Greetings from Namibia! Quite a lot has happened since your last update:
In mid-February, Hermione, along with the rest of our resident cats, underwent her annual physical exam. As part of an ongoing study of gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) in captive cheetahs, several gastric biopsies were taken using an endoscope. This year for the first time, staff and volunteers were able to see inside of the esophagus and stomach via the endoscopic camera using a monitor. She was also given her annual vaccines against rabies and other feline diseases and Frontline was applied to help control flies and ticks. She has almost doubled her weight from last year, from 17.5 (38.5lbs) to 32 kilograms (70 lbs). She will keep growing and putting on a little bit more weight, but she is almost at her final adult weight.
In additional to the annual physical exam and in conjunction with our ongoing research collaborations, Hermione was also chosen to be part of a study assessing renal disease in captive cheetahs. Renal disease is considered to be the leading cause of death in captive cheetahs. In a study of 29 zoos in the USA, renal disease was found in 82% of cats; in South Africa, the prevalence rate is 80%. There were three age groups: young, middle, and older; Hermione, at 19 months old, was in the youngest age group.
As you know, Hermione lives with her brother, Ron, and sister, Harry. Siblings develop a strong relationship. In the wild, Ron would have been kicked out by this point, but because Ron can not be put with other males at CCF due to his younger age, the siblings will continue to live together with help from Ron’s contraceptive implant. Hermione stands out with her distinctive dark coloration and feisty personality. All three continue to enjoy exercising by running after the lure system. Hermione continues to be the most eager to run, often encouraging her siblings into joining in.
Surprisingly, at feeding time, it’s a different story. All three races to their feeding bowls, but most of the time Ron and Harry lead the charge and it’s Hermione that is the last to arrive. They almost always eat in the same positions; Ron and Harry flanking Hermione. Hermione is usually the first to finish and doesn’t get greedy and try to steal from her siblings. When she finishes eating, she retires to a shady tree and lies down to let her food digest.
Thank you again for sponsoring Hermione and we hope that we can count on your continued support in the future.
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Monday, 7 May 2007
Ron - April 2007
Greetings from Namibia! Quite a lot has happened since your last update:
In mid-February, Ron, along with the rest of our resident cats, underwent his annual physical exam. As part of an ongoing study of gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) in captive cheetahs, several gastric biopsies were taking using an endoscope. This year for the first time, staff and volunteers were able to see inside of the esophagus and stomach via the endoscopic camera using a monitor. He was also given his annual vaccines against rabies and other feline diseases and Frontline was applied to help control flies and ticks.
The last time Ron was weighed was in June 2006 when one of his molars was removed. At that time, he weighed 32.5 kilograms; he is now 39 kilograms (85.6 lbs)!
As you know, Ron is in his enclosure with his two sisters, Hermione and Harry. We would have separated him by now and put him with other males of his age, but unfortunately, we do not have any males his age. He also began to exhibit behaviors of sexually mature males. Therefore, he was given contraceptive hormones, which are used to suppress sperm production. As part of our male cheetah’s routine physical exams, we collect sperm, assess it’s quality, and hopefully freeze samples for future use. CCF staff was pleasantly surprised to discover that 19-month-old Ron had viable sperm. Most male cheetahs have viable sperm only after 20 months.
In the wild, Ron and his sisters would now be independent from their mother. In another few months, Ron would be forced out by the local dominant males to find a home area of his own. However, at CCF, thanks to his implant, Ron can stay with his sisters permanently. This way he can continue to harass his sisters at feeding time for their bones. A little growling from Harry will usually keep him off unless it is organ day and then he gets a bit more persistent. Despite his love for food, he is less easily persuaded to let go of the flag during the cheetah run when offered a piece of meat, and likes to pull on the rag as you try.
Thank you again for sponsoring Ron and we hope that we can count on your continued support in the future.
In mid-February, Ron, along with the rest of our resident cats, underwent his annual physical exam. As part of an ongoing study of gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) in captive cheetahs, several gastric biopsies were taking using an endoscope. This year for the first time, staff and volunteers were able to see inside of the esophagus and stomach via the endoscopic camera using a monitor. He was also given his annual vaccines against rabies and other feline diseases and Frontline was applied to help control flies and ticks.
The last time Ron was weighed was in June 2006 when one of his molars was removed. At that time, he weighed 32.5 kilograms; he is now 39 kilograms (85.6 lbs)!
