Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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Jamie and Foxie’s Exams

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From Dr. Erin:

The last few days have been even busier than usual at the sanctuary!

Both Jamie and Foxie had complete exams this week.  The decision to anesthetize any of the chimps is never taken lightly but when it comes to anesthetizing older chimps (Jamie is turning 48 in a couple weeks and Foxie is 49), we are especially careful and consider several factors before making the decision to perform an exam under anesthesia. These factors include what data we can get through positive reinforcement training, how long it’s been since their last exam, as well as any previous health concerns or current changes in behavior or affect that indicates there may be a health concern.

In Jamie’s case, as J.B. noted in a previous blog post, Jamie has been slowing down over the last several months and her belly has become more pronounced.  While the physical changes can certainly be ascribed to aging (ask me how I know) and the change in social structure since Jody’s passing,  we couldn’t be sure and there was something “off” enough about her that an exam was warranted.

With Foxie, we were concerned about a cough that developed this past summer and persisted in spite of various medications to address possible causes.

Both chimps did well under anesthesia and while Jamie wanted an extra day of rest before rejoining the group,  Foxie was clamoring to be back with her family before breakfast this morning.  The procedures consisted of a complete dental exam, including x rays and cleaning, abdominal ultrasound, echocardiogram, head to toe physical, full body x rays, and sample collection for diagnostic tests on blood, respiratory fluid and urine.

Jamie’s team on Friday included local professionals Dan Whitemarsh, DDS and Tanya Hebert, sonographer.  Traveling from west of the Cascades were Jaime Sheehan, echo tech, Milo Torres, LVT & the wonderful Dr. Dan Low and anesthesiology intern Pat Herndon.  Dr. Yousuf Jafarey, an experienced primate vet and dear friend, flew up from California just to participate in the exams!

Jaime Sheehan returned yesterday to perform Foxie’s echo as well. The rest of Foxie’s team consisted of Dr. Charles Dyer, the dentist from the Dental Coalition for Conservation (who performed in Missy’s dental care in July), Korey Krause, sonographer from Kittitas Valley Health, David Liston, MD and Kate Uselman, CRNA from Seattle on anesthesia, as well as Dr. Jafarey and myself.

We have some preliminary information from the exams that will help guide care for both of these amazing older ladies and are awaiting lab results, radiology, and cardiology reviews that will further inform protocols for keeping them as comfortable as possible in their golden years.

I am incredibly grateful to the professionals that lend their time, effort and expertise to these exams, it really is a team effort to ensure the chimps have the safest and most thorough exam possible. I am so appreciative and impressed by the staff and volunteers who rearrange schedules, take on extra work, come in early, deal with clinic equipment spilling into the foyer and all support each other as well as the chimps. I work with the most wonderful people!

And we are so fortunate to work with the incomparable Dr. Erin!

The team prepares blood samples:

Jamie’s teeth are examined and cleaned while she is given an abdominal ultrasound:

The team monitors Jamie during recovery:

Jamie sleeps off the events of the day:

Foxie receives a dental cleaning and abdominal ultrasound:

X-rays are taken of Foxie’s teeth:

Nothing speeds up recovery like some pudding in a cup:

Jamie and Foxie enjoying a lunch forage on the hill this afternoon:

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.

Cy’s Ultrasound

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Cy’s last exam showed some testicular edema, which is not uncommon in chimpanzees like Cy with congestive heart disease. His veterinary team and caregivers began training him so that we could gather diagnostic images using ultrasound and share them with specialists. This will help us monitor the amount of fluid around his testicles more frequently than we could with a full exam under anesthesia and thus keep better track of his overall health.

Kudos to our vet and PRT teams for another success in cooperative medical care!

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.

Heart Week

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Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of illness and mortality in captive chimpanzees. As many of you know, we’ve been treating Burrito since 2012 for hypertensive heart disease. What you may not know is that Cy also suffers from cardiovascular disease – in his case, dilated cardiomyopathy. To better manage his symptoms and slow the progression of the disease, Dr. Erin arranged for a cardiac exam from Dr. Lynne Nelson, lead cardiologist at Washington State University’s veterinary hospital. Dr. Nelson has been a great friend to the sanctuary for many years and has helped oversee Burrito’s care.

Dr. Nelson’s expertise was also called upon this week to assess Lucky. While Lucky has appeared to be in good health overall, her pre-transport exam from Wildlife Waystation suggested the possibility of an enlarged heart. We knew that further diagnostics would be required once she and her friends settled into their new home and social group.

And then there’s Terry. Terry has not shown any signs of cardiovascular disease, but he was due for a re-check of his fractured canine tooth, and any time a chimpanzee is anesthetized in the clinic, we want to obtain as much information as we can to help manage their care. Dr. Erin thoughtfully scheduled Terry’s re-check at a time when he could also receive a thorough evaluation from Dr. Nelson.

Three chimps in three days. Heart Week, you might call it. Or Hell Week, if you are a member of the staff responsible for getting the chimps into the right enclosures at the right times so that we could make this all work. We are incredibly grateful to all of the staff and volunteers for all the effort that went into making these exams possible while keeping the rest of the chimp house humming along like usual.

Before I share more of the week’s events, I’m sure you want to know what we found. Lucky has a healthy heart for her age, thankfully. Ultrasound revealed a few things that we’ll want to keep an eye on, but she does not suffer from any significant cardiovascular disease. Cy’s echocardiogram showed some improvements from his last exam—likely from the medications he has been on—but also some disease progression. Dr. Nelson was able to recommend changes to his medication regimen that should help. Terry’s exam showed good news on both fronts—his fractured tooth is healing nicely and his heart is healthy for his age, though he shows some mild cardiac changes that warrant monitoring every few years. Thankfully, he doesn’t have any signs of heart failure and requires no medication at this time.

