Rhino Receives Eye Surgery

>> SOUTH FLORIDA IS FILLED WITH NUMEROUS ORGANIZATIONS DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION AND CARE FOR WILDLIFE. ONE OF THE LARGEST IS DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM, WHICH INCLUDES SPECIES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. AND WHEN ONE OF THEIR ANIMALS NEED SPECIALIZED CARE, THEY SET OUT TO FIND DOCTORS WHO CAN HELP. THAT WAS THE SITUATION WITH CANDY. A 27 YEAR-OLD WHITE RHINO. DISNEY'S ANIMAL CARE TEAM NOTICED CLOUDINESS INNER EYE AND A GROWING CATARACT EXPERTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA WERE CALLED IN TO HELP SAVE CANDIES EYESIGHT. WGCUS TEDDY BYRNE HAS MORE. >> FOR MORE ON THE CARE PROVIDED FOR CANDY, THE WHITE RHINO, I AM JOINED BY DR KAREN PLUMBER AND OFTEN THE COLLEGE'S AT U.S. COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. AND REBECCA PHILLIPS WITH DISNEY'S ANIMAL SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT TEAM. THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US TODAY. >> YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. >> SO REBECCA WILL START WITH YOU AT WHAT POINT DID YOU NOTICE THAT SOMETHING MIGHT BE SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH CANDIES VISION AND THAT WOULD REQUIRE ASSISTANCE FROM OUTSIDE OF DISNEY'S CARE TEAM. >> SO ALL OF OUR ANIMALS ARE VIEWED EVERY DAY BY OUR ANIMAL CARE STAFF AND TOWARDS THE END OF 2019 ARE ANIMAL KEEPERS NOTICE THAT HER EYE APPEARED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CLOUDY. THEN WHAT IS TYPICAL FOR HER EYES? AND THAT'S WHEN WE CALLED IN OUR DISNEY VETERINARIANS TO TAKE A LOOK. WE MADE THE DECISION TO MONITOR HER EYE AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY PROGRESSION. SEE IF IT WAS JUST A ONETIME OBSERVATION OR IF THERE WAS CHANGE OVER TIME. AS OUR VETERINARIANS AND OUR ANIMAL CARE TEAM SOUGHT CHANGE OVER TIME. THAT'S WHEN WE REACHED OUT TO DR PALMER'S TEAM TO GET A MORE IN-DEPTH LOOK AT WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH HER EYE. >> AND DR PLUMBER. WHEN YOU GET THE CALL THAT YOUR ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED FOR CATARACT SURGERY ON A RHINOCEROS, WHAT WAS YOUR IMMEDIATE THOUGHT? YOU WORK WITH HORSES BEFORE? BUT NOW THIS IS A LARGER RICHLAND GULL. >> YEAH, I WAS REALLY EXCITED BECAUSE? >> NO, I GOT IN THAT ALGAE IN PART BECAUSE I GET TO SEE LOTS OF DIFFERENT SPECIES. SO IT WAS EXCITING TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH VERY BEAUTIFUL, CHARISMATIC MEGAFAUNA AS WE CALL THEM AND TO PERHAPS BE ABLE TO HELP THIS ONE INDIVIDUAL, THIS ENDANGERED INDIVIDUAL BETTER NAVIGATE HER ENVIRONMENT AND AND FEEL SAFER. I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE CONCERNS IS THAT SHE WAS A LITTLE BIT ANXIOUS, NOT HAVING THAT SPECIAL SENSE READILY AVAILABLE TO HER. SO >> AND THEN HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT PREPARING FOR PROCEDURE FOR ANIMAL OF THIS SIZE. IT YOU KNOW, THAT CAN WEIGH UP TO 4,000 POUNDS. IT'S WHAT ARE THE OBSTACLES WHEN PLANNING THE PREP WORK BEFORE EVEN ARRIVING ON SITE? >> WELL, FOR FOR CANDY. >> IN