We began the day examining boa blood, ended it by practicing our shot with a tranquilizer rifle, and learned about two very different careers relating to animal health along the way. It sure was a busy day for us at Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park!

Our first guide was Laura Keener, the manager of clinical laboratories at the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park hospitals. As part of the Wildlife Disease Laboratories Division, one of the six research divisions of the San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research, it is Dr. Keener’s responsibility to monitor the health of zoo animals by testing blood, urine, feces, saliva, and other bodily fluids for harmful parasites or signs of disease. This monumental task requires the knowledge of many disciplines, such as hematology (blood), toxicology (toxins), and endocrinology (hormones).

As we were led around the lab, I couldn’t help but think that it looked similar to any standard biomedical laboratory. There were microscopes, fume hoods, and a plethora of test tubes and tiny bottles filled with colorful reagents. I was in for a shock, therefore, when the giant -80°C freezer was opened to reveal thousands of vials filled with serum from every species of animal in the Zoo for the last couple of decades! No lab I’ve been to houses blood samples from exotic animals that died over a dozen years ago.

My next surprise came from seeing real snake blood under a microscope. I was used to observing human red blood cells that are elliptical and lack nuclei, but the red blood cells of reptiles have large nuclei in their centers. The main challenge of animal clinical pathologists is to find out what is “normal” for each species and to treat them appropriately. A bacterium that lives mutualistically with one animal can easily cause a fatal reaction in another, just as average glucose levels for one species may signal diabetes in a second.

Our second adventure of the day began when we met Dr. Jenny Waldoch, a zoo veterinarian who is completing her three-year residency with the Zoological Society of San Diego. She gave us a tour of Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center, pointing out everything from the anesthesia equipment to the physical therapy room. I was impressed at how much thought went into designing a hospital that could accommodate animals of all sizes. There were tracks on the ceiling that ran from one room to another, so that large animals could be easily transported to any destination. Dr. Waldoch even described how they can adjust their machines to take X-rays of animals of all sizes and shapes, including giant tortoises.

Although seeing a young zebra with cast on his leg made us imagine that animal medicine is similar to human medicine, our final experience blew that idea away. We each practiced shooting a tranquilizer rifle, as Dr. Waldoch explained how zoo vets must tranquilize running animals from field keeper trucks. There’s no doubt that the job of a zoo veterinarian is as diverse as the animals they care for.

Sara, Careers Team

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