review some of the data the team collected, Dora appears to be in perfectly good health.

Many thanks to our great crew of volunteer professionals, from the vet techs, sonographers, and veterinary student extern helping with the procedure to the cardiologists and internists reviewing the results—and of course to our very own Dr. Erin!

Someone recently asked on social media what types of procedures the chimps undergo when they are in the clinic. While the answer depends on many factors, including their age, sex, clinical history, stability under anesthesia, and the amount of time since their last exam, we generally try to do the following:

  • Update Vaccinations (e.g., rabies, tetanus)
  • TB test
  • Glucose Reading
  • Fecal Exam
  • Urinalysis
  • Blood tests
  • EKG
  • Dental Exam and Cleaning
  • Dental X-Rays as needed
  • Echocardiogram
  • Cervical, Chest, and Abdominal X-Rays
  • Joint X-Rays as needed
  • Full Body Exam

Our goal is to perform these exams as infrequently as possible so it’s important to gather all the information we can while they’re in the clinic.

And that requires a great team.

Hopefully Dora will continue to stay healthy and out of trouble so she won’t have to come back to the clinic for a while.

Rayne’s Exam

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Rayne took a trip into our veterinary clinic recently for a physical exam. Take a look at what goes into making such a trip possible.

Some of Rayne’s diagnostic results are pending review by specialists, but she appears to be in very good health!

If you’re new to this blog, here’s a primer on the ethical considerations that factor into decisions around physical exams.

And if you want to learn more about the kind of care we can provide without having to take them into the clinic, check out a few examples of our work with cooperative x-rays, EKGs, and ultrasound.

Beans, Beans the Magical Chimp

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Today, Honey B took a trip to the clinic so Dr. Erin could investigate a hand wound that wasn’t healing properly. As some of you know, chimps are notoriously good healers, which is fortunate given the frequency of wounding in this species. Most of the time, wounds heal with very little intervention- some pain meds for a few days, topical flushing or spraying with antiseptic solutions as well as laser therapy are often all that’s needed to complement their healing process.

Despite her healing and our efforts with antibiotics and laser therapy, it wasn’t enough to clear it up.  Thankfully, the inflammation remained localized at the site of the wound and didn’t spread elsewhere like it tends to in humans.

After much discussion and consideration, Dr. Erin and staff agreed Honey B should make a trip to the clinic. In superhero fashion, she assembled a team of professionals to help determine what is happening in Beanz’ hand while she was in the clinic. We are always amazed at the professionals willing and eager to assist in the chimps’ anesthetic procedures and this time was no exception: Dr. Dan Low (MD) and Leah Bezzo (CRNA) from Children’s Hospital managed anesthesia. Yousuf Jafarey (DVM) from the Woodland Park Zoo, and Jim Repsher (PA) from Kittitas Valley Healthcare, scrubbed in to help assess, culture and flush the wound and perform a regional limb perfusion to concentrate antibiotics deep into the tissues. Ian Gadbaw (LVT) from PAWS Wildlife Center, came over to get a feel for how chimp exams are done and was a great help, along with our very own caregiver Krissy, in assisting with what we needed throughout the procedure and exam.  While being treated for her hand, Honey B also got a good checkup, including a full dental exam, cleaning and polishing, abdominal ultrasound, and blood and urine samples.

We also have to give a huge thank to our positive reinforcement training team, which includes caregivers Sabrina, Jenna, and Ellen. With their tireless effort and dedication to training, Honey B was able to be anesthetized with relative ease.  This is a perfect example as to why PRT is an important part in the chimps’ care. Honey B was willing to present her hand for the anesthetic instead of the use of a dart gun, which as you can imagine, can be a traumatic experience; both for chimpanzees and caregivers.

Beezle (my nickname for Honey B) has recovered from the anesthesia and currently resting in the recovery room and is expected to be reunited with Gordo in the morning, just to make sure all the anesthesia has worn off.

Technicians take an x-ray of Honey B’s hand before entering the clinic
The amazing care team monitoring Honey B after the procedure.

All of Honey B’s friends were curious as to what was happening to their friend. Each rotating around different viewpoint to check in on Honey B.

