A 10-year-old Amur tiger named Malena, residing in Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, underwent hip replacement surgery. Dr James Cook, a vet from the University of Missouri, performed the operation.
Malena has been at the zoo since June 2020 and was previously diagnosed with arthritis, according to Chicago Sun Times.
Malena, a 10-year-old endangered Amur tiger, got total joint replacement surgery today at Brookfield Zoo. The 250lb animal had been diagnosed with arthritis in her left hip.
“If we can get this joint back to normal, she should really have a full life.”https://t.co/5W9u1MC8eI pic.twitter.com/QAffJRIclP
— Ashlee Rezin Garcia (@Ashlee_Rezin) January 28, 2021
‘These cats are really active. They can jump 20 feet from a stance easily, and she’s not doing any of that,’ said Cook to Chicago Sun Times.
The aim of the surgery is to help put a spring back in her step. The hip joint she has been fitted with is custom made and constructed from metal as well as medical-grade plastic.
‘The technology has caught up so we can do 3D-printed, custom implants for a tiger, which was unheard of even five years ago,’ Cook continued.
The surgery took 8 hours to complete and was a success. Her doctors are just worried she may try to overexert herself while recovering, which could pose a threat.
‘The good news is that we’re going to take care of her pain really quickly. The bad news is we’re going to take care of her pain really quickly,’ Cook said. ‘So she’s going to want to use that hip and we’ve just got to make that as progressive as we can.’
Image: Unsplash
