Even the mightiest birds under our care have routine health exams to ensure they remain in great shape. For the bald eagles, Sequoia, Sucia, Salish, and Cheveyo, this was preventative medicine in action. Having healthy birds allows Head Veterinarian Dr. Allison Case to focus on their continued wellness.  Keepers and the veterinary staff work seamlessly together to take each eagle to the veterinary clinic for exams. It’s a two-day process, and the team starts with Salish and Sucia. Sequoia and Cheveyo have their exams on the second day. Each bird traveled to the clinic fully awake, and after a careful, …

February is National Dental Month and gray wolf Canagan’s story of early intervention highlights the importance of maintaining those chompers.  Our Head Veterinarian, Dr. Allison Case, examined our three wolves for a routine checkup in November. Working with our sister zoo, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Dr. Case x-rayed our male wolf Canagan’s molar for a closer look. Canagan has a minor infection and is receiving antibiotics. His pearly whites and overall health for a 10-year-old wolf are stable. Dr. Case will follow up with a veterinary dentist on the next steps for Canagan.

Our three 10-year-old gray wolves were given a clean bill of health at their triennial examinations in early November. Northwest Trek Head veterinarian Dr. Allison Case led the exams with the assistance of veterinary technician Tracy and keepers Haley, Carly, and Aynsley. On average, gray wolves weigh 75 to 110 pounds. At their exams, Canagan, the resident male wolf, weighed 103 pounds, and females Tala and Darci both weighed 83 pounds. Each wolf received a complete checkup: full physical exam, blood and urine analyses, vaccinations, X-rays, nail trims, and a dental cleaning. And, of course, Dr. Case ensured the wolves …

It’s National Veterinary Technician Week Oct. 16-22, and we’re celebrating our wonderful veterinary technicians with a virtual thank-you card. Keepers, curators and veterinarians all weighed in to thank our superhero vet tech Tracy Cramer, plus keeper Deanna Edwards who’s also a licensed vet tech, for all they do to care for animals and help staff: prepping for procedures, monitoring animal vitals and taking samples, working with keepers to help animals take part in their own health care, giving therapies, endless administrative support and generally being awesome. “Our veterinary technicians (also known as veterinary nurses) are invaluable. They do a tremendous …

Huckleberry, the 4-year-old grizzly bear, recently had an examination with his veterinarian and animal care team to perform an annual checkup on his right ankle. Keepers first noticed Huckleberry walking on his tippy toes and avoiding putting his heel on the ground in 2020. After a diagnostic exam, Northwest Trek’s head veterinarian Dr. Allison Case determined that Huckleberry had developed moderate arthritis in his ankle. Since then, he’s been treated with anti-inflammatory medications and joint supplements as needed. Dr. Case scheduled an annual examination to perform another in-depth check this fall to provide further treatment for the bear. “X-rays show …

Nettle nestled herself along the steep hillside within Northwest Trek’s 435-acre Free-Roaming Area, as if she knew it was time for her annual exam. It’s an easy adventure for a one-year-old mountain goat – and not so simple for those who care for her. But Veterinarian Dr. Allison Case, Veterinary Technician Tracy and Keeper Deanna are used to doing what it takes to ensure the animals at Northwest Trek receive exceptional care. “It’s a very physical job,” Dr. Case said. After Keeper Deanna tries to entice Nettle off the hillside with some food, Dr. Case darts her with an anesthetic. …

American badger sisters Poppy and Lavender recently had annual wellness exams with Northwest Trek’s animal care and veterinary team. Both sisters had their eyes checked, nails trimmed, X-rays taken, and received routine vaccinations. They also contributed to critical scientific research. During the exam, the veterinary team gathered a small tissue sample- a 4-millimeter biopsy- from the left ear of each sister. “This tissue will allow researchers to study the evolutionary history of badgers,” explained veterinary technician Tracy. Researchers are interested in studying the adaptations that lead to the badger’s underground and burrowing lifestyle. They reached out to Association of Zoos …

How do you vaccinate a wolverine or draw blood from a grizzly bear? It takes dedication, teamwork, patience – and a lot of trust. Northwest Trek keepers train many of the animals daily to voluntarily participate in their own healthcare — holding still to receive medical injections or X-rays, presenting paws for blood draws, allowing eye drops. The list goes on. And, most importantly, it’s all collaborative. “If they don’t want to participate, they don’t have to,” explained keeper Wendi, who has cared for animals at the wildlife park for 21 years. “It’s all positive reinforcement training. We must earn …

Wolverines are tough survivors. They are exposed to harsh, frozen Northwest mountain winters. They are agile climbers, strong diggers, and aren’t afraid of anything. At Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Ahma the wolverine has proved to be all those things and more in her 15 years of life. She is the second oldest wolverine in human care in the United States. And over the past few weeks, she has faced her biggest challenge yet: having surgery to remove both of her eyes after her animal care team noticed a significant change in her eye color and was diagnosed with a lens …

If Dr. Karen Wolf needs another skilled set of hands for a polar bear procedure, she knows who to call. And if Dr. Allison Case has a beaver or owl that needs attention while she’s out of town, she has a second clinic just a van-trip away. The two women are head veterinarians of Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, respectively – and these sister zoos have veterinary teams with a long tradition of helping each other. “People don’t realize there’s this crossover,” explains Dr. Wolf of the unique veterinary partnership. “I have absolute confidence that …