This week's logs demonstrate the good health of the retired wolves. All the wolves still consume the deer and beaver regularly given. On special occasions treats such as bison bones, moose bones or beaver tails are given as stimulus. MacKenzie demonstrates the strength she possesses in breaking open bones and eating the bone marrow.
Vitamins and Cosequin given, Mackenzie's eye looks better. Trying a new fly ointment rather than a cream on the tips of the ears, we started using a wipe on lotion (Pyrethrin) to cover their entire body. The flies have been so intense that the wolves spend some of their time up in the upper enclosure.
At 3:30 pm, all wolves howled at a fire siren with the exception of Mackenzie who didn't even lift her head from her sleeping position (she's still tired from the introduction). The pack rally lasted 4 minutes and the pups readily joined in but didn't run to any of the adults. Lucas howled from the greeting rock and Lakota howled next to the rock.
Sorry for the lapse in logs, I was at 2 professional conferences in the last two weeks; Wolf Care staff took great care of the wolves in my absence. MacKenzie remains very alert and healthy this winter. She is very tuned in to the actions of the main exhibit and has her own special bed adjacent to the fence closest to the main exhibit. Her health continues to be good, and her eye condition has had a bit of a coloration change, but no real indication that it's causing her any discomfort. A vet check was postponed recently due to a medical situation for the vet, but will be rescheduled soon.
MacKenzie has been doing well, as you can see from the video, there is no expense spared when it comes to thick, straw beds that keep the wolves warm. You will see in this week’s video, that MacKenzie is enjoying a beaver carcass. We increase the feeding of beaver during the cold weather since it has a high fat content. MacKenzie had another great visit, fully submitting on her back to Laurie Feela. There were no signs of pain or discomfort. During this cold spell, both Mac and Lakota are getting warmed meat and chicken on a nearly daily basis, which helps their older metabolism.
Wolves tend to be creatures of habit and MacKenzie certainly demonstrates that. When new straw is placed in the retired pack, staff must make sure MacKenzie gets her bed in the corner of the enclosure. As the dominant member of the retired pack, she watches the actions of the exhibit pack and positions herself adjacent to the enclosure with her back to the wall, very aware of all activities around the enclosure. In this week’s video, you will see dominant posturing toward Lakota who takes a turn in MacKenzie’s bed.
MacKenzie continues to show improvement, but still has some noticeable stablility issues. She has a great appetite and has good kidney function. She is allowing wolf care staff to massage her hip and legs without any signs of discomfort, although if it is a pinched nerve, she may have decreased feeling in her legs. The straw beds are providing a warm place to rest, and she and Lakota are spending time sleeping together. We get her up every 4 hours to exercise, and the activity in the Exhibit Pack is catching her interest and keeping her mobile. We will be modifying the medication from the initial higher dose to a maintenance dose. Wolf care staff will continue to monitor even the slightest change as the dosages are reduced. Thanks for your emails, sorry I am not able to answer each individual email.
Noticed callus type wound on Mackenzie's front left foot, near inside of foot. Slight bleeding from the callus, but nothing significant. Mackenzie trailing Shadow with intensity today. Lucas and Mackenzie allowed in with Lakota. Lakota exhibited a playbow toward Lucas, Lucas responded in high tail, growl, but no contact. Lakota proceeded to spend remainder of time with the Wolf Curator.
Staff spent time with Lakota and had Lucas and Mackenzie in for a visit. They spent more time investigating Lakota's food caches than they did interacting with Lakota. Staff noticed Mackenzie favoring her left eye. Dr. Chip Hanson was called to the center to examine Mackenzie, started her on Vetropolycin eye ointment. Mac was reluctant to have Curator, Lori Schmidt, open her eye, but a few hamburger treats and she sat still long enough for the treatment.
Road kill deer have been showing fairly developed fetuses when being fed to wolves. During today's feeding program, Malik and Mackenzie each took off with a fetus after a road kill doe carrying twin fawns was wheeled into the pen. Shadow stole the fetus from Mackenzie after about 30 seconds. Malik and Shadow still dominate the carcasses, even though the alphas are more dominant in other interactions. Also, Mackenzie appears to be a bit afraid of Shadow in some circumstances. After Shadow stole the food, Mackenzie responded with tucked tail as Shadow growled.
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