mackenzie – Jan 2, 2007 12:00 AM

Thank you for all of your concerns for MacKenzie sent via email. The difficulty in managing wolves is the stress involved with more intensive medical care. To those of you who have had the honor of meeting MacKenzie, you know how hesitant she is about being restrained or made vulnerable in front of strangers. The stress of leaving the enclosure or being placed into a vehicle to go to the vet is not an option without drugging. At her age, drugging is risky, it is best if the vet comes here, and that has been our course of action. She is currently on a maintenance dose of anti-inflammatory that keeps her mobile and reduces her pain. The reality is, she is nearing 14 and we want to make her as comfortable as possible and not put her through unnecessary stress. She is a very dignified animal. Our concern must be for MacKenzie's physical health, but also her mental well-being during the course of treatment. This week's video show her mobile, enjoying a few bites of fresh snow (she has a heated water bowl, but likes to still bite snow), taking a bit of time to lay in her new straw bed, but content. The background noise you hear is the curator blowing snow, the first snow of the season meant a lot of work.