Subscriber Archive

Last in the series The biggest reason Irene developed arthritis is because she’s reached her golden years. This would not have occurred in the wild. As she aged in that competitive environment, with pain and stiffness, partial blindness and diminished hearing, she would have lost her edge. There are no veterinarians in the tropical forests of Asia. Her 58th birthday would not have arrived without the Biopark’s excellent animal care staff. Because of them her good quality of life should extend into her 60s and maybe her 70s. Dr. Carol Bradford started Irene on a safe and effective antiinflammatory/pain reliever called meloxicam. Veterinary behaviorist and elephant subspecialist Dr. Valerie Tynes advised a 4-6 week trial. In just 2 weeks our patient was getting around better and sleeping soundly at night for 3-4 hours at a stretch before getting up to, well, stretch and go back to bed. That’s normal for…

Third in a series We suspected Irene’s legs were too uncomfortable for her to stay lying down long enough for quality shut eye. But there was more; she’d accumulated additional maladies over her 58 years. And, hey, which AARP member among us hasn’t? The ABQ BioPark’s elephant herd includes Alice, born in 1974, and her daughter Rozie, a 1992 model. And, much as their natural ranging sisters would, they get along fine. Albert, the stud with tusks, was born in 1998 to Calvin and Lilly at African Lion Safari in Ontario, Canada. Albert moved to the BioPark in 2003. Irene and Albert share a rather sordid history. Irene ignited a fracas with this bull over attention from their care staff. She ended up on the ground, injuring her right front leg, which was already stiff. Her limp has improved somewhat but if you look carefully you can see a hitch…

Second in a series A highly skilled, and tired elephant Will Rogers once said, “I have always felt that the best doctor is the veterinarian. He can’t ask his patients what is the matter…he’s just got to know.” Old Will had a point. When I queried Irene, the Asian elephant, about why she wouldn’t lie down long enough to catch a few Zs, she just smiled. Who knew elephants could be smart alecks? Clearly, we would have to resort to modern medicine.  Dr. Carol Bradford, of the ABQ Biopark, had already x-rayed Irene’s feet and found them normal. She would have imaged other joints too if they weren’t too enormous for portable x-ray equipment. Physical exam findings and blood results were also fine. She considered a behavioral cause and contacted me. I had my suspicions; Irene is an old timer, after all.  I watched as Callie, the Biopark’s elephant trainer, put…

First in a series A big, older girl with a gentle soul was having a hard time sleeping. She laid down during the night but popped back up after a few minutes. She was also getting easily startled. There had been a lot of birthdays along the way, accompanied by a thick medical record. Everybody was worried. Her doctor contacted me for behavioral advice. No, not for herself – for her patient. Jeez. Sleep happens in the brain but problems elsewhere in the body can have an impact. Veterinary behavior medicine includes all of it. So I offered to have a look. I’ve consulted for the ABQ Biopark in the past, on a jaguar, a capybara, and a spider monkey. This time it was “Irene” who needed help. The matriarch of the Asian elephant herd is 58 years old and generally doing well for her age. She arrived in Albuquerque…