As you know, Ron is in his enclosure with his two sisters, Hermione and Harry. We would have separated him by now and put him with other males of his age, but unfortunately, we do not have any males his age. He also began to exhibit behaviors of sexually mature males. Therefore, he was given contraceptive hormones, which are used to suppress sperm production. As part of our male cheetah’s routine physical exams, we collect sperm, assess it’s quality, and hopefully freeze samples for future use. CCF staff was pleasantly surprised to discover that 19-month-old Ron had viable sperm. Most male cheetahs have viable sperm only after 20 months.
In the wild, Ron and his sisters would now be independent from their mother. In another few months, Ron would be forced out by the local dominant males to find a home area of his own. However, at CCF, thanks to his implant, Ron can stay with his sisters permanently. This way he can continue to harass his sisters at feeding time for their bones. A little growling from Harry will usually keep him off unless it is organ day and then he gets a bit more persistent. Despite his love for food, he is less easily persuaded to let go of the flag during the cheetah run when offered a piece of meat, and likes to pull on the rag as you try.
Thank you again for sponsoring Ron and we hope that we can count on your continued support in the future.
Leia - April 2007
Greetings from Namibia! Quite a lot has happened since your last update:
In mid-February, Leia, along with the rest of our resident cats, underwent her annual physical exam. As part of an ongoing study of gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) in captive cheetahs, several gastric biopsies were taken using an endoscope. This year for the first time, staff and volunteers were able to see inside of the esophagus and stomach via the endoscopic camera using a monitor. She was also given her annual vaccines against rabies and other feline diseases and Frontline was applied to help control flies and ticks. Leia weighted 34 kilograms (74.8lbs), making her the smallest cat in her enclosure with Blondi, Dusty, and Sandy
In additional to the annual physical exam and in conjunction with our ongoing research collaborations, Leia was also chosen to be part of a study assessing renal disease in captive cheetahs. Renal disease is considered to be the leading cause of death in captive cheetahs. In a study of 29 zoos in the USA, renal disease was found in 82% of cats; in South Africa, the prevalence rate is 80%. There were three age groups: young, middle, and old; Leia, at almost 11 years old, was in the old age group.
Leia continues to remain active, running with zeal as she chases the lure with her pen mates Blondie, Dusty, and Sandy. Despite her age, she continues to be one of the most focused at catching the rag. One of her favorite games is to stalk the lure. Leia sits under a tree, hardly visible to spectators. As the lure passes, she jumps out to ambush her “prey”. Leia is unwilling to take meat off the spoon. She prefers to have the meat thrown to her.
Thank you again for sponsoring Leia and we hope that we can count on your continued support in the future.
In mid-February, Leia, along with the rest of our resident cats, underwent her annual physical exam. As part of an ongoing study of gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) in captive cheetahs, several gastric biopsies were taken using an endoscope. This year for the first time, staff and volunteers were able to see inside of the esophagus and stomach via the endoscopic camera using a monitor. She was also given her annual vaccines against rabies and other feline diseases and Frontline was applied to help control flies and ticks. Leia weighted 34 kilograms (74.8lbs), making her the smallest cat in her enclosure with Blondi, Dusty, and Sandy
In additional to the annual physical exam and in conjunction with our ongoing research collaborations, Leia was also chosen to be part of a study assessing renal disease in captive cheetahs. Renal disease is considered to be the leading cause of death in captive cheetahs. In a study of 29 zoos in the USA, renal disease was found in 82% of cats; in South Africa, the prevalence rate is 80%. There were three age groups: young, middle, and old; Leia, at almost 11 years old, was in the old age group.
Leia continues to remain active, running with zeal as she chases the lure with her pen mates Blondie, Dusty, and Sandy. Despite her age, she continues to be one of the most focused at catching the rag. One of her favorite games is to stalk the lure. Leia sits under a tree, hardly visible to spectators. As the lure passes, she jumps out to ambush her “prey”. Leia is unwilling to take meat off the spoon. She prefers to have the meat thrown to her.
Thank you again for sponsoring Leia and we hope that we can count on your continued support in the future.
