Pilot whale getting treated with special orthopedic equipment

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Pilot whale getting treated with special orthopedic equipment

Updated: Monday, 14 Nov 2011, 12:32 PM EST
Published : Monday, 14 Nov 2011, 11:00 AM EST

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - SeaWorld Orlando’s Animal Rescue Team is using special orthopedic equipment to care for once-stranded pilot whale.

The whale has scoliosis – or curvature of the spine – that prevents her from swimming normally so SeaWorld Orlando animal experts and veterinarians worked with Orlando-based Jewett Orthopaedic Clinic to develop a custom-fitted brace that could be adjusted slowly over time, during daily physical therapy sessions. Vets and animal care experts hope the brace will help straighten the whale’s spine and tail, allowing it to regain use of its tail and allowing it to swim normally.

This is the first time a custom-fitted orthopedic device of this kind has been used on a large whale.

The whale is one of nearly two dozen pilot whales who beached themselves in the lower Florida Keys in May. Two were healthy enough to be returned to native waters a few days later but on May 10th, the remaining five whales were transferred to the Marine Mammal Conservancy in Key Largo for more care. Three of them died and the remaining tow whales – a young, female pilot whale named “Fredi” and an older female nicknamed “300” – were transported to SeaWorld Orlando’s Cetacean Rehabilitation Facility where they continue to receive hands-on care. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) experts have deemed the animals unreleasable due to their age and need for advanced care.

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Pilot whale getting treated with special orthopedic equipment