citations: 11713

This data as json

rowid	hash_id	code	kind	repeat	desc	narrative
11713	00046e2c5d535550	2.40(b)(2)	Direct	1	ATTENDING VETERINARIAN AND ADEQUATE VETERINARY CARE (DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS).	An adult male binturong in enclosure #52, Chip, appeared to be in thin body condition, had slight shaking or tremors of his head when standing still and then exhibited an abnormally hunched posture while shuffling his hind feet and reaching forward with his right front leg. A dead and decaying rodent was found within the enclosure and a large amount of rodent feces was accumulating throughout the enclosure. There was pink insulation material and an accumulation of rodent feces around the heater in the enclosure. The licensee stated that he had placed bait for killing rodents around the outside of Chip's enclosure but did not say what type of bait was being used. An invoice from a veterinarian dated 4/19/2015 listed "digital radiographs--nasal cavity" but there were no medical records or any other documents available during the inspection that explained why these were performed, what were the findings, and whether treatment, monitoring, or follow-up were needed. There was no information provided verbally from the licensee about why the veterinarian performed this diagnostic testing and no way to know if what was observed during this inspection is a new finding or is related to that previous examination. The veterinarian that had conducted the radiographs in April was on site for another purpose at the time of the inspection. Animal Care (AC) personnel asked the veterinarian about the behavior and posturing that was observed but the veterinarian was unaware of this and stated that the animal was anesthetized a few months ago and that blood collection was attempted but was unsuccessful. There was no plan outlined in writing or provided verbally for re-evaluating this animal following the April examination. This animal must be examined by a veterinarian and a diagnosis and treatment plan established. The dead rodent, rodent feces, and possible exposure of this animal to toxic chemicals as well as infectious organisms from the rodent contamination are of serious concern and need to be addressed immediately by cleaning the enclosure and excluding rodents from entering the enclosure. A 7 week old bottle-raised male tiger cub (DOB 7/23/15), the licensee believed is named Joey, was noted by AC inspectors to have crusted hair and a clear discharge from both eyes. This condition had not been noticed by the facility staff and the veterinarian who was on site during the inspection for examination of another young tiger cub had not been asked to evaluate this cub at the time of the inspection. The environment in the veterinary hospital enclosure in which this cub is housed with a 7 week old golden tabby liger cub is unsanitary (rodent feces, exposed drywall which cannot be cleaned or sanitized). Young animals are vulnerable to infectious organisms due to their immature immune systems. Discharge from the eyes that crusts on the hair may be a sign of an eye or upper respiratory infection and this cub should be examined by a veterinarian for a diagnosis with appropriate treatment and plan for follow-up examination, if needed. This cub should not be handled by members of the public until a veterinarian has examined him and ensured that his health is not at risk. An adult female tiger in enclosure #2, Buffy, was noted to be squinting her eyes in the sunlight before moving to pace the fence line in a shady area on the east side of the enclosure. Buffy has opaque coloration to the cornea of both eyes with the left eye appearing completely white. The other female tiger in this enclosure, Spangles, also has an opaque and cloudy appearance to both eyes, the left eye being more noticeably affected. This condition has been documented for both of the cats that it is chronic in nature by the attending veterinarian (AV) but, when compared to the previous inspection, it appears to be worsening in both tigers. There is no documentation that the licensee has notified the AV of the worsening condition nor of any follow-up by the AV to assess these animals. A note was made by a veterinarian on Buffy's medical record on 3/10/15 about "healing superficial abrasions to top of head & lateral to the eye". No record of the eye condition has been made for either animal since 2010. Eye conditions, particularly chronic conditions that become more active, are serious, often painful to the animal, and, if not treated quickly, may result in loss of vision. A male tiger in enclosure #21, Caprichio, appeared to have an abnormal gait on his left front leg such that the elbow appeared to swing out to the side before placing the paw on the ground, giving him the appearance of being off-balance. This same tiger was noted on the last inspection on September 13, 2014 to have an abnormal gait on the right hind leg and was in thin body condition, particularly in the back leg muscles. The AV noted concerns in the tiger's medical record on 1/23/11 that this animal needed an increase in calcium supplementation and no other notes were entered in the record until 9/26/14 by another veterinarian that "no limping" was noted but tiger is "bowed legged all four limbs, USDA concerned about radiographs, no need to take at this time". The last entry for this tiger by a veterinarian is on 3/10/15 when he is noted to be "very skinny" with a plan to "panacur deworm", increase meat, and "dart if not improved in 4-6 weeks". No directions regarding the amount of "panacur deworm" to give, how much meat to increase for weight gain to be achieved, and no specific criteria as to what would qualify as "improved in 4-6 weeks" or what would be done if not improved and darting was to be done. An invoice from a veterinarian dated 4/19/15 does list digital radiographs of back right leg for "Capricio" but these were not made available for review during this inspection and no diagnosis or plan for monitoring or treating this tiger were identified in any records or known by the licensee. A male tiger in enclosure #32, Waldo, had an abnormal gait affecting his right