Posts Tagged ‘veterinary’
An Appointment with the Dentist
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.…
Read MoreJamie’s surgery
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…
Read MoreA Trip to the Clinic for Negra
The group of seven got into a fight yesterday and poor Negra sustained a significant laceration on her back side that required stitches. The staff got her isolated and Dr. Erin began mobilizing for the procedure. We are grateful to have been joined by Jim Repsher, PA-C, from Kittitas Valley Hospital who, with his background…
Read MoreFirst, Do No Harm
Primum non nocere. It’s perhaps the best-known axiom of the Hippocratic Oath, which in various forms has served as an ethical guidepost for physicians since the 5th century BCE. Though the exact phrase appears nowhere in the oath itself, and would not appear until over two thousand years later in an obscure English medical text,…
Read MoreNot Again
Before I go into detail, please know that Burrito is doing great and is expected to make a full recovery. Unfortunately, he was bitten by a rattlesnake again yesterday. I know, it’s hard to believe. It was only eleven months ago that he was bitten for the first time. Shortly before 8am, I heard alarm…
Read MoreJust a Couple of Wishes
What a week! Sunday was weird, Monday was better, and Tuesday and Wednesday were both busy and fun. It’s been another busy day of construction projects, produce shopping and delivery, routine cleaning and caregiving, and planning for the winter holiday season. Speaking of which, we’d love if you all took a moment to consider purchasing…
Read MoreVeterinary Clinic Tour
The sanctuary’s upgraded veterinary clinic has come up quite a bit lately. We have utilized this area frequently over the past year, and it recently gave us the ability to respond to an unexpected emergency. Thanks to its impeccable usefulness and immediate relevance, the clinic was also mentioned several times during last night’s virtual auction:…
Read MorePutting Out Fires
This is the time of the year that the inland regions of the Northwest dry out and burn. Wildfires are a natural and necessary process in the grasslands and forests of the American West, but that doesn’t make them any less daunting. The flames can turn forested hillsides to ash, drive people from their homes,…
Read MoreA Difficult Day
Tonight, Burrito is recovering from a rattlesnake bite. We heard a commotion on Young’s Hill this morning and went out to find six of the chimps intensely alarm calling and screaming as they surrounded a large snake. Burrito unfortunately got too aggressive in pursuit of the snake and received a bite to the base of…
Read MoreA trip to the clinic for Jody
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…
Read MoreJody’s trip to the clinic
Chimpanzees can be melodramatic at times. When they display, become frightened, or get into spats, the hoots and screams can be deafening. It happens often enough that you become inured to the minor day to day scuffles and other assorted histrionics (looking at you, Annie and Mave). But you can tell when things become serious.…
Read MoreTaking temperatures
In recent weeks, we’ve implemented a number of precautionary measures to prevent the chimpanzees from being exposed to the coronavirus. At the same time, we’re ramping up routine health monitoring to aid in early detection should a chimpanzee become ill. Thanks to years of positive reinforcement training, body temperatures can be collected quickly and easily…
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