Sandy - April 2007
Greetings from Namibia! Quite a lot has happened since your last update:
In mid-February, Sandy, along with the rest of our resident cats, underwent her annual physical exam. As part of an ongoing study of gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) in captive cheetahs, several gastric biopsies were taken using an endoscope. This year for the first time, staff and volunteers were able to see inside of the esophagus and stomach via the endoscopic camera using a monitor. She was also given her annual vaccines against rabies and other feline diseases and Frontline was applied to help control flies and ticks. Sandy maintained her weight of 36 kilograms (79.2lbs), since the last time she was weighed in July.
In additional to the annual physical exam and in conjunction with our ongoing research collaborations, Sandy was also chosen to be part of a study assessing renal disease in captive cheetahs. Renal disease is considered to be the leading cause of death in captive cheetahs. In a study of 29 zoos in the USA, renal disease was found in 82% of cats; in South Africa, the prevalence rate is 80%. There were three age groups: young, middle, and old; Sandy, at 7 years old, is considered middle-aged.
One particularly eventful day, last autumn, a warthog showed up in front of Sandy’s enclosure. After one unsuccessful attempt after another by staff to shoo the warthog away, Sandy began to charge the fence line. With a stomp and a snort, the warthog faced her and charged right back unimpressed by the cheetah’s attempts to scare him off. The charging continued back and forth between prey and predator. Had the fence not been there, who knows who would have won the fight? In the end, the wart hog ran off and Sandy trotted back to lie underneath one of her favorite shade trees.
Thank you again for sponsoring Sandy and we hope for your continued support in the future.
In mid-February, Sandy, along with the rest of our resident cats, underwent her annual physical exam. As part of an ongoing study of gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) in captive cheetahs, several gastric biopsies were taken using an endoscope. This year for the first time, staff and volunteers were able to see inside of the esophagus and stomach via the endoscopic camera using a monitor. She was also given her annual vaccines against rabies and other feline diseases and Frontline was applied to help control flies and ticks. Sandy maintained her weight of 36 kilograms (79.2lbs), since the last time she was weighed in July.
In additional to the annual physical exam and in conjunction with our ongoing research collaborations, Sandy was also chosen to be part of a study assessing renal disease in captive cheetahs. Renal disease is considered to be the leading cause of death in captive cheetahs. In a study of 29 zoos in the USA, renal disease was found in 82% of cats; in South Africa, the prevalence rate is 80%. There were three age groups: young, middle, and old; Sandy, at 7 years old, is considered middle-aged.
One particularly eventful day, last autumn, a warthog showed up in front of Sandy’s enclosure. After one unsuccessful attempt after another by staff to shoo the warthog away, Sandy began to charge the fence line. With a stomp and a snort, the warthog faced her and charged right back unimpressed by the cheetah’s attempts to scare him off. The charging continued back and forth between prey and predator. Had the fence not been there, who knows who would have won the fight? In the end, the wart hog ran off and Sandy trotted back to lie underneath one of her favorite shade trees.
Thank you again for sponsoring Sandy and we hope for your continued support in the future.
Dusty - April 2007
Greetings from Namibia! Quite a lot has happened since your last update:
In mid-February, Dusty, along with the rest of our resident cats, underwent her annual physical exam. As part of an ongoing study of gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) in captive cheetahs, several gastric biopsies were taken using an endoscope. This year for the first time, staff and volunteers were able to see inside of the esophagus and stomach via the endoscopic camera using a monitor. She was also given her annual vaccines against rabies and other feline diseases and Frontline was applied to help control flies and ticks. Dusty has gained 1 kilogram since July, making her 37 kilograms (81.4lbs), which is a perfectly average weight female cheetahs.
In additional to the annual physical exam and in conjunction with our ongoing research collaborations, Dusty was also chosen to be part of a study assessing renal disease in captive cheetahs. Renal disease is considered to be the leading cause of death in captive cheetahs. In a study of 29 zoos in the USA, renal disease was found in 82% of cats; in South Africa, the prevalence rate is 80%. There were three age groups: young, middle, and old; Dusty, at 7 years old, is considered middle-aged.
Out of her three other pen mates, Blondie, Leia, and Sandy, Dusty continues to be the most zealous cheetah during their lure runs. Just like people, animals’ personalities change over time. Dusty used to be very interested in people and now she is less likely to approach her keepers, acting more like a wild cheetah.
Thank you again for sponsoring Dusty and we hope for your continued support in the future.
