Baby leopards are an important species for us. Here at the Bronx Zoo because they’re endangered in the wild farmers. Often hunt them because they think. The snow leopards are taking their animals as prey. If you went to Pakistan to view snow leopards. In the wild would be really lucky. If you got any kind of a view like this. We're really pleased that we had a snow leopard cub born at the Bronx Zoo four weeks ago come on chubby oh my god. The keepers are noticing that something’s not quite right. With this animal anytime. We have an animal born we always do an exam typically. We can wait eight weeks we're going to go in a little earlier and see what. Where it would be getting up and walking. But it should be crawling its real legs should be tucked in underneath. It should be crawling like this and instead. What's happening to these real legs is spread out to the side.
It ‘scrawling like this let's get our anesthetize. So that
we can start the-rays so start. It with your honor back let’s focus on the
hips. I'm going to try to hold them in so on the x-rays, everything looks
pretty good. We're not seeing. Their problems with her joints look like the
bones are growing correctly. They're not curved they're not splintered. I think
it’s something that's happening as. She’s developing it may be related to the
wave too. It's not really clear why this may be happening in this Cup one
theory. That have is that typically baby
leopards have more than one cup at a time and in this case we have just one
cup. So she’s getting all the milk. She wants and probably is growing a little
bit faster a little bit heavier. So it’s just harder and harder for the cup to
really bring those legs underneath. Gain the strength in the way that it needs
to there's any chance.
That’s been a salt correct self-correct know whether. We
could go in there and do physical therapy on her with her living with the mom.
It's a question it was important for the mom. The cub to stay bonded and we
don't want to interfere with that bond. It affects the health of the cub but if
we can’t get her legs to be corrected. She will never be able to walk over the
last few days. We've tried a lot of different methods to try to get this cup to
put her legs in the right spot and today. We have dr. Alvarez from the Animal Medical A center specializes in animal rehabilitation. She can hopefully give us some
pointers as to where to go next. Let's watch how she's functioning and the
device that you have right now. She ever rises higher on her forelimbs if you
help her so these are postural tests.
So just to see if they’re aware of where their limbs are in
space normally. What she should do what she may do in the front is hot the
other. She does so that's normal so I just want to try something. If we support
her how much better. She might be able to ambulate which is a much better
function on the left. The right okay there you go so one potential thing. We
might be able to the device. For her is a little harness almost like the
marionette that you’ve made for that bird. So that she has some sessions where
we're supporting her sternum. She's so heavy and I really. I think there's a
big component of her condition alright. So let's try and see what you do
without your humility does this hurt her no. I shouldn't hurt you at heart right
no not at all based on. What I'm seeing with the cub today it does sound like.
It might be similar to the condition. In dogs is just swimmer syndrome with
summer syndrome. The muscles that are weak are that a doctor's on.
The inside of her thigh which is why they can't get those limbs. Underneath them so if walking it looks more like swimming. Because their legs are splayed to the side puppies or kittens. Those are born with swimmer syndrome. They're frequently larger in size and they're meant. They’re carrying more weight on their body. OH, you definitely bad. I think your sciatica is fine my prognosis for this Snow Leopard is optimistic. I don't want today that she will definitely recover but in the period of approximately 30 to 40days. We should see some significant improvement. But she needs more than anything is strengthening. So if we can get her up on her feet and mobilize. I mean you saw the difference when I supported her. I mean she was really able to mobilize so much better. Then if you can combine a few of your hobbies and maybe even that harness. It should be fairly good. Therapy plan former it's really nice to hear the hobbles are working. Somebody who's really done it and really has that personal experience. I was hoping that she was going to say.
We'd see improvement in a week or two weeks but 3040 days is
still not a lot of time in the overall life of the Snow Leopard. Last week one
of the things the rehabilitation specialist dr. Alva raze commended for the
snow leopard cub was a couple of harnesses. One to support her front half and
another to support her back half. There are some commercially available
harnesses unfortunately none are quite. Snow Leopard specific for exactly what
we needed. Hence the trip to the pet store yesterday and him being here. On my
weekend sewing. Snow Leopard clothing one of the important features. This
harness is that we've added strings tout. So that we can stand up straight
sowed don't also have to go the physical. Therapists when we're done with work on
a Snow Leopard.
She's moving great on her front limbs. She's bright she’s
strong and got a lot of energy. We just got to slow her down a little bit
trying to get those back limbs under. We’ll try to attach these lateral bands.
Her legs still flop out. When she walks so the idea is to try to bring those in
so that they're more in a normal position. When she's actually walking in the
harness. I don't have to keep pushing them in with my hands can’t watch a
little support on the back. She grows and she gets bigger this becomes a
certain point. Where she's going to be less tolerant of what. we ‘redoing the
faster we get things in the right spot the better off we're going to being the
long run you.
You can also read.
2 Comments
It is truly a well-researched content and excellent wording. I got so engaged in this material that I couldn’t wait to read. I am impressed with your work and skill. Thanks. Equine Assisted Therapy
ReplyDeleteYou are sharing a piece of wonderful information here. The information you have given is truly instructive and basic for us. Appreciation for sharing an article like this.meriquin tablet
ReplyDelete