Hey there's saddurables. A quick note to say today's episode is an eye-opening dive into veterinary medicine at the Smithsonian's National Zoo.

But it could get a little graphic for some people. So if it's not your thing, I'm going to give you a chance to turn it off.

While I recite some Shakespeare, and I hope that they don't edit it out.

To... I hope that they don't edit it out.

This is Side Door, a podcast from the Smithsonian with support from PRX.

I'm Lizzie Peabody. As we now know, COVID-19 didn't just affect humans.

There were reports of cats and dogs catching it, even hamsters.

And it wasn't only pets.

Now even zoo animals are coming down with

the virus. Six lions and three tigers. That's right. At the National Zoo are being treated right now

for COVID-19. Zoo staff noticed the animals were coughing and sneezing, lethargic with decreased

appetites. Right now they are being treated with various medications. This outbreak happened

about a year and a half into the pandemic. And happily, all the lions and tigers recovered.

But about six months later, one of the lions started acting funny.

She started to show differences in her chewing.

Just the coordination of her jaw was a little bit off, and the coordination of her tongue was a little bit off.

This is Callie Holder. She's a veterinary pathologist of the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

She says the lion, Naba, was one of the oldest

in the pride, about 19 years old, or 92 in cat years. Dental issues are common in old cats,

so everyone thought, oh, she probably just has a sore tooth or something's going on in her mouth that is dental.

Callie shows me a video of Naba eating a nice, juicy piece of red meat.

So this is her, and she is our sweet old lady, and she's being hand.

...