Boltz update 15 October 2020
Bolz did well through the procedure that started with a drugging at 3:50 and the reversal drug at 6:22 pm. He will have 2 shave marks, the lumbar area didn’t yield clear enough fluids for a sample, so the vet needed to go higher on the spine. She successfully got enough samples to run all 3 tests – The Neurologic RealPCR, Fluid Analysis with Cytology, and Aerobic and Anaerobic cultures and we got enough bloodwork for a full panel, CBC and the Degenerative Myelopathy DNA test. He got a good dose of Cefazolin antibiotic to reduce the risk of the spinal injection site getting infected.
He is remarkably healthy considering this odd neurological issue. His heart rate during the whole procedure was between 52 and 56 and his respiration was between 12 – 16…these are the vitals of a good cardiovascular system. He’s resting on some blankets and pillows in the Wolf Care Center, although he prefers the cooler floor. He has a very thick winter coat already. I will stay with him all night and will transition him outside later tomorrow. We will not have the cameras on through the weekend as we suspect he will need some time to adjust. If you watch the cameras closely, you may notice that the noise of the camera movement does impact the wolves, even Grizzer who is hard of hearing, will lift his head when I zoom the camera. We want to keep Boltz calm, he’s had a rough day.
