Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Care of Primates

Wm. Kirk Suedmeyer, DVM, Dipl. 

ACZM
Kansas City Zoo

Introduction

• Geriatric care is a relatively new focus of 

animal welfare in captive care of exotic 

animals including primates

– Longstanding cornerstone of veterinary care in 

domestic animals
Kansas City Zoo

Introduction

• Captive animals living longer

• Shift in societal conscience

• 80% of zoo animals live longer than wild counterparts

– University of Lyon, University of Zurich 2016 (Sci Rep)

• Difficult to define “geriatric”

– Wild vs Captive animal longevity

50 25
Kansas City Zoo

Introduction

• Geriatric person

– Middle age

• A person 45-61 years of age

• Life expectancy 71 years

– A person who is past middle age

• >61 and under health care

– An animal that is past middle age

• Chimpanzee >45 (50-55)

• Polar bear >25 (30)

• Elephant >40 (50)
Kansas City Zoo

Introduction

• Geriatric Care

– Goal

• Management factors to consider

– Breeding status
Kansas City Zoo

Introduction

• Geriatric Care

– Goal

• Management factors to consider

– Breeding status

– Social status
Kansas City Zoo

Introduction

• Geriatric Care

– Goal

• Management factors to consider

– Breeding status

– Social status

– Exhibit status (zoos)
Kansas City Zoo

Introduction

• Geriatric Care

– Goal

• Management factors to consider

– Breeding status

– Social status

– Exhibit status

– Medical status
Kansas City Zoo

Introduction

• Geriatric Care

– Goal

• Management factors to consider

– Animal welfare/Quality of life
Kansas City Zoo

Introduction

• Geriatric Care

– Goal

• Quality of Life

– Pain management
Kansas City Zoo

Introduction

• Geriatric Care

– Goal

• Quality of Life

– Pain management

– Weight and body condition
Kansas City Zoo

Introduction

• Geriatric Care

– Goal

• Quality of Life

– Pain management

– Weight and body condition

– Hygiene

– Behavior and Social needs/status
Kansas City Zoo

Introduction

• Geriatric Care

– Goal

• Quality of Life

– Pain management

– Weight and body condition

– Hygiene

– Behavior and Social needs/status

– Mobility
Kansas City Zoo

Introduction

• Geriatric Care

– Goal

• Quality of Life

– Pain management

– Weight and body condition

– Hygiene

– Behavior and Social 

needs/status

– Mobility
Kansas City Zoo

Introduction

• Geriatric Care

– Goal

• Quality of Life

– Pain management

– Weight and body condition

– Hygiene

– Behavior and Social needs/status

– Mobility

– Medical condition
Kansas City Zoo

Introduction

• Geriatric Care

– Goal

• Quality of Life

– Pain management

– Weight and body condition

– Hygiene

– Behavior and Social needs/status

– Mobility

– Medical condition

– More good days than bad
Kansas City Zoo

Introduction

• Geriatric Care

– Goal

• Quality of Life

– Pain management

– Weight and body condition

– Hygiene

– Behavior and Social needs/status

– Mobility

– Medical condition

– More good days than bad
Kansas City Zoo
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

– Health assessment

» Safe
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

– Health assessment

» Dental evaluation
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

– Health assessment

» Dental assessment

Normal ECG complex PVC
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

– Evaluation of organ function

» Ultrasound

» Laboratory evaluation

» Colonoscopy

» Gastroscopy

» CT/MRI
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

– Health assessment
Kansas City Zoo
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

– Health assessment

» Mona monkey
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

– Health assessment

» Gorilla
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

– Health assessment

» Orangutan
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

– Health assessment

» Ophthalmic exam

» Eye pressures
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

– Health assessment

» Body condition-
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

• Therapeutic approach

– Nutrition
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

• Therapeutic approach

– Nutrition

– Analgesics/anti-inflammatories
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

• Therapeutic approach

– Nutrition

– Analgesics/anti-inflammatories

– Chondroprotectants
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

• Therapeutic approach

– Nutrition

– Analgesics/anti-inflammatories

– Social interaction/status
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

• Therapeutic approach

– Nutrition

– Analgesics/anti-inflammatories

– Social interaction/status

» Single primate

» Additional enrichment

» Anxiolytics?
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

• Therapeutic approach

– Nutrition

– Analgesics/anti-inflammatories

– Social interaction/status

» Single primate

» Additional enrichment

» Anxiolytics?
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

• Therapeutic approach

– Nutrition

– Analgesics/anti-inflammatories

– Social interaction/status

– Medical treatment

» Dependent on condition
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

• Therapeutic approach

– Nutrition

– Analgesics/anti-inflammatories

– Social interaction/status

– Medical treatment

– Change in husbandry
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric Management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

• Therapeutic approach

– Nutrition

– Analgesics/anti-inflammatories

– Social interaction/status

– Medical treatment

– Change in husbandry
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

• Therapeutic approach

– Nutrition

– Analgesics/anti-inflammatories

– Social interaction/status

– Medical treatment

– Change in husbandry

• Euthanasia

– Complex culmination in quality 

of life decline
Kansas City Zoo

Geriatric management

• Geriatric Care

– Management

• Case evaluation

• Therapeutic approach

– Nutrition

– Analgesics/anti-inflammatories

– Social interaction/status

– Medical treatment

– Change in husbandry

• Euthanasia

– Necropsy used to learn and help

future management of geriatric animals
Kansas City Zoo

Discussion

• Geriatric care is a rapidly expanding field of 

exotic animal medicine

• Many of the preventative and therapeutic 

modalities can be used in geriatric primate care

• It is essential to initiate a 

Quality of Life plan for 

every geriatric animal
Kansas City Zoo

Conclusion

• Every animal, regardless of its perceived value 

or cost of care deserves appropriate geriatric 

management and support.
Kansas City Zoo