Bolt is a three year old male cheetah that will be shipping out to San Diego Wildlife Park.
Before any animal leaves for another zoo, the veterinary team must perform a pre-ship examination. This exam is a comprehensive check-up, physical and vaccination procedure.
After a quick shot of ketamine, Bolt slowed down considerably. In order to ensure that Bolt was completely out, our vet was now poking his paw with a finger. Next she tickled his ear with the end of the three foot pole. The world's fastest land animal was now fast asleep inside his transportation crate.
At Ohio State, vet students never touch a live animal until the second half of their third year. When the head vet asked if I had ever done a physical exam, I was SO thankful for my physical diagnosis class which Auburn CVM students take in the second term of the first year. I was seconds away from getting to PET A CHEETAH!
As I waited for the thermometer to give me the temperature reading, I quietly sang "Soft Kitty" to Bolt. It seemed fitting because his fur was just as soft as I had hoped. From that point on, everything started to move a triple speed. I ran my fingers through just about every spot on his lean body. Teeth cleaning, heart rate, anesthesia, four different x-rays, tick removal, vaccinations as well as every possible palpation and auscultation within the span of about an hour.
Fact: Camels have oval shaped Red Blood Cells. During extended dry periods, camels can concentrate their blood to sludge like consistency. The oval shaped cells allow the blood to carry oxygen through the smallest of capillaries under these extreme conditions. Their urine is also concentrated to a similar consistency. However, a lactating mother camel’s milk actually becomes less concentrated, providing much needed water to her offspring.
This is just one example of camel motherly love. I now experience a much louder variety of motherly love on a daily basis. When Jenni Ray is separated from Amy Ray she moans for her baby girl. Jenni Ray's cries vibrate the drab brown cinder block walls of the Medical Barn. This afternoon I knew it was time for Amy Ray's treatment to begin because I heard Jenni Ray's voice from over a mile away.
Highlight: During the bottle feeding this afternoon, Amy Ray kicked at a vet student. I was more cute than violent. Why did I select this as today’s highlight? Last Friday she could barely stand up. Today she was drinking her bottle while standing and still had enough energy left for minor shenanigans.
Even the most cynical animal care staff member had to admit that Amy Ray is starting to look better. She made short work of both her afternoon and evening bottle. Since coming into the clinic, shehas now gained six pounds. She is still mostly skin and bones but gaining weight is a very good sign.
Amy Ray now wants to walk around during treatments. Our Head Vet handed me the IV bag and said, “This is a job for a tall person so hold it high and follow her around.” Walking side by side with Baby Amy, I was gaining more confidence in her ability to make a recovery with each step. Her prognosis is still guarded but the fact that she is now named after our head veterinarian is giving me more hope than ever.
Lowlight: Today was easily the best day that I have had since coming to The Wilds. If there was a lowlight to be found, it is the fact that photographs of me holding the Cheetah's head during the teeth cleaning are not allowed to be posted on the internet for you to see. It was surreal.
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