Sad news

We are very sorry to report that KoKo, our only black fallow buck, died on Friday, January 8, 2010.

In December we noticed that he was drooling after eating and one of his cheeks was swollen. Nothing else seemed out of the ordinary. He was eating hay, treats and we had observed him up on his hind feed reaching for some tender cedar bits. The other deer were not bullying him or altering their behaviour towards him in any way as we had observed when George had an injured leg several years ago.

Our vet, Dr. Brian Willows of Thousand Islands Veterinary Services, examined KoKo on December 29, 2009. An abscessed tooth was suspected or perhaps "lumpy jaw". We could have tranquilized him to examine the mouth, but that procedure is not without danger especially in very cold weather. So, we began to give him antibiotics twice daily by feeding him a paste embedded in an apple and this was to be given for 14 days. If nothing changed, we would then consider tranquilizing. We noticed some weight loss but nothing extreme and thought it was related to the meds.

On Friday morning Allan fed KoKo his meds and watched him eat a bit of hay and then disappear into the woods. He seemed to be steady on his feet but oddly vocalized a bit making some grunts as he left the feeding area. In the afternoon there was no sign of him. Allan searched for over an hour and found him in a cedar grove. There were no signs of trauma. His front legs were still folded. It appears that he had collapsed and died suddenly trying to get up.

Dr. Willows was just as surprised as we were about KoKo's sudden death. We took the body to the Animal Health Lab at the University of Guelph in Kemptville for a post mortem examination.The preliminary report from the Lab indicates he was suffering from chronic mandibular osteomyelitis, tooth abscess and emaciation. The infection of his mouth had moved into the jaw and bones and was a chronic condition. Although we observed him eating and drinking, he was unable to chew his feed and was unable to create fat stores. This resulted in mild mass atrophy. The weight loss was hard to notice because of the thickness of his winter coat.

As someone has suggested, wild animals often keep their weakness hidden to protect them from predators or loss of status, and it appears that KoKo was a master at this. Or else, he was just as unaware of the seriousness of his plight as we were. In any event, we take some comfort that he did not suffer for very long, if at all.

The only good news is there appears to be no infectious disease which would harm the other members of the herd who are doing well. A sample of his brain tissue was sent for testing to ensure there was no rabies or chronic wasting disease.

We asked the Lab to determine KoKo's age and it was 10 years, about 2 years older than we thought. As you know we had no records of any of the deer rescued from the farm where they were born. When Wendy and Don bought the whole herd in 2005, KoKo had a large abscess on his flank. The farmer recommended euthanization, a recommendation that was not followed. Also earlier this year, he caught his antlers on the fence and was rescued once again.

He was a true survivor, well-loved by all who visited him. His dark coat made him easy for kids to identify and he trusted people enough to eat from their hands.

We miss him very much and wish we could have understood how ill he was. The knowledge we have gained from his loss will help us to keep his brothers healthy and strong.