How do tigers at the Nashville Zoo get exams?
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Nashville Zoo takes care of many exotic animals. Just like pets, these animals need vaccines and annual physical exams.
Felix, a 6-year-old Sumatran tiger at the zoo, needed his annual exam on Wednesday, May 15. He is 6 feet long and 205 pounds.
The first fun fact about this exam is that the tiger needed anesthesia, but it’s similar to what household cats would receive, according to Dr. Heather Schwartz, the director of animal health at the Nashville Zoo.
“A lot of the meds that [Felix] got today were the exact same things that your cats do when they go in for a spay or neuter, but just on a much larger scale,” she said.
Sumatran tiger cubs now on exhibit at Nashville Zoo
The drugs are more concentrated so the animals can still be given small amounts. The cats must also be injected with anesthesia. The zookeepers and veterinarian team worked with the tiger to desensitize him and train him to take an injection easily.
“The tech has been training him and was able to get him to line up for a hand injection, and that went really smoothly and he just laid down and peacefully went to sleep, and then we were able to transfer him via our vet vehicle,” Schwartz explained.
Once the cat was in the operating room, the monitoring began.
“Putting wires on him and putting a tube in his throat and all of that. That’s just so we can maintain his anesthesia while he’s here and breathe for him, if need be,” Schwartz said. “Also have IV access if we need to for extra drugs, so once all that’s done, then it goes into our routine stuff.”
Meet the adorable Red River piglets born at Nashville Zoo
While humans would need to make multiple appointments to receive specialized services, Felix has a one-stop shop where he gets all the services he needs at once, including vaccines and bloodwork, according to Schwartz.
“Eyes, ears, teeth, physical condition, how well is he eating or not eating, make sure that there’s no lumps or bumps anywhere, and check all of his internal organs, so we did that through palpation and also by drawing blood and doing radiographs,” the doctor explained.
There was an audience outside of the large windows at the HCA Healthcare Veterinary Center during Felix’s exam, which was deemed a success.
Schwartz said most procedures take place around 10 a.m., so if you are at the Nashville Zoo and want to watch, stop by the HCA Healthcare Veterinary Center, near the Komodo dragons exhibit. The best way to find out when a surgery or exam is happening is to follow @nashzoovet on X (formerly known as Twitter).
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