MacKenzie's eye is doing great… She's has no signs of favoring it and seems to be on top of everything that happens in the enclosure. Today, she was investigating and defending a small piece of venision the ravens dropped between the fences. She also seems to be more active as the weather gets cooler.
If you had to ask wolf care staff when MacKenzie seems to be the most satisfied, it would have to be after a fresh bed of straw was delivered to her favorite spots in the enclosure. MacKenzie likes the comforts that her handlers can provide and she takes no time in settling into a fresh pile of straw for the day. Lately, she prefers beds in the sun, which up until a few months ago would have bothered her eye, but recently, she's shown no sensitivity to light or any response to pain. The retired wolves have a complete medical examination schedule in the upcoming weeks, and MacKenzie's eye condition is first on the list of issues. I'll keep you posted on the results of this exam for all 3 retired wolves.
Sorry I didn't get to this yesterday, live wolves take as much time as virtual wolf logs. So, as reported in Lucas and Lakota's posting, the medical exams went extremely well. We were very pleased with the calm nature in which the wolves allowed hand injection and how well they responded to the immobilization. One of the main issues of this immobilization was to determine the status of MacKenzie's eye. Dr. Larry Anderson confirmed that the the cell growth in her eye is caused by calcium/lipid deposits. Dr. Anderson injected 5 cc's of meds on 3 sites of her eye to prevent pigmentation in cornea and slow inflammation. Dr. Anderson estimated that her right eye would be swollen for 2 -3 days after the treatment, but by Saturday morning, her eye looked great. She had no sensitivity to light and was extremely active and playful. She definitely reminded Lakota that she was still top ranking, no matter what had been done the day before. The IOP (glaucoma test ) was 16 mm hg which is considered good. During the exam, Dr. Hanson discovered a 2 cm+ smooth mass on her right tonsil region, very pedunculated. It appeared benign, and given the possible bleeding problems, and post treatment issues that may have made MacKenzie weaker, it was not removed. She was in great physical condition and appears to have no problems consuming food. Similar to her retired packmates, She has some restricted range of motion in her right shoulder, but her hips are doing well with limited change from the last medical exam.
Did enclosure check, noticed wild wolf tracks on back side of outer perimeter fence, this could explain the long bouts of howling heard from the captive wolves early in the morning. MacKenzie sure looks like she's defending her territory.
MacKenzie has been doing very well. There's been no signs of reddness or irritation since the medical exams and while it's too early to tell, there appears to be signs of improvement in her right eye. Here coat is developing well for the upcoming winter season. For 12 year old wolves, they still have a very silky, glossy pelage.
MacKenzie is doing well. She continues to have some lipid deposits in her right eye, but so far, the eye drops seem to help. All of the retired wolves are scheduled for a medical exam in October (when cooler temperatures will make the exam easier on the wolves). Veterinarians are planning a more complete examination and possible treatments to reduce the advancement of these deposits. Staff have noticed her sensitivity to quick movements and she generally stays out of the sun (and the view of the webcam) and retreats to the shaded part of the enclosure. Last week, she defended a cache of venison in the far corner of the pen, keeping wolves and humans to the front of the pen.
MacKenzie is doing great. She's also been very active with the cooler weather and enjoys the increased feedings that fall and winter bring. The retired pack still looks sleek with a summer coat, but staff notice a daily change to the pelage as the winter coat grows in quickly.
One benefit of Lakota's excavation projects is the mounds of dirt she creates. MacKenzie had has had a hard time getting up on the den boxes, but since Lakota's piles are growing, MacKenzie's almost in reach to climb to the top of a box. If any of you remember her from the main exhibit, she did favor a high vantage point.
The day was a cool cloudy day. All of the retired wolves took a nap in the new straw. MacKenzie seems to avoid the direct sun but on overcast days like today, she will lay out in the open
Jen Westlund's first time wheeling in the deer carcass for the feeding. Everything went well. Mackenzie and the pups possess the carcass, with Shadow aggressively grabbing and tearing at the carcass far more than Malik. Mackenzie exhibited aggressive growl and lunge at Lakota when she approached the carcass.
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