World First Hip Replacement for Orana’s Tasmanian Devil
Talei, a three-year-old Tasmanian devil, is the first of his kind to have had a full hip replacement!
Talei recently had his final post-surgery visual check-up by Dr Warrick Bruce, a specialist orthopaedic veterinary surgeon, who performed the ground breaking surgery in July. Orana’s Exotic Species Manager, Rachael Mason, says: “Talei is a middle-aged devil and suffered from a deteriorating hip joint causing severe pain and lameness. Our animal care and veterinary team implemented an initial treatment plan to manage the pain.
Subsequent x-rays revealed a grossly deformed hip joint which carried a poor long-term prognosis for Talei. Ongoing pain medication would not effectively manage his condition, thereby compromising his life expectancy.”
Orana’s Vet, Ben Davidson of Rangiora Vet Centre, adds: “The damage to his joint was severe where the outer layer of cartilage had eroded away meaning his joint was essentially bone rubbing on bone causing extreme discomfort. After consulting with our specialist surgeon, Dr Warrick Bruce, it was agreed that the best solution for Talei would be a full hip replacement, giving back a fully active and pain free life.”
“Dr Bruce is one of the few surgeons experienced in hip replacement surgery in animals in New Zealand. He was able to source the specialist instruments and implants required from the USA.