All Paws on Deck: Collaborative Veterinary Care for Our African Wild Dog Pack

At Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, animal well-being is at the heart of everything we do. On May 7, our Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Animal Hospital welcomed some very special patients: our Endangered African wild dog pack Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, David (Dave) Livingstone, and Nigel. These eight-year-old brothers came in for their biannual wellness exams, a critical part of our commitment to world-class animal care.

Specialized Care With Expert Partners

As wild dogs age, they’re at higher risk for heart issues and dental disease. That’s why we collaborated with partners, Veterinary Cardiologist Dr. Brian Scansen and Veterinary Dentist Dr. Naomi Hoyer, both from Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine to utilize their expertise while managing these specialized procedures.

With the help from Dr. Scansen, Dr. Hoyer and their teams, we were able to carefully evaluate each dog’s heart and teeth, while our DZCA Veterinary Medicine team led the anesthesia, overall wellness checks, treatments and vaccines, in addition to completing CT scans.

We also looked at Dave’s dry eyes and assessed Nigel’s lower back to make sure our tripod pup remains in good shape.

Collaboration in Action

Coordinating this type of multi-disciplinary exam takes time and teamwork. Over the course of a month, our dedicated Animal Care Specialists, Veterinary Medicine staff, and CSU partners worked together to plan every detail—from the order of anesthesia to transportation and recovery protocols.

Thanks to that preparation, the process was smooth, efficient, and most importantly, safe and stress-free for the animals.

Understanding the Unique Needs of Our Pack

African wild dogs are highly social animals with a strict hierarchy. That means veterinary care requires careful planning to protect their pack dynamics. To minimize stress, all three wild dogs were anesthetized simultaneously. It was equally important that they woke up in the correct order—Teddy first, as pack leader, followed by Dave and Nigel—to preserve their social structure.

This attention to behavioral nuance ensures the health of the animals not just physically, but emotionally and socially as well.

Conservation Through Compassionate Care

Excellent animal care goes hand-in-hand with wildlife conservation. By providing specialized, proactive medical treatment, we help ensure the longevity and quality of life for the animals in our care. That helps supports broader conservation goals for Endangered species like our wild dogs, who are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan.

At DZCA, collaboration between expert teams and external partners allows us to deliver the highest standard of care and contributes meaningfully to the global effort to protect wildlife.