A sinus infection is no fun for most—but when 7-year-old Layla, a 2,300-pound black rhinoceros, was suffering from the condition, veterinarians needed a better understanding of her skull to guide treatment.
But how could they get the massive animal into a CT scanner?
Heavy equipment and bags of concrete were used in the practice run, according to a WGN9 article. More than a dozen people then maneuvered Layla onto a plastic sled to take her through the gate. But the giant girl didn’t fit and had to be lifted above instead.
“As far as we know, this is the first time anyone has done a CT scan on an adult rhino, so we’re in uncharted waters," said Mike Atkesson, MD, and VP of clinical medicine at the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois. "This will give us an unparalleled look inside a rhino’s skull and guide our treatment.”
The grew will use the images to zero-in on the infected area to help remove the infected tissue from Layla’s nasal passage. They’re hopeful the hours of work getting the animal into the scanner will pay off.
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Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.