In mid-February, Dusty, along with the rest of our resident cats, underwent her annual physical exam. As part of an ongoing study of gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) in captive cheetahs, several gastric biopsies were taken using an endoscope. This year for the first time, staff and volunteers were able to see inside of the esophagus and stomach via the endoscopic camera using a monitor. She was also given her annual vaccines against rabies and other feline diseases and Frontline was applied to help control flies and ticks. Dusty has gained 1 kilogram since July, making her 37 kilograms (81.4lbs), which is a perfectly average weight female cheetahs.
In additional to the annual physical exam and in conjunction with our ongoing research collaborations, Dusty was also chosen to be part of a study assessing renal disease in captive cheetahs. Renal disease is considered to be the leading cause of death in captive cheetahs. In a study of 29 zoos in the USA, renal disease was found in 82% of cats; in South Africa, the prevalence rate is 80%. There were three age groups: young, middle, and old; Dusty, at 7 years old, is considered middle-aged.
Out of her three other pen mates, Blondie, Leia, and Sandy, Dusty continues to be the most zealous cheetah during their lure runs. Just like people, animals’ personalities change over time. Dusty used to be very interested in people and now she is less likely to approach her keepers, acting more like a wild cheetah.
Thank you again for sponsoring Dusty and we hope for your continued support in the future.
Blondi - April 2007
Greetings from Namibia! Quite a lot has happened since your last update:
In mid-February, Blondi, along with the rest of our resident cats, underwent her annual physical exam. As part of an ongoing study of gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) in captive cheetahs, several gastric biopsies were taken using an endoscope. This year for the first time, staff and volunteers were able to see inside of the esophagus and stomach via the endoscopic camera using a monitor. She was also given her annual vaccines against rabies and other feline diseases and Frontline was applied to help control flies and ticks. Blondi weighed in at 41 kilograms (90.2lbs), down 2 kilograms from when she was last weighed in July. Forty-one kilograms is a little heavy for a female cheetah, which is not too surprising. While her pen mates, Sandy, Dusty, and Leia usually love to run after the lure, Blondie on the other hand would rather watch them or lie down, being admired by visitors.
In additional to the annual physical exam and in conjunction with our ongoing research collaborations, Blondi was also chosen to be part of a study assessing renal disease in captive cheetahs. Renal disease is considered to be the leading cause of death in captive cheetahs. In a study of 29 zoos in the USA, renal disease was found in 82% of cats; in South Africa, the prevalence rate is 80%. There were three age groups: young, middle, and old; Blondie, at 7 years old, is considered middle-aged.
Blondie spends much of her time walking the fence line, occasionally flirting with Chewbaaka across the way.
Thank you again for sponsoring Blondi and we hope for your continued support in the future.
In mid-February, Blondi, along with the rest of our resident cats, underwent her annual physical exam. As part of an ongoing study of gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) in captive cheetahs, several gastric biopsies were taken using an endoscope. This year for the first time, staff and volunteers were able to see inside of the esophagus and stomach via the endoscopic camera using a monitor. She was also given her annual vaccines against rabies and other feline diseases and Frontline was applied to help control flies and ticks. Blondi weighed in at 41 kilograms (90.2lbs), down 2 kilograms from when she was last weighed in July. Forty-one kilograms is a little heavy for a female cheetah, which is not too surprising. While her pen mates, Sandy, Dusty, and Leia usually love to run after the lure, Blondie on the other hand would rather watch them or lie down, being admired by visitors.
In additional to the annual physical exam and in conjunction with our ongoing research collaborations, Blondi was also chosen to be part of a study assessing renal disease in captive cheetahs. Renal disease is considered to be the leading cause of death in captive cheetahs. In a study of 29 zoos in the USA, renal disease was found in 82% of cats; in South Africa, the prevalence rate is 80%. There were three age groups: young, middle, and old; Blondie, at 7 years old, is considered middle-aged.
Blondie spends much of her time walking the fence line, occasionally flirting with Chewbaaka across the way.
Thank you again for sponsoring Blondi and we hope for your continued support in the future.