It’s not fun for us to have to bring the chimps into the clinic, but it is at times necessary. One of the ways that we can reduce the trauma associated with exams under anesthesia is to work with the chimps so that they will take an injection by hand, rather than by dart. Our positive reinforcement training team, and the work of others before us at the Waystation, made it so that all three chimps willingly presented their arms and legs for their anesthetic injections. According to Jenna, who has been training with Lucky, Lucky was downright nonchalant about being poked. The Valium-spiked sip of juice probably helped a little, too.

As is often the case here, Dr. Erin, Sofia, and Dr. Nelson were aided by a number of other medical professionals who came to volunteer their time and talents. Mekensie Kmack, CRNA, who has helped many times before, oversaw Lucky’s anesthesia. New to the team this time was Marneye Driesen, who assisted with the echocardiogram.

Some of our procedures, such as abdominal radiographs, are performed outside of the clinic while the chimps are in recovery (but still anesthetized) to minimize time under anesthesia.

It’s important to keep the chimps warm during recovery – these socks are not just for fashion.

The same team assembled again the next day to examine Cy’s heart and perform routine diagnostics and cleanings.

We’ve found that there’s no use hiding what is happening from the other chimps. Once someone is out of the clinic, they are laid in the recovery room while their friends look on through windows or neighboring enclosures. This reassures them and provides a comforting presence when the chimps wake up from anesthesia.

Cy was groggy, as is to be expected, but he perked right up as soon as Kelsi put on one of his favorite movies, Must Love Dogs.

It was unfortunate that Terry had to return to the clinic so soon after having his fractured tooth repaired, but it was important to get x-rays of the tooth and underlying bone to ensure that he had healed properly. Dr. Whitemarsh, DMD, was on hand again to help.

Sonographers Korey Krause and Tanya Herbert, also new to the team, performed an abdominal exam while Michelle DiMaggio, LVT, monitored anesthesia and otherwise assisted Dr. Erin.

As I write this, Lucky and Cy have been reunited with the group. Terry, who had his procedure this morning, will remain apart for the night while he recovers. Hopefully the others let him get some rest.

As usual, the information we collect to help the chimps in our care will also be shared with the Great Ape Heart Project, so that we can help other captive apes suffering from cardiovascular disease.

Many thanks to Dr. Erin, the staff, and the amazing team of medical professionals that came to care for Lucky, Cy, and Terry this week. Thanks as well to all of our donors that make this level of care possible. If you’re interested in the veterinary care we provide at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, why not register for our upcoming Virtual Visit on Saturday, April 15th at 2pm? To learn more, click here.

A trip to the clinic for Jody

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Earlier this year, we took Jody into the clinic to assess a lump developing on her foot. Unfortunately, the mass continued to grow after that procedure and cytology results suggested that further evaluation and testing was warranted.

We’re so lucky to have assistance from people like Dalila Fairchild, CRNA, who ensured that Jody was safely anesthetized and monitored throughout the exam.

Dr. Austin Hardegree assisted Dr. Erin with the foot evaluation and biopsy while Dr. Krystina Stadler, a veterinary radiologist, helped by imaging the foot mass prior to the procedure and following up on a suspected uterine fibroid discovered during Jody’s last exam.

While Dr. Stadler brought her own equipment, she also tried out our brand new Butterfly ultrasound unit, which we recently purchased though a grant from the Ruth Foundation. This user-friendly ultrasound unit works with an iPad (also purchased with the grant) and will help Dr. Erin with both general exams and emergency procedures. We are also grateful once again to Best Friends Mobile Veterinary Care for use of their digital x-ray – the only piece of equipment that we must still borrow. With more chimps joining our family as soon as next year we will undoubtedly be doing even more procedures, so we look forward to purchasing one of our own soon.

With the exam, biopsy, ultrasound, x-rays, and teeth cleaning done, we wheeled Jody back to the recovery room.

We’ll have to wait for these latest test results to see what, if anything, comes next. For now, Jody is sipping Coke and eating grapes in a sea of soft blankets. She will have to stay isolated for at least a few days to ensure that the stitches stay in place long enough for her incision to heal, but her friends will be able visit her regularly though the mesh.

An exam for Foxie

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As I type this, Foxie is recovering uneventfully from anesthesia after a full workup.

Diana mentioned a while back that Foxie hadn’t been feeling well, and while she did get her appetite and energy back it took longer than we would have liked and thus warranted further investigation. As many of you know, we’ve long referred to Foxie as “Tiny” due to her diminutive stature. She simply can’t afford to get too much tinier.

As always, we are grateful to Dr. Erin as well as the medical and veterinary professionals that volunteered their time and expertise to help ensure that Foxie stays well.

Anesthetist Dalila Fairchild intubates Foxie in preparation for gas anethesia
Anthony assists Dr. Erin with the dental exam and cleaning while veterinary radiologist Dr. Middleton performs abdominal and cardiac ultrasound
Foxie’s hand is taped to the x-ray detector so that the staff can stand safely out of the way during imaging.

We’ll know more once we run labs and consult with other specialists on the imaging, but so far we haven’t seen anything alarming. And her recovery from the procedure has been great – before she had even regained enough balance to walk, she managed to find and hold onto a Dora the Explorer doll. For the rest of the afternoon she’ll sip Sprite and rest up, and then hopefully get a good night’s sleep so that she can rejoin her family in the morning. Jody, in particular, did not want to leave her side this morning and will be relieved to be with her again.