Page 28 - August 2016 Life In Naples Magazine

A NEW HOSPITAL

FOR A HISTORIC GARDEN

by Tim L.Tetzlaff

JNaples Zoo Director of Conservation
ust as Naples has grown in population, so have
healthcare options for area residents. The same
is also true for the rare wildlife in Naples Zoo
at Caribbean Gardens. Along with specialist
consulting veterinarians, the Zoo now has both a full-time
veterinarian and veterinary technician to monitor the health
of the animals. And over the coming year, Naples Zoo is
greatly expanding its on-site medical facilities with the
creation of a full veterinary hospital.

EQUIPPED TO CARE

Our wildlife needs have naturally outgrown the current
modular facility. To remedy this, a multi-disciplinary team
was formed to custom design the new hospital. While
animal care staff had extensive experience at other zoos and
their hospitals, other members of the team benefitted from
site visits to other zoo hospitals to explore the best of each
and take advantage of lessons learned post-construction.

The result will be an all-new hospital able to care for
animals in size from toads to tigers located on the northwest
portion of the gardens. At nearly 7,400 square feet, the
hospital enables a broad spectrum of care from outpatient
procedures to areas where animals can live while receive
ongoing care. And of course, the hospital includes a large
surgical suite capable of handling one of those giant tigers.
Additional space can handle well-animal check-ups and vet
staff will also have a full lab to perform tests.

With a full complement of medical equipment to
diagnose and care for these precious species, the new hospital
streamlines care for a variety of species. An ultrasonic scaler
provides dental treatment for lion-sized fangs. Microscopes
and a full lab allow staff to rapidly run various tests plus
blood work like chemistry panels and complete blood
count (CBC) tests without losing time for off-site analysis.
A digital radiograph bypasses traditional film and allows
instant views inside the animal. It’s also portable so our vet
can do “house calls.” And on diagnoses where x-rays aren’t
useful, doctors can use an ultrasound.

As Naples Zoo veterinarian Dr. Lizzy Arnett-Chinn
explains, “This great expansion of the veterinary facilities at
the Naples Zoo will not only allow for better overall health
care, but also decrease the need to take animals off site for

28 Life in Naples | August • September • October 2016