Photo: Ashlee Rezin Garcia/ /Chicago Sun-Times via AP
Malena is hoping to move a bit easier after getting a hip replacement.
According toThe Associated Press, the 10-year-old Amur tiger, who suffers from arthritis, underwent the surgery atChicago’s Brookfield Zooon Wednesday.
Malena arrived at the Illinois zoo last year with arthritis of the hip, which is a normal degenerative issue for older big cats. The zoo tried treating the issue with pain medication but realized after doing a CT scan of Malena’s hips that she needed surgery to improve her quality of life.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP
“The first six weeks are critical, but we’ve given it our best shot and are pleased with the result,” Cook said, adding that Malena appeared to have a full range of motion in her hips following the replacement.
The tiger is not the first big cat to undergo a hip replacement. A cheetah, a snow leopard, and a tiger have all received hip replacements in the past with varying results. These past surgeries have all used non-custom implant designs for the hip replacement piece, so the Brookfield Zoo team is hoping the custom implant they had made for Malena will led to greater post-op success.
source: people.com