Terry had the “best seat” in the house to check in on his friend.

Since we are on the subject of Honey B, I will share a fun little story. My watch band had recently broke. The new one I purchased has Van Gogh’s The Starry Night design on it and came with a free background of the famous painting.

As you may know, the chimps are very attune with any changes regarding the caregivers. Even the most minuscule change doesn’t go unnoticed. Honey B immediately caught site on the new watch band the other day, even though a majority of it was covered by my sleeve. When I showed her the watch, the screen lit up with the Starry Night painting on it. She stopped what she was doing, even in mid-chew, and seemed memorized by it.

What was she thinking while staring at my watch? I can’t definitively say, but I will say she has some good taste. Cy and Lucky had a similar response when I showed them. This probably won’t mean anything as the novelty of something new wears off, but I’m just going to pretend.

Here are some bonus photos from the day!

Today’s food puzzle for the rest of the chimps was boomer balls! And Rayne seemed to win this race of collecting as many as she could.

Tough decision of which boomer ball to begin with
Obvious choice for someone like Rayne is to tackle the most challenging kind first

A Trip to the Clinic for Willy B

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Willy B took a trip to the clinic this morning. The main purpose of the procedure was to investigate some swelling in his scrotum. As usual, Dr. Erin assembled a great crew to ensure that Willy would have the best care possible.

Dan Low, MD and Leah Bezzo, CRNA, both with Seattle Children’s Hospital, kept Willy safely under anesthesia. Tom Lendvay, MD, a urologist with Seattle Children’s, performed the initial evaluation with ultrasound assistance from Korey Krause, RDMS.

Willy also had a full cardiac workup, including chest radiographs and an echocardiogram by Marneye Driesen, RDCS, since some forms of heart disease can cause fluid to begin backing up in cavities such as the scrotum.

While he was under, Willy was also given a complete abdominal ultrasound.

Echocardiograms require a more powerful ultrasound machine than the one we own, so we are very grateful to the Woodland Park Zoo for once again allowing us the use of their machine. The machine was delivered to the sanctuary by Barbra Brush, LVT, who also participated throughout the procedure, including giving William a thorough dental cleaning.

The results of the echo and samples from his scrotum will have to be sent off for analysis but based on what we’ve seen, Dr. Erin has reason to believe that Willy B will benefit from some cardiac medication, just like his buddy Cy and like good ol’ Burrito across the way.

Willy did great throughout the procedure and is recovering quickly – due in part to the fact the we have kept his feet nice and warm and fashionable. We think it’s also due to the fact that he has a standing 2:30pm appointment to display and cause chaos in his group, to which he has never once been late.

Thankfully, he also seems to understanding the importance of getting rest after a clinic visit, so we’re hoping that he’ll take an afternoon off just this once.

Many, many thanks to this amazing team of medical professionals who traveled great distances to join us this morning and of course to our own Dr. Erin and Grace! We will continue to seek the donation of a portable cardiac ultrasound machine but if that is not in the cards, be on the lookout for a fundraiser sometime next year 🙂

We’ll share updates about Willy B when we know more.

Mave on the Mend

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Earlier this week there was a fight in Cy’s group and Mave sustained an injury to her sexual swelling. It was a deep enough wound that Dr. Zamzow made the decision to organize a medical procedure in the clinic yesterday so she could thoroughly clean out the wound and help it heal. This was also a bonus opportunity to give Mave a thorough physical and dental cleaning, including an abdominal ultrasound, since Mave had previously had a large ovarian cyst removed before moving to the sanctuary.

Sofia doing the dental cleaning, Mekenzie, CRNA monitoring the anesthesia machine, and sonographer Mariah and Dr. Zamzow performing Mave’s abdominal ultrasound for her physical:

This morning nurse Honey B gave Mave’s toes a thorough inspection.