GENERAL AS CJ IS A IS REQUIREMENT FOR ANY ANIMAL. IT'S GOING UNDER CATARACT SURGERY, HANDLING PEOPLE. THEY CAN DO THINGS WITH SEDATIVES AND LOCAL BLOCKS. BUT WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE THE PATIENT PERFECTLY STILL FOR THE SURGERY. AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE CAN ASK THEM TO SIT STILL IN A CHAIR AND LET US DO THIS PROCEDURE. SO FOR HER 2 THINGS GETTING READY FOR GENERAL ANESTHESIA, WHICH IS NOT A SIMPLE THING. WHEN YOU HAVE AN ANIMAL, THAT'S 4,000 POUNDS. BUT THE OTHER THING IS MAKING SURE THAT SHE WOULD BE AMENABLE TO TREATMENT AND YOU CAN DO CATARACT SURGERY AND THE PROCEDURE ITSELF CAN GO REALLY WELL. BUT THAT CAUSES SOME INFLAMMATION AND REQUIRES ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES AND ANTIBIOTICS AFTER SURGERY JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE DONE FOR THE EYE IS SUPPORTED DURING HER HEALING PERIOD. SO WE DON'T END UP WITH COMPLICATIONS THAT COULD MAKE OR WORSE OFF. SO THERE WAS QUITE A PERIOD OF PRE PLANNING AND PRE-TREATMENT IN ORDER TO GET HER USED TO ACCEPTING THE MEDICATIONS THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY AFTER SURGERY. >> AND THEN SO REBECCA, THEN AS UF IS GETTING THEIR STUFF SET UP, WHAT IS HAPPENING AT ANIMAL KINGDOM? SURE, YOUR FACILITIES AREN'T REALLY SITUATED FOR SOMETHING OF THIS. SO HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE WHAT WOULD BE A KIND OF THEY'VE GOT A FIRST OF ITS KIND OF A VERY DAUNTING TYPE OF SURGERY. >> WE STARTED BY ASKING THE QUESTION TO DR PALMER WITH WHAT WOULD BE HER GOLD STANDARD OF CARE. POST-SURGERY IF SHE WERE TO DO THIS PROCEDURE ON AN ANIMAL. THAT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE TYPICAL LIKE A CAT OR A DOG THAT THAT'S A LITTLE BIT EASIER HANDLE. AND SHE EXPLAINED THE EYE DROPS. IT WOULD NEED TO BE DELIVERED ON A REGULAR BASIS AS WELL AS PROTECTING THE EYE. SO WE PARTNERED WITH THE COST OF BEING TEAM HERE AT WALT DISNEY WORLD AND DEVELOPED A ONE OF A KIND MASK THAT SHE WAS TAUGHT TO WEAR 24 HOURS A DAY THAT WOULD ALLOW THAT IT PROTECTED. BUT ALLOW US TO DO THE TREATMENT OF THE EYE DROPS THAT WAS PRESCRIBED BY DOCTOR PALMER. OUR TEAM SPENT OVER 2 YEARS TRAINING THE BEHAVIOR OF 4 TIMES A DAY. MULTIPLE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DROPS WITH SPACING IN BETWEEN THE DROPS. SO THAT SHE WOULD BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN HER AFTER CARE. AND WE WOULD HAVE THE BEST CHANCE WE COULD HIT A REALLY GOOD OUTCOME. >> NOW, I THINK THE MASK WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF LEARNING MORE ABOUT THIS STORY WAS AN AMAZING DEVICE CREATED. SO NOW AS THE SURGERY IS GOING UNDER WAY AND THINGS ARE PROGRESSING, DR, WERE THERE ANY CHALLENGES YOUR TEAMS FACE AND THEN HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE CANDY AS A PATIENT? >> SHE'S LOVELY IN EVERY WAY, BUT SHE IS SHE STEAK AND SHE'S NOT A DOMESTIC ANIMAL. SO, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES PATIENCE AND TIME TO KIND OF WORK WITH HER AND GET HER USED TO, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE INTERVENTIONS AND THINGS DURING SURGERY, YOU KNOW, JUST THE ACT OF NSA TIES IN 4,000 COUNTY ANIMAL. IT'S IT'S A BIG DEAL BECAUSE SHE HAD TO BE LAYING ON HER SIDE FOR THE DURATION OF SURGERY AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN IMAGINE 4,000 POUNDS ON ONE SIDE THAT CAUSES SOME COMPRESSION OF HER LONG SO IT CAN BE PROBLEMATIC FOR BREATHING AND PROBLEMATIC FOR RECOVERY BECAUSE SHE DOES WAY SO MUCH. THERE CAN BE ISSUES WITH MY OUT THAT THESE AND, YOU KNOW, THE MUSCLES BEING COMPROMISED FROM HAVING THAT MUCH WEIGHT ON THEM FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. SO THE SURGERY ITSELF WAS A LITTLE NERVE WRACKING BECAUSE WE WANTED TO GET IT DONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. SO SHE COULD WAKE UP AND BE STANDING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, BALANCING THAT WITH DUNE IS AS GOOD A JOB AS POSSIBLE. SO IT WAS A ERGONOMIC LEE, A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING BECAUSE EVEN WITH LARGE ANIMALS, IF WE DO CATARACT SURGERY ON A HORSE OR ANY OTHER LARGE ANIMAL, THEY'RE STILL GENERALLY ON THE OPERATING TABLE AND THEY'RE ABOVE THE GROUND AND WE HAVE AN OPERATING MICROSCOPE. SO THE SITUATIONS FOR SURGERY WHERE A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING. I WAS SITTING ON THE GROUND HAD I HAD LOOPS AS OPPOSED TO MICROSCOPE. SO THERE WERE SOME CHALLENGES THERE. SO IT WAS NOT THE THE EASIEST PROCEDURE, BUT I'M REALLY, REALLY HAPPY WITH THE WAY IT TURNED OUT AND WITH HER UPCOMING THUS FAR. >> AND I GUESS THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION IS THAT CANDY IS DOING WELL RIGHT NOW. SHE MADE A FULL RECOVERY AND IS DOING I'M GUESSING BACK AT ANIMAL KINGDOM. YOU KNOW, PLAYING A GREAT GUEST TO VISITORS THAT ARE COMING IN. >> YEAH, 100%. SHE HAS HER TREATMENTS. SHE STILL GETS BUSINESS FROM DR PALMER ON A REGULAR BASIS TO CHECK THE HEALING AND JUST I THINK TO SEE HER AGAIN SHE HAS GONE BACK OUT WITH THE REST OF THE RHINO CRASH AND SHE CAN BE SEEN ON KILIMANJARO SAFARI AT DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM. >> AND THEN DOCTOR PLUMMER. HOW CAN A SURGERY LIKE THIS HELP YOU PREPARE FOR FUTURE SITUATIONS WHERE YOU'RE SERVICES MIGHT BE CALLED AGAIN FOR A LARGER THAN LIFE ANIMAL. >> WELL, EVERY. >> EVERY INDIVIDUAL, EVERY INDIVIDUAL SURGERY IS DIFFERENT. SO. >> AND JUST KIND OF OVER TIME AMASSING. HAVING DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES THE WAY THE AI WORKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY AND THE SIZE OF THE EYE AND THE DENSITY OF THE CATARACTS, YOU KNOW, EVERY EVERY LITTLE ARE. INDIVIDUAL PROCEDURE IS IS DIFFERENT. SO OVER TIME, IF YOU ARE EXPOSED TO LOTS OF DIFFERENT SITUATIONS, YOU CAN KIND OF PUNT IN THE IN THE MIXED. IF SOMETHING COMES UP THAT YOU DON'T EXPECT. SO I FEEL I FEEL REALLY GOOD THAT WE DID A GOOD THING FOR CANDY AND THAT MOVING IT WILL BE ABLE TO HELP OTHER ANIMALS, EVEN IF THEY'RE DIFFERENT SPECIES AND DIFFERENT SITUATIONS. >> WELL, DOCTOR PLUMMER, MISS PHILLIPS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US AND SHARING THIS AMAZING STORY. >> HERE'S ANOTHER FACT FROM