AssetID: 54935217
Headline: Hoof Hospital: Bashu The Giraffe Undergoes Delicate Foot Operation
Caption: Hoof Hospital: Bashu The Giraffe Undergoes Delicate Foot Operation. It took eight zookeepers, six vets, five vet nurses, four farriers, and two veterinary anaesthesiologists, to perform a life-changing veterinary procedure on Bashu, a 4.8 metre (16 feet) tall, reticulated giraffe at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire. The patriarch of the conservation zoo's herd and father to youngsters Myra and Timba, was being treated for recurrent lameness, which the Zoo's vets had identified was caused by overgrown hooves. Although he was receiving regular veterinary care - including laser treatment - foot care, and pain medication to help manage the condition, Bashu's condition was worsening over time. To prevent him from losing his ability to walk, expert farriers - hoof specialists - were called in to perform a 'radical hoof trim'. While a hoof trim may sound akin to a pedicure, when it comes to a giraffe, the list of challenges this procedure poses is as long as their famous necks. In order to conduct the procedure, Bashu had to be placed under a general anaesthetic – no small feat for an animal with the highest blood pressure in the animal kingdom. However, vets and specialists needed access to Bashu's hooves for a longer period than possible during his voluntary footcare sessions. Behind-the-scenes footage captured during the 90-minute long procedure shows specialist farrier Steve Foxworth and his team from the Zoo Hoofstock Trim Programme (ZHTP) in the US, trimming Bashu's hooves and fitting the front two with custom-made 'shoes', similar in look to horseshoes, which were made from urethane rubber and carefully attached with acrylic glue. With his head propped up against a ladder to help maintain his blood pressure, Bashu was continually monitored by veterinary anaesthetists while a special large-animal ventilator from Burtons Medical Equipment was used to help Bashu breathe throughout the procedure. Bashu's height and size meant he couldn't be transported to the veterinary hospital, so his keepers turned his habitat into an operating room, lining the walls with 46 hay bales of various sizes. Happily the procedure was a success and Bashu was up on his feet again within 15 minutes of it finishing. He has been making good progress so far since.
Keywords: Natural World,hoof,hospital,giraffe,delicate,foot,operation,zookeepers,vets,nurses,farriers,anaesthesiologists,life-changing,veterinary,procedure,Bashu,Whipsnade Zoo,Bedfordshire,lameness,overgrown,hooves,care,pain,medication,condition,walk,neck,animal,anaesthetic,footcare,rubber,blood pressure,Burtons Medical Equipment,progress
PersonInImage: