Month: May 2018

Veterinary Care: Exotic Animal Hematology

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The Detroit Zoological Society has hosted students from Macomb Community College’s veterinary technician program for the past seven years to teach them about exotic animal hematology. These second-year students spend an evening in the lab at the Detroit Zoo’s Ruth Roby Glancy Animal Health Complex, learning about the variance in blood cells in many exotic animal species and understanding why zoo medicine is a very specialized field.

Hematology is a medical term referring to all things related to blood – a major part of diagnosing illness and disease comes from the information we learn by examining a patient’s blood. The special thing about working in the veterinary hospital at the Detroit Zoo is that we are responsible for the healthcare of all 230 species of animals that reside here. Working with such a large variety of species can be fun but it can also be daunting when you realize just how much information we actually need to know.

Part of the laboratory testing performed on the samples that we collect involves smearing a small drop of blood onto a microscope slide, applying a special stain and examining the blood smear under a microscope. We then perform a count of 100 different white blood cells and analyze all of the cells for abnormalities. We also look for things like hemoparasites, which are parasites that can be found in the blood.

Mammal blood is different from bird, reptile, amphibian and fish blood in that mammal red blood cells do not contain a nucleus while the other classes of animals’ red blood cells do. Aside from that major difference, the types of white blood cells in mammals differ from non-mammals along with variations in cells from species to species. For example, penguin blood cells look different than vulture blood cells. In a human laboratory, this same testing is performed by an automated CBC (complete blood count) machine, which automatically counts the cells and reports the values. In a zoo setting, we do not have the same capabilities. Because of the nucleated red blood cells found in many of our patients, these cells cannot be counted by a lab machine and must be counted by hand. Being able to recognize normal and abnormal cells in so many species of animals comes with a lot of practice and many years of experience.

I have continued to practice and hone my hematology skills since becoming a veterinary technician for the Detroit Zoological Society more than 10 years ago. I look forward to continuing our relationship with Macomb Community College’s veterinary technician program and being able to share my specialized hematology knowledge with more local veterinary technician students in the future.

– Erica Campbell is a veterinary technician for the Detroit Zoological Society, operating out of the Ruth Roby Glancy Animal Health Complex at the Detroit Zoo.

Humane Education: Opening Your Heart to a “Fur-ever” Friend

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It’s been one year since I adopted Clemmie, a now 8-year old yellow Labrador retriever mix. During that time, she’s really come into her own. She’s still an anxious girl, but she’s made tremendous progress.

As I reflect on this past year, it makes me smile to think about all that Clemmie has learned and overcome. When she first came home, she had protruding ribs and visible signs indicating that she’d been used to breed lots of puppies. She had no idea that she was supposed to go to the bathroom outside. She was terrified of Frankie, my cat – so much so that she couldn’t even look at him. She would sometimes cower when I put my hand out to pet her.

It’s taken a lot of patience and persistence and a consistently calm demeanor to help Clemmie break out of her shell. Sometimes people have the perception that as soon as you adopt a companion animal and bring them home, they will instantly adapt. But there’s an acclimation period for animals of all ages. It requires dedication – it can take months or even years – but it’s also a joyful process as you watch your beloved companion overcome obstacles and become a true part of the family.

Having empathy really does lead to patience during times of frustration; for example, during the first eight or so months, Clemmie was having daily accidents. When I would pause for a moment and recognize all that she had been through, my outlook always changed.

Clemmie very rarely has accidents these days. She’s learned how to shake with her paw. She stops mid-walk to look up at me because she wants me to pet her and give her a hug. She’s recently played with a toy in front of me. And the thing that touches my heart the most – she and Frankie have become the best of friends, often curling up with one another or watching the world pass by out the front window. I couldn’t be more grateful for my two rescued furry companions. They bring me immense joy and fill our house with love.

If you’re thinking about adopting a dog or a cat, local rescue organizations and shelters can support you in finding the perfect companion animal. Unfortunately, an estimated 10,000 dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters each day due to a lack of homes. That adds up to 3-4 million animals in the U. S. each year. So when you adopt an animal, not only are you bringing home a new member of your family, you’re also responsible for saving that individual’s life.

Join us on May 18 and 19 at Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo – one of the nation’s largest off-site companion animal adoption events – where hundreds of dogs, cats, puppies and kittens are available for adoption to loving homes. And be sure to stop by the Zoo’s humane education table while you’re there and learn more about how we work to help people help animals.

Lisa Forzley is the curator of humane education for the Detroit Zoological Society and oversees the Berman Academy for Humane Education.