A 10-yr-old male Masai giraffe (Giraffe camelopardalis tippelskirchi) presented with acute right forelimb lameness. Radiographs revealed a fracture of the medial claw of the distal phalanx penetrating into the distal interphalangeal joint. The giraffe was sedated while it was standing in a chute, and a wooden “hoof block” was applied to the lateral claw of the same limb. The animal was no longer lame 3 days after the procedure. Subsequent treatments included vitamin E, phenylbutazone, and glycosaminoglycans. For 7 wk it was maintained in a small holding yard on packed sand during the day and on deep sand during the night. The hoof block slowly wore down, and at 7 wk, it was placed back on concrete in the evening. At 8 wk, the block had completely worn off and the animal was no longer lame, but radiographs indicated minimal fracture healing. Radiographs performed at 7 mo indicated that there was still a radiolucent zone at the fracture line but calcification was evident at the margins of the fracture.
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1 September 2000
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF A FRACTURED THIRD PHALANX IN A MASAI GIRAFFE (GIRAFFE CAMELOPARDALIS TIPPELSKIRCHI)
Stephanie B. James,
Kriss Koss,
James Harper,
Janet Martin
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Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine
Vol. 31 • No. 3
September 2000
Vol. 31 • No. 3
September 2000
azaperone
Detomidine
fracture
giraffe
hoof block
phalanx