Samantha -April 2007
Samantha
Greetings from Namibia! Quite a lot has happened since your last update:
In mid-February, Samantha, along with the rest of our resident cats, underwent her annual physical exam. As part of an ongoing study of gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) in captive cheetahs, several gastric biopsies were taken using an endoscope. This year for the first time, staff and volunteers were able to see inside of the esophagus and stomach via the endoscopic camera using a monitor. She was also given her annual vaccines against rabies and other feline diseases and Frontline was applied to help control flies and ticks. Samantha weighed in at 32 kilograms (70.4 pounds), down almost 2 kilograms from when she was last weighed in July. This makes her the lightest cat in Bellebeno. However, that doesn’t mean she is timid. She makes up for her size by trying to be a very big cat during meal times, slapping the ground and doing her best to give people a good scare.
Samantha is still in the 64 hectare Bellebeno enclosure along with her coalition mates Tempesta, Luna, and Cleo. She and Tempesta have bonded more, but this is expected, since they came to CCF at around the same time, with Cleo and Luna joining them later. They are both three and a half years old, born in July of 2003.
In mid-January, we had a bit of a scare with her. She didn’t show up to eat for three days, so we decided to search for her. This required 10 people to walk the pen in transects, with no one more than a couple of meters apart. We started at 7am, but lo and behold, when we pulled up to the gate, there was Samantha waiting for us at the gate! Her reward was a nice big piece of meat, which she happily carried off into the bush. Since then, Samantha has shown up to eat every day.
Thank you again for sponsoring Samantha and we hope that we can count on your continued support in the future.
Greetings from Namibia! Quite a lot has happened since your last update:
In mid-February, Samantha, along with the rest of our resident cats, underwent her annual physical exam. As part of an ongoing study of gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) in captive cheetahs, several gastric biopsies were taken using an endoscope. This year for the first time, staff and volunteers were able to see inside of the esophagus and stomach via the endoscopic camera using a monitor. She was also given her annual vaccines against rabies and other feline diseases and Frontline was applied to help control flies and ticks. Samantha weighed in at 32 kilograms (70.4 pounds), down almost 2 kilograms from when she was last weighed in July. This makes her the lightest cat in Bellebeno. However, that doesn’t mean she is timid. She makes up for her size by trying to be a very big cat during meal times, slapping the ground and doing her best to give people a good scare.
Samantha is still in the 64 hectare Bellebeno enclosure along with her coalition mates Tempesta, Luna, and Cleo. She and Tempesta have bonded more, but this is expected, since they came to CCF at around the same time, with Cleo and Luna joining them later. They are both three and a half years old, born in July of 2003.
In mid-January, we had a bit of a scare with her. She didn’t show up to eat for three days, so we decided to search for her. This required 10 people to walk the pen in transects, with no one more than a couple of meters apart. We started at 7am, but lo and behold, when we pulled up to the gate, there was Samantha waiting for us at the gate! Her reward was a nice big piece of meat, which she happily carried off into the bush. Since then, Samantha has shown up to eat every day.
Thank you again for sponsoring Samantha and we hope that we can count on your continued support in the future.
Kanini - April 2007
Kanini is a flower child and although she wasn’t born in the 60’s, she makes the most of the epithet. She plays in the gardens with the exuberance of youth and can be seen standing among the cacti, posing for the camera, looking at you as if to say, “Isn’t this the most wonderful shot?”
At a little over a year, Kanini is gorgeous in appearance and temperament. Her lithe body is covered in closely spaced small dark spots, while those on her legs are larger and spaced to reveal more of her golden tan background color. There is an imp peeking out through her eyes.
Her real charm is in her personality, which pops out all the time. She plays chase with a small blue ball, but she plays by her rules. As close as we can figure they are these:
· You throw the ball.
· Kanini chases it at a fairly good speed, but not along the trajectory of the ball.
· She detours to make graceful leaps over the gardens and termite mounds.
· Next, she gets to the ball and plops down on the ground.
· You are expected to come and get the ball while she rests and then you may throw it again.
Besides her ball, Kanini loves her chase toy which has small wood and plastic bits at the end of a lunge whip tassel, having her tail pulled, and Laurie, not necessarily in that order.
Thank you again for sponsoring Kanini and we hope for your continued support in the future.
At a little over a year, Kanini is gorgeous in appearance and temperament. Her lithe body is covered in closely spaced small dark spots, while those on her legs are larger and spaced to reveal more of her golden tan background color. There is an imp peeking out through her eyes.
Her real charm is in her personality, which pops out all the time. She plays chase with a small blue ball, but she plays by her rules. As close as we can figure they are these:
· You throw the ball.
