A giraffe calf at the San Diego Zoo was helped by undergoing an orthotic leg brace treatment. Photo courtesy of the San Diego Zoo
May 13 (UPI) -- The San Diego Zoo was able to help a 3-month-old giraffe calf named Msituni walk and stand using an orthotic leg brace treatment.
The giraffe calf had a hyperextension of the carpi, bones that are comparable to the human wrist. The disorder caused Msituni's front legs to bend improperly, making its chances of survival very low.
Msituni received a pair of specialized orthotic braces that attached to her front legs thanks to the zoo's wildlife health and wildlife care teams. Hanger Clinic crafted the braces.
"We are so glad to have the resources and expertise to step in and provide this young calf the opportunity for a full life," Matt Kinney, senior veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, said in a statement.
"Without these lifesaving braces to provide support, the position of her legs would have become increasingly more painful and progressed to a point she would not have been able to overcome," Kinney said.
Msituni has also received antibiotics for abnormalities in her blood and specialized hoof extenders to fix the irregular position of her back legs.
The treatments have been a success with Msituni attaining a healthy weight and height. The giraffe calf has also been introduced to the rest of the giraffe heard at the zoo.
Recently, the Seneca Park Zoo located in Rochester, N.Y., announced the birth of a Masai giraffe.