(Photo by Ron Magill)
Bocco, a 28-year-old male chimpanzee, was immobilized this past weekend to undergo an ultrasound examination in hopes of determining the cause of localized swelling that had been noticed in one of his legs.
Bocco has a family history of blood clots and zoo staff wanted to see if any could be seen through the exam. The ultrasound was performed by Dr. Forrest (Woody) Hayes along with the assistance of veterinary cardiologist Dr. Dewey Carpenter while Zoo Miami veterinarian Dr. Marisa Bezjian oversaw the anesthesia and performed a dental cleaning as well as doing a routine blood collection.
Early indications of the exam did not locate any blood clots but suggest that Bocco is exhibiting typical symptoms associated with heart disease for an animal of his age. Once further tests are completed, that information will be used to formulate a treatment protocol best suited to his condition.
Just like in humans, heart disease is frequently seen in adult male great apes such as chimpanzees and gorillas. And, just like in human beings, treatment consists of carefully monitoring the animal’s diet, combined with a carefully planned regimen of medications.