· Kanini chases it at a fairly good speed, but not along the trajectory of the ball.
· She detours to make graceful leaps over the gardens and termite mounds.
· Next, she gets to the ball and plops down on the ground.
· You are expected to come and get the ball while she rests and then you may throw it again.
Besides her ball, Kanini loves her chase toy which has small wood and plastic bits at the end of a lunge whip tassel, having her tail pulled, and Laurie, not necessarily in that order.
Thank you again for sponsoring Kanini and we hope for your continued support in the future.
Saturday, 21 April 2007
More Cheetahs Come to CCF!
All is as busy as ever here in Namibia – unfortunately we currently have 45 cheetahs at CCF – we had 7 confiscated cheetahs come to us in the last month. But, on a good note, we just finished another of our week-long farmer’s training programs with 25 more conservation farmers graduating – and as to graduation – CCF’s research assistant, Fabiano is graduating today with his Master’s degree!!
Thanks and more thanks for everyone who showed Matti Oregon!!!! I am so excited that he was able to visit and share CCF with you as well as seeing how committed all of you are to CCF’s mission and how much help you all put into keeping CCF working over here in Africa to save the cheetah.
We thank you all for your being a huge part of our lives,
Laurie
Thanks and more thanks for everyone who showed Matti Oregon!!!! I am so excited that he was able to visit and share CCF with you as well as seeing how committed all of you are to CCF’s mission and how much help you all put into keeping CCF working over here in Africa to save the cheetah.
We thank you all for your being a huge part of our lives,
Laurie
Sunday, 11 March 2007
CCF Resident Cheetahs Undergo Annual Checkups.
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In mid-February, 31 of CCF’s resident cheetahs, underwent her annual workups. Our veterinarian, Dr. Arthur Bagot-Smith, has retired so we called on the services of a veterinarian from the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., Dr. Carlos Sanchez. Each cheetah underwent an endoscopy as part of our ongoing study on gastritis in captive cheetahs (photo on left shows volunteer Gertrude Dingermann assisting Dr. Sanchez). Most all our cheetahs came through with no signs of irritation on their stomach lining. All cats were given their annual vaccines against rabies and other feline diseases; Frontline was applied to keep her free of ticks and fleas.
During this workup, 15 of our cheetahs, from different age groups were choosen, to be a part of a study by Dr. Sanchez to try and assess a reliable method of diagnosing renal failure in captive cheetahs at an early stage, when measures such as further diagnostics, more intensive screening programs, and changes in management or even treatment can be implemented. These measures may be able to slow down progressive renal damage and preserve adequate renal function. Renal failure is considered the leading cause of death in captive cheetahs; in a study of 29 zoos in the USA, renal disease was found in 82% of cats; in South Africa, the prevalence rate is 80%.
By injecting a metabolite, insulin, which goes in and out of the body unchanged by the kidneys, and drawing blood before the injection and at intervals after the injection, Dr. Sanchez can determine the level of glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which will help in the diagnosis of renal failure. This part of the study done at CCF will help establish the base line parameters of GFR of inulin.
These cheetahs were under anesthesia for three hours, with blood being drawn at 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes after the injection of inulin. All our cats recovered beautifully and are back running semi-wild in their enclosures.
Laurie
During this workup, 15 of our cheetahs, from different age groups were choosen, to be a part of a study by Dr. Sanchez to try and assess a reliable method of diagnosing renal failure in captive cheetahs at an early stage, when measures such as further diagnostics, more intensive screening programs, and changes in management or even treatment can be implemented. These measures may be able to slow down progressive renal damage and preserve adequate renal function. Renal failure is considered the leading cause of death in captive cheetahs; in a study of 29 zoos in the USA, renal disease was found in 82% of cats; in South Africa, the prevalence rate is 80%.
By injecting a metabolite, insulin, which goes in and out of the body unchanged by the kidneys, and drawing blood before the injection and at intervals after the injection, Dr. Sanchez can determine the level of glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which will help in the diagnosis of renal failure. This part of the study done at CCF will help establish the base line parameters of GFR of inulin.
These cheetahs were under anesthesia for three hours, with blood being drawn at 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes after the injection of inulin. All our cats recovered beautifully and are back running semi-wild in their enclosures.
Laurie
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