Shirley isn't our only "grandma" at the Asian barn—Bella is entering her senior years now, too. Bella was a young adult dog when she first strayed onto Sanctuary grounds in 2002, so we estimate her to be about 10 years old now. Just as we do routine health checks for all our elephants, we provide the same level of top veterinary care for Bella.
In order to minimize Bella's time away from Tarra, we take blood and urine samples from Bella in the barn. Bella has never been fond of strangers, but trusts her elephant caregivers implicitly, so she doesn't mind when they take samples, and she willingly goes with them when it's time to make a visit by car to the vet in town.
We have regular x-rays taken on Bella for two reasons: to check on the status of her spine—making sure there is no further damage since her accident a few years ago—and to check her chest, since we discovered a benign lump there over 2 years ago that was removed and thankfully, was not serious. While at the vet's, we also do an abdominal x-ray, listen to her heart, and check her blood pressure to make sure she is doing well from end to end.
This past week another routine checkup was due, so we waited until Tarra returned to the barn early one evening—early enough that we could get Bella to Dr. Scott's office before closing time. Tarra "err-err-erred," touching Bella all over, and then we whisked her friend away with promises we would get Bella back home as soon as possible. At the vet's, Bella's caregiver stayed close to her at all times for two reasons: to provide comfort (since Bella isn't quite as tough as she seems when standing next to her elephant), and also to make sure she didn't decide to snap at someone she did not know or trust. Bella took it all in stride, practically napping while her blood pressure was being measured. The only growl that left her mouth was when one of the hospital cats decided to come into the room—apparently Bella can be territorial even in places that are not her home. As soon as Bella's checkup was complete, she was returned to an ecstatic Tarra, who always greets her little friend with the same level of excitement—whether Bella just leaves the barn to go outside for a minute, reappears from a wild bunny chase, or spends an hour at the vet's.
Bella's radiographs appeared good—her spine looked better than expected, and both her chest and belly were clear. Her blood pressure was also good (did we mention how relaxed she was?) and all her blood values were within range. Overall, not bad for a geriatric pup! A special ERD test designed to detect for early kidney problems did come back "low positive." While this is not serious right now, it gives us an opportunity to make some immediate adjustments in her diet with organic foods that contain low phosphorous and moderate protein levels, vitamins and omegas that should help slow the progression of these renal issues— and in some cases—may completely halt them since it was discovered this early. We'll also add a supplement that is geared specifically towards kidney health, plus we are making plans to add special dog waterers at all of the elephant water corrals throughout the habitat, to ensure Bella has better access to clean water. Traditionally, Bella's preferences for water have been a combination of drinking out of puddles, creeks, ponds, the lake, and from the elephant bins we fill up with water especially for her at every feed. Having her own 24-hour water supply that she can reach at all the watering stations in the habitat will increase her opportunities for a more consistent fresh water supply, especially on the days when Bella and Tarra cover a lot of miles in the summer heat—they will both be stopping at these often!
For her age, Bella is the picture of health. Her hind quarters may still lean a little to the side when she runs (and boy, does she still run!), and she may be turning a little white around the muzzle, but Bella still thoroughly enjoys romping through the habitat with her closest friend, and we intend to help her do just that for as long as possible.