The Hindu : White tiger to be operated upon for osteolysis

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 24, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

White tiger to be operated upon for osteolysis

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, JAN. 23. Veterinary experts are gearing up for a unique surgery on an 11-year old white tiger, Rajan, which is afflicted by osteolysis or osteo-spondolytis. The tiger is quarantined in the Mysore Zoo as a precautionary measure. The majestic tiger is laterally recumbent unable to stand on its legs, the movement of its hind limbs and the tail having greatly diminished. Hence, the spinal cord of Rajan will be operated upon in the next few days. Rajan, which was brought to the zoo from Nandankanan in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, showed symptoms of arched back and regurgitation of ingested beef and was put on observation on December 24, 2003.

The Executive Director of Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Garden, Kumar Pushkar, said here on Friday that initially it was suspected to be a case of urinary tract infection and the zoo veterinarians treated the tiger with a combination of drugs with B-Complex and intravenous saline.

But since January 3, Rajan is partially paralysed and unable to bear its weight on its hind legs though the hind limbs show good response to external stimulus, according to Mr. Pushkar. A team of experts from the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Board, Bangalore, examined Rajan and collected blood, serum and urine for diagnosis, Mr. Pushkar said. But the test results did not prove or identify the exact cause of the disease.

However, radiographic image of Rajan's limbs were shown to orthopaedics and a CT scan was carried out at a multi-speciality hospital in Mysore on January 15.An examination of blood samples showed traces of brucellosis, reckoned to be a rare disease.

The samples had been sent to a laboratory in Mumbai for culture tests and the results were expected on February 4, Mr. Pushkar added.

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