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continued from p.4 Bear's treatment has started 9 | Thursday, February 5, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com at 11 a.m. and was on her way back up to Huntsville by later the same afternoon. "Yesterday, we found out her spinal cord was not severed... what they have found out, when they did a spinal tap, is that she does have some inflammation of the spinal cord," McIntosh said. The bear's condition has been diagnosed by the team at the Oakville veterinarian hospital as a form of meningitis called myelitis, although what exactly caused the ailment remains unclear. Neurologist Dr. Carolina Duque said it's rare for the hospital to see wild animals, but that a bear's anatomy is very similar to that of a dog. "It was very interesting for us to have the opportunity to do a procedure like this," she said. "When you look at the MRI images they are truly very similar in terms of anatomy and structure." McIntosh, who founded the sanctuary in 1992, said it's the first time he's seen a bear with myelitis, or in need of an MRI. "I've seen a lot of bears and most of the time when I see them out in December or January there's a reason for it -- they obviously should be hibernating, right?" McIntosh said. "This is the second bear I've had that was paralyzed. The other one didn't need any hospital treatment, he was just super cold and recovered very quickly... in Hope's case, it's been weeks." The Mississauga Oakville veterinary hospital performs several MRIs daily on cats and dogs, but was keen on having the opportunity to treat Hope. "To help the organization as well we offered them a very reduced, minimal cost," Duque said. Above, a black bear named Hope is kept warm after being brought to Oakville for an MRI on Tuesday. At left, Hope is given some grapes to snack on as she waits patiently for her testing. | photos courtesy Bear With Us ck ! iT's ba "The opportunity for our clinical pathologists... and for me, as a neurologist to perform a spinal fluid collection in a wild animal." The hospital was going to run more tests Wednesday to determine the cause of Hope's diagnosis, but in the meantime, McIntosh and Cox have enough information to start the bear on a treatment plan. If all goes well, Hope could be back in the wild near Fort Frances enjoying berries this summer. "That hospital is excellent. There's not much they can't do," McIntosh said. "The MRI gave us information yesterday that we would never have been able to gather by guessing. So, now we have a drug plan that will have Hope up on her feet again within a month." bac k! Enjoy a Quarter of our Rotisserie Chicken glazed with Honey Garlic sauce and grilled fresh to order. Served with your choice of side, coleslaw, a piece of garlic toast and a cup of soup or slice of pie. 12.49* *White meat add 1.50 ONLY LIMITED TIME OFFER. While supplies last. All applicable taxes extra. Upgrade of sides extra. Upgrade from a cup to a bowl of soup for $1 more. ®Reg. T.M. Cara Operations Limited. NAT (TIER1,2,3)-E 01/15 Delivery & Call Ahead Pickup 1-866-439-0439 www.swisschalet.ca We pay up to 100% of insurance Deductible · We deal directly with your Insurance Company · Life time Warranty against leaks · Stone chip repairs · Free Mobile Service · Free Pickup & Drop OFF d rs n this a Mentio dshield wipe in w e dels e o r F m t d and ge s to most make an Applie 2 eggs 2 sausages 2 strips of bacon 2 slices of ham *Offer valid weekdays from February 2nd until February 27th, 2015. Valid only at the Cora restaurant in Oakville. 281 Speers Road Oakville ON 905.339.0339 1.855.339.0339 BY Certified Auto Glass Technicians with 22 years of experience All windshield,door & back glass in stock 24 Our * www.speersautoglass.ca n El iza be ye th cr W of ay tR d Ke rr St ee Qu Sp ee r sR rv al Dr oa d Do . W 200-240NorthServiceRd.W. (corner of Dorval and QEW) Oakville 905 815-8882 $ 95 Including coffee 5