front leg. When walking, his head bobs downward noticeably when landing hard on his left front leg. He would stretch out the right front leg gently before walking at times not putting full weight on that leg. Waldo climbed into water tank used provided for the cats to soak and cool off but which was filled with contaminated water, dark grey in color with noticeable hair, fecal matter, and other debris. He began to paw at the water using only his left front leg while resting right front leg on edge of the tank before lying down in the tank. When he jumped out and over the edge of the tank, he landed very hard on his left front leg and then stood for a moment with his right front leg outstretched and lightly touching the ground. He then took only a few steps, hopping off of his back legs before entering the shelter structure. Invoices from a veterinarian dated 3/4/2014 and 4/19/2015 list digital radiographs of right elbow and right front leg for Waldo but these were not made available for review during this inspection and no diagnosis or plan for monitoring this tiger were identified in any records or could be explained by the licensee. An invoice from a veterinarian dated 8/5/2015 does identify Waldo as "still lame on RF" and "advise 2 weeks of meloxicam" but the pain medication prescribed is "on back order" per the facility representative so no treatment has been provided to this animal since 8/5/2015. A male tiger in enclosure #65, Toni, had an abnormal gait affecting his right front leg. When walking, his head bobs downward noticeably when placing his left front leg and he was seen not bearing full weight on his right foot, barely touching his right toes to the ground when at rest. An invoice from a veterinarian dated 8/5/2015 does identify "Tony" as "still lame on RF" and "advise 2 weeks of meloxicam" but the pain medication prescribed is "on back order" per the facility representative so no treatment has been provided to this animal. Lameness and/or abnormal gait with muscle or weight loss may be indications of injury or underlying illness and these tigers need to be evaluated by a veterinarian to properly diagnose the cause and provide a plan for treating and/or monitoring these conditions. An adult male tiger in enclosure #26, Andy, was seen to sit on his hind limbs, stroke his penis with his front paw, bite his left hind ankle, and then get up and urinate. This is unusual behavior and the licensee had not noticed this before in this tiger. There were no notations in his medical records regarding this behavior and no veterinary examination noted since 2010 for concerns with hair coat quality. A veterinarian should examine this tiger to determine if this is behavioral or indicative of an underlying veterinary condition which may require diagnostic testing (eg. blood work for urinary tract health) and further evaluation and plan for treatment and monitoring for resolution of any underlying condition if identified. An adult black leopard in enclosure #61, Sinbad, was noted to have two large lumps protruding from the left hip and left lateral thigh with a third faintly noticeable on his right mid-lateral thigh. The veterinarian that was on site during the inspection stated she had not been aware of these lumps on this animal and visually evaluated Sinbad while talking with the AC inspectors and the licensee. She recommended no treatment at this time but to monitor them daily for changes. During review of the facility's medical records. an email dated 10/21/2014 from the licensee's spouse to this veterinarian and the AV mentioned two lumps on Sinbad and stated they didn't seem to be bothering him. There is no documentation on the size or location of the lumps noted in 2014 so it is not clear if the ones seen during this inspection are the same or are new. Lumps in or under the skin may be a sign of infection, inflammation, or tumors and should be measured and monitored, at a minimum, for changes in size or character. This animal and the skin lumps need further evaluation by a veterinarian with documentation of location, size, and texture with a diagnosis and plan for treatment, if needed, and monitoring for changes. An adult black leopard in enclosure #14, Aramis, had hair loss and several areas of reddened skin on his tail, with the tip of the tail being most raw in appearance. Aramis has been receiving two medications, Amoxicillin and Amitriptylline, as prescribed by the facility veterinarians since early August 2015 but the licensee stated he doesn't seem to be improving. This leopard has been treated on and off for several years for self-injurious behavior resulting in loss of hair and damaged skin on his tail and, according to facility medical records, has received this same treatment when the problem is identified. Self-injurious behavior in captive large felids is not uncommon and can become chronic leading to infection of the tissues and possible need for amputation of the tip of the tail. This leopard should be re-examined by the AV for the reddened, raw skin and to determine if the current treatment should be continued. Two coatimundi in enclosure #15, Molly and Macano, have thinning hair coats, especially over their lower backs, hind legs, and tails. These coati have been noted to have this abnormal hair coat during previous inspections. The AV has conducted skin scrapings to check for parasites and prescribed adding supplements to the diet but no further evaluation has been conducted since the hair loss was first documented in 2010. Thinning hair coats and hair loss may be a symptom of nutritional deficiencies, internal organ (endocrine) dysfunction, external parasites, and/or many other veterinary conditions and these animals need to be re-examined by veterinarian to determine a diagnosis and plan to address this chronic, recurring condition. The animals that were listed in the citation on the previous inspection conducted on September 13, 2014 were evaluated by a veterinarian. Two of these animals, Capricio and Buffy, continue to have veterinary conditions that have not been diagnosed nor has a treatment and follow-up plan been established to minimize pain and discomfort associated with these conditions.