Even though MacKenzie has slowed down and can’t keep up with Lakota, she still maintains dominance over Lakota when the occasion arises. In this week’s photo, she is showing a threat display by barring her teeth, and Lakota responds by giving MacKenzie space. It is important to recognize these behavioral clues as wolf care staff, as the wolves age, they may be less tolerant of handling due to aches and pains or disorientation from the aging process. MacKenzie is still showing good mental capacity, and is much more relaxed this summer than she was last summer. This could be due to the reduction of noise from the Forest Service building across the road or the decision to eliminate nearly all Behind the Scenes traffic to the retired pack. In this week’s video, you will see the relaxed nature of MacKenzie.
Written by Planning for Pups participants Lauren Parker and Dena Arntzen: The summertime heat continues to affect the wolves daily behavior. This heat affects mackenzie a great deal, as she still has not shed much of her undercoat. This week's photo shows Mackenzie digging in the soil, possibly to make a cooler place to rest. Note the fur in the branches in the foreground of the photo; it is reflective of a natural occurance in the wild. As wolves move through the dense underbrush of the forest the branches grab loose clumps of their fur and helps them shed. Mackenzie, however, seems to need some extra help shedding this summer. Wolf Care Staff have been using their new Furminator brush donated by Lori Rhodes, and they have brushed a whole bag full of hair off Mackenzie. Despite her age, the heat, and her thick coat, she remains limber- as can be seen in this week's video of her rolling on her back.
MacKenzie is doing well this summer. Last year at this time, she had shown signs of increased anxiety toward the increase in traffic and noise around the wolf exhibit during summer. This year, she maintains a relaxed posture and has good mobility. MacKenzie is being slowly weaned off of prednisone and seems to be doing well on the lower doses.
The retired pack has been about the same… Lakota has been very excited and runs around a lot when staff great. MacKenzie enjoys the comforts of a straw bed.
MacKenzie continues to get groomed to remove large quantities of hair. She is relaxed when handlers interact with her, but seems anxious for a while after staff leave. She settles down during the heat of the day and lays in various places throughout the enclosure. Her favorite place in the enclosure is the slat wood/log lean-to, built by the working for wolves crew in the fall of 2005. She also likes the newly seeded grass completed by the spring 2006 working for wolves crew.
This log written by Working for Wolves Participant: Andi Nelsen During enclosure enrichment, Mac and her siblings were locked in a seperate enclosure. Den boxes were power washed, the pond drained, cleaned and refilled. Straw was removed and grass seed and cedar chips were added. During the process, Mac started out anxious, but eventually relaxed and took a nap under one of the pine trees. Eventually she and Shadow started showing signs of displeasure (growling and some baring of teeth). Upon returning the the enclosure, Mac immediately went to check her spot in the corner where freshed cedar chips had been placed. Later, Lucas had moved into her spot, so fresh cedar chips were reintroduced to the den boxes so Lucas to have a place to relax.
Since the retired pack are being fed twice a week, wolf care staff did not expected them to be really interested in the beaver given to them yesterday. It is always good to see Mackenzie with good appetite, finishing her beaver, and caching some meat for later in the day.
MacKenzie had a good day with staff yesterday. For the first time since this issue started, she did a complete roll over on her back for staff to scratch her belly. She then wiggled around on the ground like a 2-year old, got up to shake and didn't stumble. We're happy with the maintenance dosage.
With the addition of Clomiprimine to her daily regimen of vitamins, Mackenzie is much a more relaxed and confident wolf. The use and function of Clomiprimine can be read in last week's wolf logs. During today's wolf check, a new member of the wolf care staff, Bryn Fadum, was in the enclosure with the retired wolves for the first time. With Mackenzie's increased confidence level, staff were very diligent about observing her behavior towards Bryn. Mackenzie seemed to do well, although she was more reluctant to being submissive while being brushed.
MacKenzie is doing very well. She had some trouble with the noise that summer traffic brings to Ely and the increased traffic to the wolf yard due to summer programs. In response, Dr. Chip Hanson at the Ely Vet clinic recommended that we try a light dose of Chlomipramine, which worked well for MacKenzie in the past, when we had large construction projects such as the pond project. During the heat of summer, and while the wolves haven't completed the shedding process, we are very concerned when a wolf expresses anxiety. Risk of heat stroke if very high under these conditions and at the age of 13, we can't take any risks. Chlomipramine is not a sedative, it is a serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, that allows for higher levels of serotonin in the brain. According to the www.marvistavet.com website, The precise mechanism of action (i.e. exactly how these drugs work) is not known fully but it is believed that they act by increasing the activity of the neurotransmitter “serotonin in the brain. Serotonin, in simple terms, is associated with the cozy, happy feelings of comfort. Clomipramine inhibits the removal of serotonin in the brain so that the serotonin present is present for a longer time. Clomipramine is thus classified a “selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor or “SSRI. The response in MacKenzie shows a calm, confident wolf, that is much more inclined for social interactions with her fellow wolves and staff. When she's stressed, she becomes more irritable and nervous about anyone or thing approaching her, with a light dose of clomipramine, she's relaxed, allows for full body massages and inspections for ticks, and brushing of excess hair. Her loss of vision most likely contributes to her anxiety, and she deserves to have comforts in the final years of her life. Her photo shows her slightly damp from sitting under the sprinkler hose and with a full dose of fly repellent on her ears. Not as aesthetically appealing as last week's photo, but comfortable.
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