May 25th, 2011

The pups had a visit from the veterinarian today for vaccinations, blood-work, and a general health check-up. They were boostered for distemper and parvo viruses and received their first rabies vaccination. Blood was drawn to check general health and also to check titer levels on the results of the vaccinations they've been given. An antibody titer test measures the amount of antibodies present in the bloodstream. Antibodies form in response to vaccinations and/or from exposure to the antigens representing an actual infection with a virus. The pups can also begin storing up antibodies from their mother. The more antibodies present against a particular antigen, the more protection the pups should have against becoming infected and sick from those antigens in the future. Titer levels change over time and can help us to decide how often the pups will need booster vaccinations. The vaccinations that we use on the maned wolves, as with any non-domestic animals, were only developed for/are only FDA approved for particular domestic animals. This is because it takes time and money to go through the FDA testing/approval process and there aren't enough non-domestic animals kept in captivity to warrant the resources. However, by checking titer levels, we can check to make sure that the vaccinations are effective in our animals. We will evaluate the antibody titer test results when they are completed in a couple of weeks.
The pups are in good health and were started on monthly flea/worm/heartworm protection. The pups weighed between 16 and 18 pounds. Like the adults, they weigh much less than you would think for their size. Their long legs and slender build are very different from that of a german shepherd or a grey wolf.