Simpson the Wolf Set for Surgery

Heads up, long post, but WE NEED YOUR HELP:

We know the picture above is hard to look at, but we want you to know why you have not heard much about Simpson, our wolf pup that was found abandoned early this summer. During his first few months here, he was doing great, with a few oddities that we attributed to puppyhood. However, as he grew older, his clumsiness and poor eyesight led us to believe something more was going on. After an altercation with one of our adult wolves, his condition deteriorated significantly, ultimately leading us to take him in for a CT scan of his brain. The scan unfortunately showed some bad news; Simpson has Congenital Hydrocephalus.

This condition causes an increased production of cerebrospinal fluid, or "water on the brain", that increases intracranial pressure. In Simpson's case, his condition is likely to worsen as he gets older, and while he is currently on several medications, long term medical management is not his best option. Thankfully, our great veterinary team got to work to find solutions, and rested on surgery as his best option. 

Being this is a unique, highly specialized case, our local veterinary team contacted specialists in the field to tackle this delicate surgery. After an exhaustive search, Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has agreed to take on his case. Simpson will travel with his local veterinary team to the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital in March to have a shunt placed in his brain to drain the excess fluid and relieve pressure on his brain. We are all in agreement that this is the best option available to Simpson, however, do know, many risks are involved. 

The surgery itself is expected to cost about $10,000, with another $10,000 in expected habitat changes to make his life more comfortable. We would love your support to help us cover this unexpected hardship. Any gift is greatly appreciated as we work to give Simpson the best life we can. To make things easy, and to ensure you receive the proper credit, please click the link below to submit your donation today. From all of us at ZooMontana, thank you for your consideration!