We reported that Milo Bear (Cub 236)had moved into The Cub House, but yesterday Curators Coy and Greg noticed that he was lethargic and had stopped eating again, a cause for alarm. They took him back to Dr. Sullivan at the UT Vet School, and he was given several tests, including an endoscopy that revealed lesions and inflamed areas. He took biopsies, gave the cub a Vitamin B shot to stimulate his appetite, pain medication, and a new antibiotic. He told the curators to give him anything he would eat. Upon return to ABR, Milo was back in the Cub Nursery where he can be monitored continuously and fed as often as he needs to eat – probably every four hours.. He was an angry little bear, and showed his displeasure by bluff-charging the side of the pen.
Here is a sequence of photos that show Milo’s treatment at the University of Tennessee Veterinary Hospital. ABR is very fortunate and most grateful for the excellent care provided to our cubs, and for the expertise of the staff and the high-tech equipment they use.
Milo is examined by the vets.
His belly is shaved for the ultrasound.
Milo receives an ultrasound.
On to the endoscopy.
Preparation for endoscopy.
Vet team studies the images that show lesions and inflammation.
Dr. Sullivan believes that the problems were caused by Milo’s prolonged starvation and were exacerbated by his eating of trash and garbage. He prescribed the meds described above and sent him back to ABR with the curators.
Today, there is good news – Milo did eat the easy-to-digest baby food. We hope this is just the first step in his recovery.
Milo ate the chicken-flavored baby food!
This was a good start, or restart for him. The curators will continue to monitor his eating and to feed him very frequently, with foods that are easy on his irritated tummy. Anyone who has suffered from ulcers can probably relate to the discomfort this little bear is experiencing. Milo is a fighter! It’s hard to imagine all that he has been through in just eleven months of life – we hope for his continued improvement.
