Cheyenne Mountain Zoo: 'Risky' Procedure On Giraffe Went Well
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) -- A 16-year-old giraffe named Mahali appears to be doing well after going through a "risky" procedure Thursday to treat ongoing health issues with his hooves and legs.
Mahali Update: January 30, 2020Mahali's procedure went well today. His care team was able to trim all four hooves, administer joint injections and IV stem cell therapy, and glue shoes on his two front hooves. He is awake and standing, although he's still a little unsteady after the anesthesia and as he gets used to his new footwear. Staff will be checking on him throughout the night. As Dr. Jon Romano, head veterinarian, and Jason Bredahl, animal care manager, explain in this video, they are happy with how Mahali is doing, and they plan to give everyone a more detailed update on today's procedure sometime tomorrow.
Posted by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on Thursday, January 30, 2020
Animal care specialists say Mahali has arthritis and fractures in his feet, "which he's recently indicated have become painful." In order to treat him, he had to be anesthetized and immobilized. In preparation, zoo officials nailed multiple mattresses to the walls in the "procedure space" and covered the floor with sand.
"The mattresses on the walls are a safety measure for Mahali. These cushions on the walls protect him from accidentally tripping into the hard surface while he's coming into or out of anesthesia," zoo officials stated on Facebook on Wednesday. "The sand on the floor acts as a cushion for Mahali while he lies down and remains on the floor for the procedure."
Welcome back to another update on Mahali, our 16-year-old male giraffe. We're here with Jason, giraffe animal care manager, and Amy, our senior lead giraffe keeper. You've heard in our previous week's updates that we're preparing for an immobilization of Mahali, our 16-year-old male giraffe who has been dealing with some medical issues, and has also regressed in his training. Last week, we told you about Mahali's main issues, which are fractures and arthritis in both his front feet, hoof overgrowth and sprains and ligament injuries in his front legs. We have four treatment methods planned for Mahali's immobilization, which will take place in the giraffe barn tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 30. We'd like to trim all four of his hooves, glue a shoe to each of his front feet, perform joint injections to help with arthritis and administer stem cells. Immobilizing a patient as big as Mahali is risky, so his care team is doing all they can to prepare the procedure space. Amy and Jason are taking you behind the scenes today to see the space where Mahali's procedure will take place. As you can see, we've set up the stall to make Mahali and the rest of the herd as comfortable as possible. The sand on the floor acts as a cushion for Mahali while he lies down and remains on the floor for the procedure. The mattresses on the walls are a safety measure for Mahali. These cushions on the walls protect him from accidentally tripping into the hard surface while he's coming into or out of anesthesia. We've also seen giraffe rest their heads on top of these mattresses while they're lying down and preparing to stand after anesthesia. The sheets are for the benefit of the herd. In case the procedure doesn't go as planned, we want to protect the rest of the herd from being stressed by seeing Mahali under stress. During his procedure and recovery, depending on how he does, the giraffe barn will be closed. If the weather is appropriate, the rest of the herd will have the opportunity to go out into the yards, otherwise, they'll stay in the barn. Tomorrow, we plan to provide a quick update on how Mahali did during and after the immobilization. We'll be able to provide additional details during next week's video. Thank you again for your continued support and well-wishes. We are grateful to have such a strong, supportive community behind us!
Posted by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on Wednesday, January 29, 2020
On Thursday, his care team was able to trim all four hooves, administer joint injections and IV stem cell therapy, and glue shoes on his two front hooves.
"He is awake and standing, although he's still a little unsteady after the anesthesia and as he gets used to his new footwear. Staff will be checking on him throughout the night," zoo officials said.
Dr. Jon Romano, head veterinarian, and Jason Bredahl, animal care manager said they are happy with how Mahali is doing, and they plan to give a more detailed update on his condition sometime on Friday.