WINNIPEG SUN (Manitoba) 09 February 08 Rare surgery saves croc eye - Zoo operation removes ulcer (Julie Horbal)
You don't need to shed any crocodile tears for Dirk -- the little guy is on the mend.
Dirk the crocodile will soon see things much clearer thanks to veterinary surgeons who performed a rare eye operation this week at the Assiniboine Park Zoo.
Doctors removed an ulcer from the 14-year-old African dwarf crocodile's cornea and stitched the reptile's third eyelid shut to protect the affected area from harm during the healing process.
Resident vet Dr. Chris Enright said the surgery has only been done on a crocodile "a handful of times" around the world.
Enright said using the third eyelid -- which usually helps protect crocodiles' eyes while underwater -- as post-op protection is common on dogs and cats, but almost unheard of when dealing with reptiles.
"We always want to do our best for the animals," he said shortly after emerging from the operating room on Wednesday. "But something like this that's out of the usual spectrum of activity is both important to help him out and interesting for us to do."
When zoo workers first found Dirk's abscess, they figured it was a scratch from a twig or a piece of sand that had stuck in his eye. But after an initial medicated eyedrop treatment proved ineffective, Enright said the veterinarians decided to operate.
"If untreated, it could have produced scarring and blindness as well as several months of pain and irritation," he said. "Plus he was fighting off a defect on his cornea, so we tried to keep him comfortable and give him the best shot of healing."
Enright also attached a sewing button to protect Dirk's skin from the sutures. He'll remove the button and undo the third eyelid in two weeks to check on the healing process.
Zoo curator Dr. Bob Wrigley said workers want to keep the zoo's two endangered dwarf crocodiles healthy, especially since the species has been around for at least 80 million years already.
"We describe them as real living fossils," he said. "They're a real ancient group, and young people seem to have a natural love of big reptiles."
Rare surgery saves croc eye