Seal with broken jaw treated by UK vetJune 28, 2016A young seal is recovering at Hunstanton Sea Life Sanctuary in Norfolk, UK, after being found abandoned with a broken jaw. Named Bonnie, the seal's injury was so bad that the veterinarian who worked on her Chris Tansley said he had only seen such injuries on cats who had had a bad fall or been hit by a car,
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Injured elephant finds humans to help treat himJune 3, 2016It’s not a sight one sees every day: A limping elephant waiting patiently for veterinary care. But that’s exactly what happened at Bumi Hills Safari Lodge staff houses in Kariba, Zimbabwe, when a bull elephant walked up and seemed to know they would treat him.
Tasmanian devil gets pacemakerJune 3, 2016A Tasmanian devil named Nick, who lives at the San Diego Zoo, is the second of his kind to undergo surgery to have a pacemaker installed.
LSU's tiger mascot undergoes stereotactic radiotherapyJune 3, 2016Louisiana State University’s tiger mascot, Mike VI, recently underwent stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) at Mary Bird Perkins—Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center.
UK Vets Extract Tooth from ElephantMay 5, 2016Lucha, a 33-year-old Asian elephant living at Zoological Society of London (ZSL) Whipsnade Zoo, had stopped eating, and veterinarians there quickly found out why: She had a wobbly tooth that had become infected. Veterinary dental surgeon, Dr. Peter Kertesz, who practices in central London, was called in to work with Lucha. He easily extracted the tooth, thanks in part to Lucha being so well-trained. “While most people dread the idea of a visit to the dentist, for Lucha the elephant it was a relaxed experience, due to the regular training and close relationship she has with our keepers," said Nic Masters, head vet at ZSL, on their website. He also added, "When anesthetizing an animal, we can’t predict what side they’ll lie down on, but thanks to training, Lucha was able to lay down on the right side, ensuring we could access her gum easily, and quickly remove the tooth to get her back on her feet as soon as possible.” The whole procedure was caught on camera, which you can watch below: Have you ever …
Volunteer Veterinary Dentists, Techs, Provide Dental Care to Big CatsApril 18, 2016If you have dreams of being a veterinary dentist for the big cats, keep an eye on the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Center Point, Ind., and the Peter Emily International Veterinary Dental Foundation for opportunities. You could take part in volunteer events, such as one that was held this past weekend, where more than 15 volunteers headed over to the Exotic Feline Rescue Center to spend two days doing dentistry work for eight big cats. The volunteers consisted of veterinary dentists, technicians and other professionals from around the United States, according to Fox 59. The animals treated included a lion, a puma and several tigers. brightcove.createExperiences(); This was thanks to the Peter Emily International Veterinary Dental Foundation (PEIVDF). According to their ‘About Us’ page: “Our mission is to provide life improving advanced veterinary dental care and treatment to exotic animals located in US (and in the future, overseas) captive animal facilities and animal sanctuaries, which are under funded and/or understaffed from a veterinary perspective. Through these missions, we are also increasing …
Cheetah Cubs Born Via C-Section Receiving Critical Care at ZooMarch 18, 2016A 5-year-old cheetah named Willow had to have a rare C-section last week at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. The birth took place on March 8 at the zoo’s regional cheetah breeding facility. Following the birth, the cubs — which consisted of three boys and two girls — were taken to the Cincinnati Zoo Nursery where they have been receiving around-the-clock veterinary care and bottle feeding. They will remain in the nursery for a minimum of eight to 12 weeks. “The cubs were born under difficult circumstances,” said Dr. Mark Campbell, Director of Animal Health at the Cincinnati Zoo in a press release. “For puppies and kittens the vast majority of their passive immunity comes from their mom’s milk especially the colostrum. Their immune systems are not developed very well at all at this time so they are unable to actively ward off infections. We are doing all we can to keep them healthy and strong, but it will be a challenge for these cubs moving forward.” Campbell, who has been with the zoo for 25 years, said that this is only the third C-section he’s been involved with. A true …
Check Out This Red Panda’s Visit to the VeterinarianMarch 2, 2016When you’re a red panda living at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo in Canada, you have to get a veterinary checkup. Staff from the zoo took the male red panda, named Phoenix, to Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada for his exam. His eyes were checked, as were his teeth (there was a small fracture) and bones. X-rays, ultrasounds and blood tests were conducted, as well as a small art project of sorts at the end (Phoenix’s paws were painted and placed on canvas for study and fundraising purposes). Phoenix was not awake during the visit to reduce the risk to the veterinarians conducting the exam. Luckily, Phoenix’s trip to the vet was filmed: </center> According to the YouTube description, the exam was filmed for educational purposes and provides benefits “from teaching skills to veterinary students for their future careers to showing school students how in-depth an annual physical examination for a wild animal is.” As Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo manager John Moran says in the video, the visit was also a learning experience for the veterinarians. “It contributes …
Ins and Outs of Bunny Rabbit Treatment and CareAugust 3, 2015Originally published in the July 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Love this article? Then subscribe today! If a rabbit hasn’t had something going in one end and out the other in as little as half a day, it’s time to get the patient in for a visit right away, said Nicole Wyre, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (avian). “They should be eating and pooping all the day,” said Dr. Wyre, who specializes in exotics at the University of Pennsylvania’s Ryan Veterinary Hospital. “If it’s been more than six to eight hours, it’s an emergency.” This may be a sign of gastrointestinal stasis and a signal that treatment is urgently needed, Wyre added. She and other veterinarians who specialize in treating rabbits said “eating and pooping” are easy and critical signs that general practitioners can cue in on. Sari Kanfer, DVM, owner of Exotic Animal Care Center in Pasadena, Calif., noted that GI stasis can range from mild cases, in which the GI tract slows down, to severe, when there is an intestinal blockage and the rabbit is hypothermic and in shock. “The cause may be stress, any …
What You Need to Know About RatsJune 5, 2015Originally published in the June 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News Exotics veterinarians who regularly handle rats say there are a few common ailments that general practitioners should be on the lookout for. Skin ectoparasites (mites and lice), mammary tumors, pneumonia and upper respiratory infections are the four most common issues that Matthew S. Johnston, VMD, Dipl. ABVP (Avian), has come across in his rat patients. Specialists like Dr. Johnston, an associate professor of avian, exotic, and zoological medicine at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, say general practitioners who have rat patients should get used to seeing and dealing with these common problems. La'Toya Latney, DVM, head of exotics at the University of Pennsylvania’s Ryan Veterinary Hospital, warned that aggressive diseases seem to be commonplace among rats of all ages. “It’s pretty common for us to see respiratory diseases in them across all ages,” Dr. Latney said, adding that the bacteria Mycoplasma pulmonis is often the cause of serious secondary respiratory infections in rats. Latney, a consultant at the Brandywine Zoo in Delaware, also said rat owners tend to complain of ocular discharge, nasal discharge and sneezing. Often these pet owners indicate that their rat’s eyes or nose are bleeding. …
