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CassandraS
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| Posted: Aug 3 2007, 05:05 PM |
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Our male black rhino(11 yrs. old) has recently developed two sores on his hips, that seem to be associated with pressure points where he lays. They are about dime size and perfectly round. They almost appear as though a circle of skin just fell off. We have been trying to get one of them to heal up for about 4 months now, and it has not. We recently took a scrape for cytology but have no results back. Has anyone encountered similar sores, and if so, did they find out what caused them and did they heal? I am hopeful that it is nothing to worry about, but I thought I would see what everyone else has seen.
Thank you
Cassandra Sampson
Great Plains Zoo-Sioux Falls, SD
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Cassandra Sampson
Great Plains Zoo
Sioux Falls, SD
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Rynotamer
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| Posted: Aug 4 2007, 03:30 PM |
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Cassandra,
Sounds like the same things our female had/has. Has he had small blisters in random spots filled with clear fluid? Our female had those, but now she has a bad infection and foot problems (NOT saying that you have to worry about it leading to that). We need to talk. You can email me at marqua12@msu.edu (that's a one not an L).
Mark Marquardt
Potter Park Zoo
Lansing, Michigan
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Mark Marquardt
Potter Park Zoo
Lansing, Michigan
RIP.....Spike and Ebony '08
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nyukitx
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| Posted: Aug 22 2007, 04:54 AM |
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Cassandra,
We have an older bull (27) who had similar pressure-point scabs. They were not the lesions usually mentioned in literature but from some sort of abbrassion to his hips. There were 2 or 3 over the years, usually between nickle to quarter sized, and took months and months to heal.
We tried hydrotherapy plus an antibiotic which worked to a degree. However, if we used a petrolium based ointment it kept the scab soft and would slough off when he brushed against the floor to lie down, and when we used a water-based ointment the scab would dry and then get flaked off as the skin fold flexed with his movements.
We were in the habit of bathing our rhinos every day with warm water to take off the mud and check for any skin problems. It was decided to limit the bath to once a week with the thinking the skin would chap just as our hands do when we wash them too often (familiar keeper problem, right?) The scab healed slowly, but DID heal, under the mudpack and - knock on wood - hasn't recurred in over a year.
Hope it helps some. And we're all pulling for Ebby here in TX, Mark.
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Rynotamer
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| Posted: Aug 23 2007, 02:50 PM |
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Thanks nyukitx. I don't know if you've heard but we're pretty much convinced that Eb has the dreaded "Black Rhino syndrome"  so now I guess instead of Skin Lesions I should rename this Black Rhino Syndrome. There is very strong talk about covering our barn floors with the rubber stuff like on running tracks. We have devised a foot bath, whether or not we'll get her to walk through it. Hopefully it will be installed today (my day off). We need all the help/suggestions anyone has out there.
Cassandra, did you get my email? I replied and got the spam checking thing and went through all of that.
thanx,
mark
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Mark Marquardt
Potter Park Zoo
Lansing, Michigan
RIP.....Spike and Ebony '08
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CassandraS
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| Posted: Aug 28 2007, 09:49 PM |
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Mark,
I did not get a second e-mail from you. I've only received one. Sorry about the spam checker-we're having some problems with that right now.
Cassandra
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Cassandra Sampson
Great Plains Zoo
Sioux Falls, SD
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CassandraS
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| Posted: Sep 4 2007, 10:48 PM |
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Here's an update:
Our skin biopsy of the sore came back as with the common bacteria associated with the "black rhino syndrome". We have been keeping it clean and applying fly ointment, but it has not decreased in size. Maybe we should try daily mud packs instead. Our rhinos roll in the mud daily, but not always enough to cover it up on their own. Any thoughts?
Also, I'm not sure what to expect now. Will the sores become more numerous? Is there any other concerns? Our vet said we should just check blood often for systemic problems. Does that sound about right?
(Mark-my IT guy said you should be clear to send mail through now-try again I guess)
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Cassandra Sampson
Great Plains Zoo
Sioux Falls, SD
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adam
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| Posted: Sep 6 2007, 02:20 PM |
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Mark,
Do the flies contribute to the size of the sores/lesions? If so instead of using mud packs try SWAT. It is a fly repellant (used with horses) that we use with our young male when he gets sores, and it works wonderfully. You simply apply a layer to the areas that are affected and swarming with flies.
adam
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Rynotamer
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| Posted: Sep 6 2007, 08:51 PM |
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Cassandra,
Sorry to hear about your rhino, it's not fun to deal with. We are applying fly spray (Repell X) to the animals and it works great.
