1,000 Pound Chapter 

Ask a Chicago Zoological Society veterinarian to share an unusual story about her work, and there’s no telling what you’ll get. Whether they’re checking the antibody levels of bison, prescribing arthritis medication for an elderly wombat or crafting a prosthesis for a bird with a broken beak—our vets spend their everyday work lives caring for extraordinary animals.

 
So when Dr. Jennifer Langan was asked to contribute to a collection of essays by zoo vets edited by Dr. Lucy Spelman and Ted Mashima, she chose a subject of oversized proportions: emergency surgery on a 1,000-pound carnivore.
 
The patient was Aussie Polar Bear, who on August 25, 2005, began displaying signs of a life-threatening umbilical hernia. Responding to this kind of medical crisis is a challenge even when the patient is a relatively small herbivore. Providing Aussie the care he needed required the coordinated efforts of multiple veterinarians and veterinary assistants, over 20 zoo keepers and even a forklift operator.
 
Dr. Langan tells the full story of Aussie’s surgery in a chapter of “The Rhino with Glue-On Shoes: And Other Surprising True Stories of Zoo Vets and Their Patients” called “Polar Bears STAT.”
 
While caring for Aussie obviously required a Herculean effort on her part, Dr. Langan emphasizes that it was a joint endeavor. "This polar bear recovered thanks to the efforts of many caring individuals who helped provide the life-saving treatment he needed,” she writes. “It’s a case that reminded me how lucky I am to be a zoo veterinarian."
 
“The Rhino with Glue-On Shoes” was released by Delacorte Press on June 24. To find out more about the book, Dr. Jennifer Langan and other contributing veterinarians, visit www.rhinowithglueonshoes.com. The book is available for purchase in bookstores and online at Amazon.com

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