Category: health

A Very Special Re-Homing Story – by Mary Lynn Campbell

capuchin monkey with children

Welcome back to the Primate Care Site. We hope that you and your families have been able to remain healthy during this world pandemic. Although I have not been able to resume taking the monkeys of SunShine MonkeyShines out to local schools and birthday parties, I have been very busy networking with many of you who have needed help with your monkeys. This site has provided me with an ability to network with many monkey families all around the world. I thought it would be a wonderful time to share the story of one of these families unique experience with giving a home to two Capuchin monkeys.

Soon after writing my last post, I was contacted by someone from South America whose family in earlier years had been active in caring many of the smaller primate species. As we all know, in South America their are many different types of primates living on that continent. I hope you will enjoy hearing this story from a part of the world where New World Monkeys are actually born into wild troops.

(more…)

By Mary Lynn Campbell

capuching at vets office
Willy, Myself and Dr. David Ratliff DVM

This is a post that I wanted to share from my wonderful retired vet, Dr. David Ratliff, DVM from Sevierville, Tennessee.

“My name is Dr.David Ratliff. I am a retired veterinarian who has cared for many monkeys in my career. Please use extreme caution with your monkeys while this virus is circulating. Honestly we do not know just how species specific the COVID-19 is at this point. However, the primate community would be the most likely place for the virus to jump from human back into animals. Out of an abundance of caution, it is recommended that those ill with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus. Have another member of your household take care of walking, feeding, and playing with your pet. If you have a service animal or you must care for your pet, then wear a facemask; don’t share food, kiss, or hug them; and wash your hands before and after any contact with them. Currently macaques, marmosets, and African green monkeys are being tested as research models along with the SARS mice model and ferrets. “

Thank you Dr Ratliff for continuing to care about our beloved monkeys.

(more…)

By Janice Metzger

 

vet visit

Primates in captivity can live well beyond their natural life expectancy. This is due in part to good preventative veterinary care. Meeting our primates’ health maintenance needs can help extend their lives and keep them healthy and active long into their senior years.

Primates routinely must be immobilized for veterinary examinations and procedures. Fear of having our primates anesthetized often discourages us from seeking preventative veterinary care for them. Healthy monkeys tolerate anesthesia very well and rarely have complications. When a primate has side effects or dies under anesthesia it typically is when the animal is sick and is being sedated to diagnose or treat an illness. Because primates instinctively hide symptoms of illness, by the time we seek treatment for them they may be very ill and at greater risk of complications from anesthesia. Elective well-monkey visits with your vet can identify potential health risks, prevent disease and keep your monkey healthy and safe.

William Kirk Suedmeyer, DVM, Dipl. ACZM is Director of Animal Health and Research at the Kansas City Zoo. Dr. Suedmeyer spoke on the topic of preventative health care for primates in captivity at the USDA Primate Symposium 2017. Primates at the Kansas City Zoo undergo a routine physical exam every two years. The following elements are included in their health maintenance examination. A routine physical exam for our companion primates may include some or all the same elements.

(more…)