Out in the country, veterinarians are likely to treat a lot more than the usual house pets. Livestock of all kinds, and occasionally wildlife, are likely to need doctoring. But a 400 – 600 lb. tiger? Try imagining one of those on the examining table at the local vet!
The doctors at St. Francis Veterinary Clinic in Green Forest don’t have to imagine. Besides treating livestock, they function as wildlife veterinarians, also taking care of the big cats at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge for emergency treatment as well as ongoing medical attention.
TCWR is known for the superb care given its exotic residents, including regular checkups from visiting vets; but when the occasional problem calling for surgery surfaced, the animal had to be transported where diagnostic and operating capabilities were available. That meant a round trip of 80 miles, several rounds of sedation and lots of stress for the animals and caretakers.
That’s why, after years of fundraising, TCWR staff is pretty excited about realizing the dream of having a state-of-the-art large wildlife clinic onsite, and so are the visiting vets from St. Francis. The public has been invited to share the joy at the grand opening of Jackson’s Memorial Veterinary Hospital on Thursday, August 18, at 2 p.m.
The hospital is the culmination of years of planning, hard work, and hundreds of thousands of donated dollars. Not only does it have lab and x-ray facilities, but special equipment such as a hydraulic operating table that operates like a car lift. And everything seems to be giant-sized.
The hospital, named in memory of the refuge’s founders, the Jackson family, is an attraction within an attraction. Its innovative design, customized for treating big cats and bears, is something to see – from how the animal is brought into the building and moved onto the operating table, then into a monitored recovery room and back out into its habitat with minimal stress. The clinic has a diagnostic lab, observation rooms for the operating theaters, and even overnight facilities with a window and audio monitoring of the recovery area so staff can keep tabs on the patients.
Beyond functioning as a health care facility, the hospital is equipped to broadcast procedures via live-streaming and hold video conferencing, making it an important educational tool for industry professionals and students at veterinary schools in universities around the country. TCWR already offers an animal care internship, but with the completion of JMVH, the goal is to expand the program to include hands-on exotic animal veterinary internships.
St. Francis’s vet, Dr. Ron Eby, will continue to take the lead with ongoing and emergency care. “They’ve done a great job,” Eby said of the new facility. “We found out early on that not many vets had that much experience with big cats. Out here in the country we don’t specialize, so we probably have more experience with different animals than any vet except those at the zoos; besides, as far as anatomy goes these cats are like house cats but on a bigger scale – way bigger.”
While the building has been fully funded, some $20,000 of supplies and medications are still needed and donations are welcome. If possible, please arrive at the refuge (7 miles south of Eureka Springs on Hwy. 23) at 1:30 p.m. for complimentary shuttle service to the hospital, and enjoy light hors d’oeuvres, drinks and a tour of the hospital.
For more information: www.turpentinecreek.org, (479) 253-5841, tigers@turpentinecreek.org.