Discover Top Posts Tagged with #vet checkups

How do you have checkups on larger, more dangerous animals (i.e. Triceratops, Allosaurus, etc.) without having keepers enter their enclosures?

Simple! Well, okay, not exceptionally simple, actually can be kinda complicated, but simple in that it’s not much different than what your local zoo does with their large, dangerous animals. I mean sure, an Allosaurus is much more dangerous than a tiger, but they can both rip you to pieces easily, and luckily the safety techniques we utilize cover them both.

Full checkups don’t happen super often at most zoos; they often checkup larger animals like polar bears or tigers annually or biannually. Here, we don’t know as much about our animals (we can’t just call up another zoo and ask them what’s a normal blood pressure for their Anhanguera) as we do extant ones, so we do them more often- but still, only annually or semiannually.

To do a full checkup, we start by isolating that animal in its enclosure. All of our enclosures have smaller sections attached (“lockouts”) which we get our individual into with food (animals are plenty used to these areas. They often have their meals in these areas every day to get them comfortable there, and they act as a sort of “bedroom” or “crate”), kind of like when you lure your dog into a crate to bring him to the vet. This food usually has a *special tasty treat* (sleepy time pills) inside, alongside a complementary dose of anesthesia delivered however it best fits the certain animal. They’re out quickly, and after super-checking to make sure the area is secure, staff can go in, put on safety restraints (in the emergency case the animal would wake up), and get it either to the veterinary building, another suitable location, or keep the animal right there. The veterinary staff can inspect, administer shots of medicine or vaccines, take temperatures, pulses and blood pressures, and another number of things to complete the animal’s full checkup. When finished, they are placed back in their lockouts, the restraints are removed, and they are left to wake up from their nice little nap. (You see why we don’t do this excessively.)

Luckily, we don’t have to do this whole process every single time something is up with a bigger animal. All animals are trained by their fantastic keepers to do a multitude of “tricks” that while, yes, they look super cute to the public, actually serve the helpful function of helping out our vet staff and keepers. Many are trained to put their paws/legs/tails on special platforms/through certain bars, to press their shoulders/haunches against the bars, and to open their mouths on command. These are useful for extremity inspections, administering injections, and visual dental inspections, respectively. The animals are never forced to do these things (we don’t know how to force them to do these things… who’s gonna tell a Suchomimus to do something it doesn’t want to?), and if they refuse to respond to the keeper’s request, we’ll simply try again later. The fact that they willingly present body parts for checking shows the trust between our animals and keepers, the excellence of their training, and it’s less stress for the animal than anesthetizing them every single time we want to check them.

-Anastasia Falconer, Head Veterinarian

#february2017 #thhpg #anastasiafalconer #veterinary #anonymous #checkups #large animals #dangerous animals #vet checkups #vet staff

Why Your Pet Needs Routine Vet Checkups

Routine vet visits are one of the most effective ways to keep your pet thriving. These checkups help track changes in weight, mobility, skin, teeth, and overall behavior—many of which can signal early health concerns. Veterinarians use wellness exams to update vaccines, test for parasites, and recommend preventive steps tailored to your pet’s age and lifestyle. Regular checkups also give you peace of mind, knowing your pet is being monitored by a professional who understands their unique needs. Investing in preventive care today helps your pet avoid bigger health issues later and enjoy a healthier life.