The veterinary team at Terra Natura Benidorm treats a peccary, a rhea and a goat for osteoarthritis in their limbs.

Despite what is often believed, osteoarthritis is not only suffered by humans, but also affects some animals. Our team of vets at Terra Natura Benidorm have started treating a collared peccary, a rhea and a goat to treat this rheumatic disease that these three animals suffer from in their limbs.

In the case of the peccary and the rhea the treatment has consisted of the administration of anti-inflammatory drugs, but in the case of the goat, corticoids have been administered. Both treatments will last for 10 days. Once this period has elapsed, the animals will be checked again by the veterinary team to verify their evolution.

The keepers of Terra Natura Benidorm detected a few days ago that these animals were showing a slight limp. Due to the type of lameness and the advanced age of the animals, the vets determined that it was osteoarthritis. In older, long-lived animals it is relatively common for problems related to the degeneration of certain tissues, such as joint tissue, to appear.

The animals affected by osteoarthritis in this case are between 15 and 20 years old, which is equivalent to about 75 to 80 years old in humans. If the osteoarthritis is not properly treated, the animals stop walking and interacting with their environment, in some cases, they stop eating, with the consequent danger of well-being.

The presence of older animals in the zoos is a positive indicator of the care that these animals receive from the team of keepers, as it shows that their biological needs are covered, which increases their life expectancy.