lakota – May 18, 2008 12:00 AM

Part II So, we built a kennel in the garage portion of the lab, and Lakota remained in this area from Friday morning until her return to the enclosure on Monday morning. We were prepared to sedate her for this recovery, but she is very calm, and has only needed light doses to keep her anxiety under control. We keep the door open to the lab, so she can hear the pups, and she gets some warmth from the lab heaters. She’s getting a meat, puppy formula gruel to keep her calories up and help her immune system. She’s on antibiotics and pain killers, and so far, she has not touched the bandage. She welcomes wolf care staff, and enjoyed the comforts of a flannel sleeping bag at night. The pups have a bit of adjustment as the garage air is a bit cool, but they’ve settled into the curator’s blanket and pillow which is frequently on camera. Lakota has lost weight since the last surgery to remove the benign tumor on her face. In September of 2007, she weighed 92.4 lb, on this exam, she was 87.5. Granted, the time difference could be a factor, pre-winter fat reserves versus end of winter fat reserves, but Wolf Curator, Lori Schmidt, noticed significant atrophy of her muscles in her haunches and front shoulders.