A few months ago, the Welsh Mountain Zoo sadly lost Aranya, a female spider monkey, who passed away suddenly. A post-mortem revealed she had suffered from a perforated ulcer. So when their male, Smokey, began vomiting, it understandably caused a lot of concern. We were very pleased to be involved in his care and were able to get him examined with a CT scan. Fortunately, the results showed a severe gastroenteritis rather than something more serious. With treatment, Smokey has made a strong recovery and is now back on display, doing well.

From our perspective, being able to CT scan Smokey brought many advantages.

Firstly, the procedure was very quick, which meant Smokey was only asleep for a short time — something that carries obvious benefits for his safety and recovery.

Secondly, the scan provided us with an incredibly detailed and definitive diagnosis. We were able to rule out tumours, foreign bodies, and even ulcers. This allowed us to manage Smokey medically without the need for surgery. Operations in spider monkeys are always complex, and in Smokey’s case, there was an added concern: during the COVID lockdowns, he became stressed without visitors and pulled fur from his arm, so having a healing wound could have been a real temptation for him.

Thirdly, the process caused minimal stress. Smokey was darted, anaesthetised quickly, and cared for using our ambulance’s anaesthetic facilities alongside the CT scanner. By the same afternoon, he was safely back in his pen and eating again.

Finally, it was a real privilege for our team to be part of his care. Jess Nettleton, our Head Nurse, monitored the anaesthetic, while Deputy Head Nurse Robi McAffrey led the CT scan. We believe Smokey may now be the only red-faced spider monkey in the UK, which makes us fairly confident in saying we are among the very few teams to have ever performed a CT scan on a spider monkey!

A Devastating Turn

Sam, a spirited 7-year-old cocker spaniel, was living his best life, adventuring through mountain trails and basking in the great outdoors. But everything changed when he suddenly lost the ability to stand on his front legs, experiencing unbearable pain without an obvious cause.

A Sudden Emergency

Sam was rushed to us as an emergency case, where his condition rapidly worsened. Paralysis spread to his back legs, his breathing became strained, and his discomfort was evident. The veterinary and rehabilitation team immediately initiated a thorough assessment, suspecting a neurological or spinal issue. To pinpoint the cause, Sam was rushed to our in-house CT scanner and within minutes the scan was completed and the images sent to the Radiologist for interpretation and diagnosis within 4 hours.

The Diagnosis: Spinal Compression

The CT scan revealed a severe compression on Sam’s spinal cord in his neck region. As seen on the images the material within the red circle is from a ruptured spinal disc. This has entered the spinal column, causing spinal compression which is a time-sensitive condition. The longer the pressure on the spine remains, the more damage it can cause—possibly leading to permanent paralysis. Sam’s case was urgent, and the decision was made to transfer him to Chester Gates Referral Hospital for immediate treatment.

A Critical Transfer

Transporting Sam safely was paramount. He was carefully stabilized with pain medication and securely stretchered to prevent any further spinal damage. A veterinary nurse and rehabilitation team member accompanied him in our ambulance, ensuring his condition remained stable en route.

Meanwhile, the CT images were sent ahead to Chester Gates, the quality of the images were to such a good standard and level of detail that the specialist surgical team were able to use them to formulate a precise treatment plan. This allowed them to make adjustments to the surgical approach, ensuring the most effective spinal decompression procedure. Enabling the specialist team to view these images and plan whilst we were in transit allowed Sam to go straight into surgery on arrival, reducing the time of the compression and improving Sam’s chance of recovery.

Emergency Surgery and Immediate Relief

Upon reaching Chester Gates, Sam immediately underwent the emergency spinal decompression surgery. Surgeons removed significant amounts of blood and disc material that had been pressing on his spinal cord. The operation successfully alleviated the pressure, bringing Sam much-needed relief. His breathing stabilized, his neck regained some mobility, and his pain became more manageable.

Despite the success of the procedure, post surgery Sam remained paralyzed in all four limbs and required catheterization due to loss of bladder control which is quite common for this type of spinal injury. After two days of intensive monitoring, he was stable enough to return home, with strict post-surgery care instructions emphasizing cage rest and pain management.

The Road to Recovery: Rehabilitation

The road to recovery wasn’t easy, but Sam had a dedicated team working with him every step of the way. The veterinary team has been instrumental in managing Sam’s case post surgery when complications arose. The rehabilitation team was involved from the start, offering advice to Sam’s owners on how to adapt their home to better suit his needs. They also provided a personalized rehabilitation program, which included physiotherapy exercises for the family to perform at home, as well as massage and laser treatment to help reduce pain, swelling, and muscle tension. His owners have also been extremely committed throughout his treatment and working hard with him between his sessions.

As soon as Sam was able to stand, hydrotherapy became a pivotal part of his recovery. Underwater treadmill (UWTM) therapy played a crucial role in helping him regain his natural gait while minimizing stress on his body. While he initially showed delayed reflexes in his hind legs, consistent therapy yielded noticeable improvements. His left hind leg, weaker than the right, gradually regained strength with targeted exercises and weekly rehabilitation sessions.

Steady Progress

Thanks to consistent weekly rehabilitation sessions, including underwater treadmill therapy and laser treatments, Sam’s condition continued to improve. His hind limb muscle mass, which had been 3 cm smaller on his left leg, is now only 1 cm different from the right. Most importantly, Sam’s personality began to shine through once again. Though he’s not quite back to his mountain adventures, he’s slowly regaining his strength and mobility.

Now, Sam has advanced to the pool, a crucial step in restoring joint flexibility and further strengthening his hind limbs. His recovery, while ongoing, is a testament to his resilience, the unwavering support of his owners, and the dedication of his veterinary and rehabilitation team.

Looking Toward the Future

Sam’s journey from paralysis to recovery is a testament to resilience, expert veterinary & rehabilitation care, and the unwavering support of his loving family. Keep going, Sam—you’ve come so far!

There was suspicion that Rex had been playing with a stick and we thought that was how the injury was caused. We needed to explore the wound to see where it went and what damage had been done. It was a complete surprise when we found this still in the wound.

No wonder he was so uncomfortable. We suspected that Rex had landed on the stick with force and as the stick was wet and rotten it had snapped. This left us with other worries how far had the stick gone, what actual damage had it done and were there any other bits of stick present. Any little splinters could cause future problems. Thankfully after flushing the wound continuously for several minutes we able to perform a CT scan. The results were excellent and exactly what we hoped for. We were able to rule out any damage or any lingering pieces.

And in case you want to know what the specialist saw on the CT?

There is a poorly defined region of hypo attenuation and focal swelling within the root of the tongue on midline (Figure 1, red arrowheads). Numerous small gas foci are present within the tongue and geniohyoid/mylohyoid muscles with subjective enlargement and presumed contrast enhancement of rostral aspect of the layer. There is fluid accumulation in the le retropharyngeal space and overlying subcutaneous space (Figure 2, green arrowheads). Rostrally, numerous small gas foci are seen between the le aspect of the tongue and digastricus muscle (Figure 3, yellow arrowheads)