Things are starting to pick up in the vet clinic (or maybe they just never slowed down). We have rescued our first few cottontail rabbits over the last couple of days and have had two mother opossums come in with babies in pouch--baby season is surely on its way! Vet staff, along with the rest of the WRR community has been working hard ensuring that our new San Antonio location is up-and-running and ready, for the babies who are coming our way.
We are also very excited that we will be extending out vet staff crew this summer. Not only will we hopefully have two full time vet tech interns, but we will also be hiring a part-time vet tech to help two days a week. This will enable us to save even more lives!
On the sanctuary front, we are constantly monitoring the daily life of our newly formed macaque bachelor group in one of our one-acre primate enclosures. They got off to a rough start, but things are starting to calm down as they are now getting along with each other. Our geriatric male bear is having some trouble getting around these days, so animal care staff is working hard to ensure he is comfortable.. Additional hay and bedding has been added to his den to prevent his joints from aching on those cooler nights and we are discussing other ways we may be able to alter the enclosure to better accommodate his needs. We are trying different remedies, supplements, and anti-inflammatories and determining what combination works best for him.
Mange, a general term for skin conditions caused my mites, has been fairly prevalent recently. Some animals we have rescued come in with very itchy skin, hair loss, and excoriations due to scratching and chewing. These animals tend to have a characteristic smell as a result of secondary bacterial and fungal infections. We conduct a skin scrape and pluck hairs from the affected area to examine microscopically. If mites are present, they appear as round, “dancing” organisms with tiny legs. While mites can be contagious, infestations are often the result of a compromised immune system. It is important to not only get rid of the mites and treat the secondary skin infections, but to also provide immune support to get the infected animal back into overall good health.
Alamo (a sweet new pup found wandering the streets of San Antonio last weekend), Cuddles (a new female cat who looked so bad people thought someone had burned her), a group of raccoons, and a porcupine are all currently on treatment for mange. How do you treat a porcupine with dermatitis? This was no easy task but with imagination and great care we have made tremendous strides in healing the porcupine. We are very proud of her progress and know that soon she will once again be roaming free.
Dr. Megan McAndrew, DVM
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