IVS Visits Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation

IVS Visits Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation

The staff at IVS had an amazing opportunity to visit the animals at Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation. Located in Gainesville Florida, Carson Springs has 275 acres of land that is home to approximately 30 rare and endangered species and over 100 animals.

All of their tigers and lions were relocated by Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, USDA or transferred from bankrupt facilities. Other animals were also confiscations by Florida Fish and Wildlife, are a part of species survival breeding plans, retired from zoo breeding programs or part of their education program which tries to feature species from different parts of the world.

Our zoologist tour guide of the day was Anna. She was extremely knowledgeable and answered any questions we had. We were able to meet all of the animals and learn their stories of how they made Carson Springs their new home.

We were introduced to Gaby the Tiger who came to Carson Springs after being a part of the traveling circus for several years. While in the circus Gaby was forced to live in a small rolling cage. Gaby does not like loud mechanical noises, and they believe it’s due to her time traveling on the road. The team makes sure to never use loud equipment around her area, they use only hand powered tools to do the yard work. The staff at Carson Springs makes it their mission to make sure Gaby always feels safe and happy every day.

Also, we had the chance to meet Scarlett the spotted hyena. Scarlett came to Carson Springs after being born in a litter of three. Spotted hyena females only have two functional teats, forcing mothers of triplet litters to show great organizational skills to allocate sufficient suckling time for each cub. Baby hyenas are born with their teeth fully developed and eyes wide open. They will fight to make sure they earn a feeding spot. Due to this, triplets have an incredibly rare chance of survival. Since Scarlett was born a triplet, they took her in after only being an hour old to ensure her a chance at life.

The IVS crew was also able to experience a lemur interaction. They took turns in groups of five to make their way into an enclosure where they watched, held, and received hugs from two red ruffed lemurs.

It was incredibly heartwarming to see up close the bond Carson Springs staff members have with the animals. We would like to thank them for their extreme dedication to giving these creatures long happy lives.

How can you help? There is no federal state funding to support the animals at Carson Springs and they are fully dependent on donations. You can do that by booking a tour, adopting an animal, hosting an event, visiting for a field trip, or even by just making an online donation. They are also hosting their annual Spring Safari Open House on 03/25/23 from 10am-2pm. It’s $15 for adults, $10 for kids (2-11), and free for children under 2 years of age. It’s one of their biggest events of the year, so do not miss out!  If you would like more information about Carson Springs, please visit their website at https://www.carsonspringswildlife.org/.

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IVS Cruise Crew 2022

IVS Cruise Crew 2022

As many of our clients can attest, the last two years in veterinary medicine have been challenging as we begin to recover from the current pandemic. We recognize the hard work and sacrifice our staff made to take care of our patients and clients through it all and to thank our dedicated employees, we sent them on a much-deserved cruise to the Bahamas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The trip started with the team meeting and carpooling to the port. Our motto for the next four days – no one left behind. After a smooth check-in our first mission was to find food, which we headed to the lunch buffet. You can grab a meal or snack any time of day. You know what’s perfect? Late night pizza after a long day of relaxing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first day was mostly spent exploring the ships amenities and relaxing poolside. We got together for the first night at a cocktail hour courtesy of Royal Caribbean!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the second day the team was able to get off the ship in Nassau and get some shopping done. With only about a 17-minute walk, part of the group relaxed on Junkaroo beach where they kayaked, snorkeled, and saw many things including lionfish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day three we set off on Perfect Day CocoCay. This is Royal Caribbeans private island. Lunch and snacks were all included. There were many excursions to choose from or you could just relax beachside. Some team members were able to see sharks, stingrays, jellyfish, a small shipwreck, and much more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Night life on the cruise ship was filled with live music, gameshows, karaoke, and even Broadway performances. There was something for everyone. This trip allowed us to take team building to a whole new level. We hope the team knows how valuable and important they are. An organization is only as good as its employees, and employees like them really make this company great.

 

 

 

Cardiology Check Up on a Coati

Cardiology Check Up on a Coati

Thanks to the hard work and quick action of the Brevard Zoo’s animal care team, 10-month-old white-nosed coatimundi Agave received a diagnosis and treatment plan following collapsing episodes. After a visit to a Dr. Borde last week, it was determined that Agave has a congenital heart defect, something that they will manage for the rest of her life.

Agave is one of three young coati kits who arrived last year as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ White-Nosed Coati Species Survival Plan. In September 2021, during a routine exam, they noticed that Agave had a heart murmur. At this point, it was not appearing to affect her, so they continued to monitor her closely and routinely rechecked this condition.

