Life Lessons from a Spider Monkey

Kate Connell, UPenn

Foot In Mouth Disease, Winner

I’m sure that by this point in your life you’ve been told that our primate relatives down the phylogenetic tree are pretty damn smart. They use tools, work together to work out puzzles, and have demonstrated the ability to innovate. I’ll bet you can also figure out that smart animals in captivity are a pain in the ass to keep captive. They reckon that if you’re dumb enough to try to keep them in a cage (even if your intentions are noble, as mine were while I was working at a wildlife rehabilitation center), they will try to make your life a living hell.

            So let me set the scene for you: this is ARCAS, a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center buried in the steamy jungle of Guatemala. Most animals are brought in by the police in efforts to quell the illegal pet trade. The air is full of mosquitos, biting yellow flies, and the incessant screeching of scarlet macaws and roars of howler monkeys. You sleep in a screened in guest house, enjoy a drizzle of cold water for your afternoon shower, and eat a diet based around rice, beans, and tortillas. The other volunteers range from backpacking Europeans and vacationing Israelis to high school dropouts and PhD candidates. The permanent staff members are sturdy Guatemalan men who are quick to joke and constantly impress volunteers with their ability to lift really, really heavy stuff. Everyone is working their butt off from dawn until past the heat of the day to keep cages clean and feed the three hundred plus animals in the facility.

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Feline Intestinal Obstruction and Chronic Anemia

Makenzie Wilder, Mizzou

Cases/Abstracts, Honorable Mention

History

 An eight year old spayed feline, who will be named Molly, presented with anorexia of two week duration, lethargy, and lack of bowel movements.  The cat was not current on vaccinations, flea, or heart worm prevention. Molly lived in a home with multiple cats and spent time both inside and outside. 

Presentation

Molly was very lethargic during the exam but purred when palpated. She did not appear tender or agitated upon palpation of the abdomen. Her body conditioning score was one and her temperature was 100.1°F.  Molly was approximately 10% based on the clinical signs:  dry mucous membranes, lack of skin turgor, bilateral weak femoral pulses, and dull eyes which were shrunken in the orbital cavity. Also, her gums were white with a prolonged capillary refill time. Molly was covered in flea feces and fleas especially around the head and tail. 

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Pumpkin's Green Vines

Jenny Rae Jones, University of Georgia

Creative Corner, Winner

As the sun drifts away,

the scarecrows come out to play.

They dance and leap, through fall’s

leaf heaps.

Splendor is the autumn breeze,

flowing through the dying trees.

The full moon shines, on the pumpkin's

green vines.

The foggy forest glows, as the owl's eye shows.

Throughout the night, the scampering paws

and the bat’s flight.

The darkness through the wood,

as the ghosts sing as they should.

A beautiful autumn night, with only a little

fright. 

Pugtato

Thao Vo, University of Wisconsin

Creative Corner, Winner