Joel Alves, 12 Dec 2024 Morning all. A penny for your thoughts on this young adult white rhino bull in an open system? The “wound” on the cranial aspect of the limb looks very much like a typical snare wound, but nothing has been reported recently and no wound described with initial lameness. This almost looks like the mechanics of the leg are contributing to the external appearance now. Ulf Tubessing, 12 Dec 2024 Hi Joel. I have seen a case like this which on X ray showed a snare that cut through the skin 360° and was embedded deep in tissue. I dad to make a 6 cm deep incision to reach and cut the wire and managed to pull it out. Wounds were thoroughly scrubbed, cleaned and flushed. Recovery was swift and complete Joel Alves, [12 Dec 2024 at 07:47:25]: Thanks Ulf. The one thing that confuses me is the rhino are well monitored and the maximum period it would not have been seen is a matter of days, a week at most. Do you think that is enough time for snare to embed and grow over without a fresher looking wound? Ulf Tubessing, [12 Dec 2024 at 07:56:19]: Hi Joel no, I dont think so. In my case, they have seen suspect lesions which seemed to improve only to cause renewed problems months later Joel Alves, [12 Dec 2024 at 08:14:29]: Hi Ulf. So, the information has just been confirmed. Lameness was reported two to three days ago, and this fold/wound was not present. This wound presented this morning for the first time after the animal had moved approximately 800 m from area it was seen last night. This makes it more likely that it’s the mechanics of the leg that’s contributing to that fold. I have just never seen anything like it! Radiography is going to be tough to organize, but not impossible, and likely best next step but was interested in the presentation. Ulf Tubessing, [12 Dec 2024 at 09:12:51]: Once you have the rhino down, probe the skin for wounds. My case (see below) was in a very dry part of the country where the rhinos are fed daily. They initially observed swelling and oozing from a ring-like wound, decided to give it a few days before calling in a vet. The lameness and wound improved until it got worse again months later Kobus Hoffman, [12 Dec 2024 at 15:42:42]: Joel, looking at how that leg moves and acuteness of lameness, consider a fracture. Had to put down a rhino recently that was still bearing weight on a fractured hind limb… HO Reuter, [12 Dec 2024 at 15:54:38]: I think Kobus might be right. Johan Marais has had good success at times with casting legs with fractures in lower limbs. But depending how long / much he’s been walking on it (if fractured), I suspect huge amount of soft tissue trauma. Do they have boma option? If fractured, I would consider euthanasia. This young rhino bull was shot in his leg and very lame but still walked on his leg. By the time we darted him (1 or 2 days later) we felt the crepitus and unstable distal femur and euthanased. This is what the leg looked inside. Joel Alves, [12 Dec 2024 at 19:00:24]: Sjoe, that’s a rough one HO. We will have some feedback after tomorrow. It will require immobilization to investigate. Unfortunately, the availability of a boma at this stage is tricky but not out of the question to make a temporary plan. The prognosis looks pretty poor though but let’s see. HO Reuter, [12 Dec 2024 at 19:02:32]: I suppose very much depends on the cause, e.g. whether fracture, or infection due to foreign body. Bart Gazendam, 13 Dec 2024 Some feedback on the limping rhino that Joel posted the other day. Unfortunately, we found a tibia fracture, with lots of oedema around the lower leg as suspected. The animal has been euthanased. Jacques ODell, [13 Dec 2024 at 15:13:40]: Thanks for the feedback, Bart It is amazing how much weight a rhino can still take on a hind leg despite a fracture. The worst case I have had was a severely comminuted femur fracture and dislocation of the hip joint and the cow still took weight on the leg. She lived like that for several weeks.