She did not show any signs of distress until March 7, when keepers found her collapsed in her Rainforest Revealed habitat. Agave was immediately taken to the zoo’s on-site hospital, where she was stabilized. The next day, she had another collapsing episode. After she recovered, they collected radiographs, bloodwork and urine and sent them to be evaluated. They suspected these episodes were related to cardiac issues and gave Agave medication to minimize her symptoms. Over the past week, Agave has stayed in her holding space for monitoring. To decrease her stress while in this environment, her roommates, Romi and Tito, stayed behind the scenes with her during this time.

X-rays of Agave’s chest were sent to a radiologist, who did not see any significant findings. The next step was to schedule an appointment with a cardiologist to diagnose her condition so the Zoo could better manage it.

Last month, a group of veterinary and animal care staff transported Agave to Animal Specialty & Emergency Center to meet with Dr. Davin Borde, a board-certified veterinary cardiologist. Dr. Borde performed an exam and ultrasound on Agave, who was anesthetized. Dr. Borde ultimately diagnosed our young coati with subaortic stenosis, a congenital heart defect. This means that her aorta (the large vessel that supplies blood to the body) is narrowed at the entrance, which prevents the normal outflow of blood and can cause heart failure. Because of this condition, it takes more effort for Agave’s heart to pump blood to her body, which is why a heart murmur could be heard.

While genetic heart defect cannot be reversed or cured, it can be managed under human care. Unfortunately, it also means Agave is not expected to have a normal coati lifespan. Despite this diagnosis, the Brevard Zoo’s animal care team is committed to providing her with the best quality of life possible during her time with them. She will be on daily medications to help control her heart rate and rhythm and reduce fluid development in her lungs.

Because they now have a treatment plan and know what to watch for, Agave has been medically cleared to return back to her habitat in Rainforest Revealed.

Receiving these types of diagnoses is never easy, but the Brevard Zoo can rest assured knowing that they are providing the best possible care for Agave and the rest of the animals under their care.

 

We’re Proud to be a Part of Our Community

We’re Proud to be a Part of Our Community

We proudly support—and partner with—national and local organizations that focus on health, inspiration, leadership, and other community-based initiatives. We show our commitment to helping others through charitable giving, participation in community events, and donation of services.

Giving back is an essential part of the way we operate every day and are committed to supporting these organizations:

Each year, we highlight a local organization by donating the sales of our locally printed t-shirts. Every time you buy an IVS t-shirt, 100% of that money is donated to support Family Promise of Gainesville, a local organization that is dedicated to helping Alachua County’s homeless children and their families.

We are also dedicated to providing cardiac treatment to animals by donating services and electrocardiogram equipment to organizations such as Friends of Jacksonville Animals and the Brevard Zoo.

Recent events we have also participated in include a Bowl-A-Thon supporting GiGi’s Playhouse (2019), a 5K supporting Service Dogs for Patriots (2019 and 2020), and the Alachua County Heart Walk supporting the American Heart Association (2016 and 2017).

COVID-19

COVID-19

In light of the recent information about the COVID-19 virus outbreak, we want to assure you that your health and safety, and the health and safety of your animals, is of utmost concern to us. We are doing all we can to keep you, your pet, and our staff as healthy as possible.

During this uncertain time, we remain OPEN for NORMAL business hours while actively monitoring updates from the CDC and AVMA as well as local state and county guidelines. This includes both our referral hospital and our telemedicine services. IVS is committed to patient and client safety, along with the safety and well-being of our entire staff. The ways that we are trying to limit illness spread, but still provide quality care to your family are:

1. We provide Low Contact Appointments – You never have to leave your car. You can wait in the car or drop off your pet and pick them up later. Our lobby is closed during this time. Your pet will be seen by our doctors and we can communicate by phone or email about your pet.

Upon arrival, call us and one of our staff will be happy to assist you. 352-331-4233

2. We will offer curbside service for medication and food pick up. Stay in your car, we will bring your product out to you.

3. We are practicing strict hygiene and cleaning protocols in order to slow the spread of germs.

4. If you are ill and your pet needs assistance, please call us. We are triaging new patients and scheduling them accordingly. We will see what can be done to accommodate your pet’s needs.

5. Consultation through our telemedicine services. We can offer alternative ways to get answers in areas including: cardiology, internal medicine, dermatology, neurology, ophthalmology, and soft-tissue surgery. The is limited to consultations between veterinarians. To learn how this can benefit your patients, please contact us.

 

We are actively monitoring the CDC and American Veterinary Medical Association in regards to the COVID-19.

Helpful resources about COVD-19 and how it affects veterinarians can be found here: https://www.avma.org/coronavirus

We encourage you to take good care of yourselves and limit social contact when possible. If you are sick, stay home. Cover your cough. Wash your hands frequently. We will be doing this too. Please feel free to call us with any questions.