They manage to implant for the first time in Europe an ocular prosthesis to a dhole from Terra Natura Benidorm
Ophthalmologist veterinarian Eduardo Huguet has made an operation on the left eye of the animal to preserve the integrity of the eyeball
The veterinarian team has taken Lenon, one of the dholes (Cuon alpinus) that lives in the zoo, to a specialized clinic in Valencia to be operated on a problem in his left eye. Once there, Eduardo Huguet, has managed to implant, for the first time in Europe, an intraocular prosthesis to Lenon.
After evaluating Lenon’s problem in one of his eyeballs between the Terra Natura veterinarians (Mario Torró and Gloria Ribera) and the Oftalmovet team (Irene Cerrada, Carol García and Eduardo Huguet), it was decided to implant an intraocular prosthesis to avoid the pain that was causing it. To carry out the operation, it has been necessary that Lenon was trained to be able to take him to the Oftalmovet clinic in Valencia.
During the moving, the veterinarians have accompanied Lenon all the time. After knowing the problem and done some veterinary tests it was decided that the placement of an intraocular prosthesis was the best solution. The operation took an hour and was necessary to anaesthetize him, Lenon is 10 years old and was born in Terra Natura Benidorm.
The operation has been a success and now Lenon recovers normally, to the point that he has already start to share facilities with the rest of the group trying to return to normal as soon as possible. At the moment, Lenon is the dominant male of the group so this operation will help him maintain his position in the future.
Currently, veterinary ophthalmology is a specialty increasingly widespread in Europe, but there aren´t many professionals who work with wild fauna because it´s more complicated that domestic animals. This is the first time this operation takes place in Europe and probably in the world, thanks to the great work and the union between the Terra Natura Benidorm veterinarians and the Oftalmovet team.