Mave relaxing in her recovery room:

Bonus! Jody and her cherry tomatoes:

 

 

An Appointment with the Dentist

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Well at least it wasn’t a rattlesnake this time…

Yes, poor Burrito was back in the clinic today to have an infected tooth extracted. Dr. Erin and Sofia were accompanied by Dr. Cristina Bender and her husband, Matt, from Pearl Care Dental in Ellensburg, Dr. Dan Whitemarsh of Cle Elum Dental Clinic, and veterinarian Dr. Austin Hardegree, who ran anesthesia and performed ultrasounds. Our friends at Valley Veterinary Hospital were also kind enough to lend some specialized dental equipment for the afternoon.

Since Burrito would be under anesthesia for the extraction, Jim Repsher, PA-C came to give him injections in both knees to help alleviate his arthritis.

Burrito has been through a lot in the last few years but he seems to somehow bounce back stronger every time. We have no doubt he’ll be up and running again very soon. For now, though, he is going to get some rest under close supervision from Dr. Erin…

…and a his chimp family, of course.

We’re so grateful to all the folks who give their time and energy to help care for Burrito and his family and friends. How fortunate are we to have such an amazing team of people looking after them.

Feel better soon, Bubs.

Jamie’s surgery

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Yesterday, Jamie underwent surgery to repair an anal fistula. As I write this, she is bright, alert, and recovering well.

This is a problem we’ve been aware of and have been treating for some time. If you’re not familiar with fistulas, they are small tunnels that connect an infected gland within the anus to an opening on the skin outside the anus. They can be painful and may result in recurring infections and chronic discharge from the opening.

When Jamie’s fistula first appeared, Dr. Erin consulted with other veterinarians and several colorectal surgeons on a course of action. While we were prepared to perform the surgery at that time, and even got as far as purchasing plane tickets for a surgeon from Missouri that had worked on a chimpanzee before, in the end the consensus was that if Jamie was cooperative we could manage her symptoms without surgery. Most humans with the means to do so would probably choose fistula repair, but chimpanzees are somewhat different in that they don’t experience any stigma from fistula symptoms. If we could keep the infection at bay and provide pain relief, we could avoid the trauma of surgery and recovery as well as any potential complications. Jamie was incredibly cooperative – she would allow us (usually Diana, who was her positive reinforcement trainer) to irrigate the tracts with antiseptic solution using a plastic-tipped syringe.

While this had the desired effect at first, over time the infections became more frequent. After additional consultation with colleagues who were planning a similar surgery at an Australian zoo, Dr. Erin decided that it would be in Jamie’s best interest to have her fistulas repaired. Dr. Petty, a colorectal surgeon from Kittitas Valley Hospital in Ellensburg, volunteered to perform the procedure.

Jamie willingly accepts injections – everything from vaccines to anesthetics – so she was ready to go even before we were yesterday morning. She was wheeled into the clinic and masked prior to intubation.

The rest of the team prepared to give Jamie a complete exam while Dr. Petty performed the procedure.

Dr. Petty was pleased to find that most of the tracts were near the surface, which would mean a quicker surgery and faster healing. Fistulotomies, wherein the tracts are opened surgically to heal from the inside out, are often simple enough to be outpatient procedures for humans, but chimps don’t always follow the same level of post-operative care so we will be paying extra close attention to how she heals.

Sofia and Dr. Erin performed a head-to-toe exam while Anthony oversaw the procedure checklist and took photos and video.

Jamie was given an abdominal ultrasound using our Butterfly ultrasound machine. Though the chimps’ usual cardiologist couldn’t make it, she was also given an echocardiogram thanks to a donation of time and equipment from some very generous zoo colleagues.

After getting x-rays and other routine diagnostics, Jamie was wheeled back to the recovery room.

There she would be under close supervision until she was stable and alert.

Everything that we’ve learned from Jamie’s exam so far shows that she’s in good health and we’re hoping that she will not need to spend much time in isolation. For now, we’re trying to keep her enriched with peanut butter magazines and her favorite movies.

Her friends also visit and groom with her at the caging.

Jamie is not one to enjoy sitting around for long, so let’s all wish her a speedy recovery so she can get back to managing her group soon. Many thanks to Dr. Petty and the many other doctors and zoo and sanctuary professionals who helped plan for and carry out this procedure, which we hope will keep Jamie healthy and comfortable.