Longer, Happier, Healthier Lives

For many of us, nothing is more difficult than seeing someone in discomfort or pain. Empathy and adrenalin propels us to eliminate the source of their suffering. As our residents age, and as newly rescued animals arrive in often terrible conditions, wanting to alleviate any pain is a daily mission for our Animal Caregivers. 

Daily Health Checks 

From the moment each resident starts their day, right up until they’re nestled comfortably in their nests or perches at night, they are given visual or hands-on health checks.  

“Throughout each day, we’re continually looking for signs of anyone limping, not eating, and just generally not acting like themselves,” explains Andrea White, Resident Healthcare Manager. 

These daily visual checks are separate from each resident’s thorough health examination which is performed by Animal Caregivers every six weeks, and is also separate from veterinary visits. 

Our Process 

If a resident is experiencing acute pain, an Animal Caregiver will administer pain medication right away, and write in their notes who received what medication, when, and why. If the discomfort is chronic, such as arthritis pain, we will get confirmation from a veterinarian, through imaging, and the resident will receive ongoing medication. For long-term use of NSAIDS (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), slippery elm is administered 30-minutes before the medication is given to coat the resident’s stomach as NSAIDS can cause stomach ulcers. 

Information from the notes then gets transferred to the Animal Caregivers’ Master. The Master is accessible to the morning and evening Caregiver staff so the whole team is working with the same information about each resident. From there, an administration volunteer transfers the information from the Master to each resident’s profile in our database. 

Facilities Supervisor, Kevin Weil created and designed this database for our residents! At the tips of their fingers, each Animal Caregiver can easily access information about each resident’s health histories and current healthcare needs. This information is also very helpful in informing veterinarians about someone’s health history, and any allergies or reactions to medications they may have. 

The Med Box 

The morning Animal Caregiver carries a med box around the sanctuary with them, and the evening Animal Caregiver carries a different med box. Each med box is prepared the day before, and inside the boxes contain all the needed, pre-measured medications for that day. Each resident who needs medication(s) has their own clearly labeled baggie with their name, the name of the medication(s), the concentration, the dosage, the frequency (SID means once per day, BID means twice per day, TID means three times per day), the date the medication started and ended, and any special notes. 

Thank You! 

We would not be able to help ease anyone’s pain if it weren’t for your love and support. Thank you so much for giving our residents the comfort and joy to move throughout their busy lives, and to return to the business of each day such as foraging, rooting, socializing, and of course, mandatory belly rubs!