Pet care: A highly skilled — but tired —elephant

Second in a series.

Will Rogers once said, “I have always felt that the best doctor is the veterinarian. He can’t ask his patients what is the matter ... he’s just got to know.” Old Will had a point. When I queried Irene, the Asian elephant, about why she wouldn’t lie down long enough to sleep, she just smiled. Who knew elephants could be smart alecks? Clearly, we would have to resort to modern medicine.

Dr. Carol Bradford of the ABQ BioPark had already X-rayed Irene’s feet and found them normal. She would have imaged other joints too if they weren’t so enormous. Physical exam findings and blood panel results were also fine. She considered a behavioral cause and contacted me. I had my suspicions; Irene is an old timer, after all.

I watched Callie, the BioPark’s elephant trainer, put Irene through her paces. Every instruction was happily obeyed — except “lie down.” Doing her best to be a good pachyderm, she offered a different response instead, like raising one leg or backing up. She just couldn’t make herself roll over and play dead. We needed an expert, so I reached out for a third opinion.

Dr. Valarie Tynes is a board certified veterinary behaviorist in Sweetwater, Texas. She helped guide my residency and, during a shared visit to the San Diego Zoo, began my education on her subspecialty — elephants. I’d made careful notes of Irene’s behavior, copied her sleep log, shot several photos and videos, and sent them off to this good doctor.

A physician once gave me advice I didn’t like hearing. He said that as we age, we should expect aches and pains. I already knew that about cats and dogs. Dr. Tynes explained that elephants are no different. She confirmed that joint pain was the likely culprit, preventing the big girl from lying down long enough for consistent REM sleep. We all agreed that Irene’s well-being was diminishing.

Which of these is most likely?

a) Disturbed by outdoor noises

b) Uncomfortable bedding

c) Pain

d) Brain tumor

e) Cranky

We focused our attention on c).

• For help with behavior problems, you can sign up for a Zoom group conference at drjeffnichol.com.