We have not tried the mud packs thing, our vet (and we all agree too) to try to keep her exhibit dry due to the infections she has in her feet. So far the infections are due to a type of strep infection. Just a few days ago we put about 3 inches of sand in her stalls. She really likes the sand, but we're scared she's gonna eat too much and get impacted (happened once before). We are giving her SandClear which is used with horses to prevent impactions.
We have not really observed that flies are the reason for the sores getting bigger. Where are the sores? Going out on a limb here and saying they are on pressure points, such as knees, hip points, elbows. If you are able to draw blood....DO IT, or begin now on being able to. What are you guys doing for the animal?
Mark
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Mark Marquardt
Potter Park Zoo
Lansing, Michigan
RIP.....Spike and Ebony '08
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CassandraS
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| Posted: Sep 7 2007, 09:42 PM |
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Well, so far our male only has one sore on his L hip (on a pressure point). Our only treatment has been keeping it clean and free of flies, and taking blood samples regularly. So far, everything is normal. I hose him off once a week and check everywhere for any new sores. I also keep his skin moist with mineral oil.
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Cassandra Sampson
Great Plains Zoo
Sioux Falls, SD
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Rynotamer
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| Posted: Sep 9 2007, 02:46 AM |
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We used Diluted Nolvasan in a spray bottle to aid in keeping the sores clean.
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Mark Marquardt
Potter Park Zoo
Lansing, Michigan
RIP.....Spike and Ebony '08
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jimma
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| Posted: Oct 12 2007, 03:27 PM |
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Cassandra,
As Mark has mentioned we have used deluted nolvasan spray, nolvasan suspention (oint.) and we are currently using silver sulfadiazine cream. The sores on legs at the pressure points have healed then reappeared. Hopefully with the new flooring we are getting it will help with the healing process. Adam asked about flys making the sores larger. Flys are a problem, we use fly spray to keep them away from the sores, but I cannot say if the flys contributed to increasing size of the sores. Good luck and I hope it is not the same disease our rhino has. She is having another foot surgery on October 16, 2007 this will be her third.
Thank you,
Janice Tomlian
Potter Park Zoo
Lansing MI
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Rynotamer
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| Posted: Oct 23 2007, 02:55 AM |
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Nice handle Janice...how original
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Mark Marquardt
Potter Park Zoo
Lansing, Michigan
RIP.....Spike and Ebony '08
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Rynotamer
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| Posted: Nov 2 2007, 02:24 AM |
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Cassandra,
Just checking in with you. How's your rhino doing? Eb recently had her 3rd procedure (trim nails, etc) with a fourth planned in December. She's doing ok. We just got a new rubber floor put in her stall, she seems to like it. The bars work great. The gal training her is doing an awesome job but now Eb just needs to heal up. Stupid black rhino syndrome....I'm worried about winter and not being able to let her out everyday.
Mark
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Mark Marquardt
Potter Park Zoo
Lansing, Michigan
RIP.....Spike and Ebony '08
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CassandraS
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| Posted: Nov 3 2007, 08:47 PM |
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Our rhino is doing alright. He now has about 8 sores we are watching. I think the dry air we have in the winter is going to make it worse, so I am going to be going heavy on the mineral oil, and even possibly do some mud baths inside with dirt I've collected this fall. Our rhinos won't roll in dirt on the floor, so I am going to have to pack it on them with my own two hands! Isn't our job great?!
All of his blood tests have come back normal so far. Do you guys do blood tests on yours? What have the results shown?
We just got done with a round of fecal and blood collections for a study done by Candice Dorsey from Smithsonian Institute. It should be interesting, since our male was in the same study a couple of years ago before he had the lesions.
Cassandra
GPZ
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Cassandra Sampson
Great Plains Zoo
Sioux Falls, SD
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cydneyp
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| Posted: Nov 12 2007, 01:38 AM |
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Some suggestions for a mud bath...
In Wisconsin, our rhinos are stuck in the barn for a few months so I give them mud baths a couple of times a week. They come in the vet chute for grain, etc and allow us to rinse them off and then apply the mud. I use an organic topsoil mix and add natural occurring clay to help the mud to stick thicker and longer. I also add mineral oil to the mud. Using a natural bristle horse grooming brush really helps to paint it on thick. A good consistency is like thick pancake batter. The animals that I have worked with that wallow naturally (i.e. capybara, warthogs, rhinos) have appeared to heal much more quickly when the wounds are treated with nolvasan, a thin layer of topical ointment applied and then packed with mud.
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Skin lesions
