Nature
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What you'll discover in this article
- A 4.5-meter (15-foot) reticulated python has received electrochemotherapy treatment on a tumor in a world first.
- Experts at Chester Zoo worked together with those at the University of Liverpool to come up with a new treatment for Jodie Foster after her tumor recurred.
- “There should be no negative long-term impacts from the surgery or therapy and, all being well, she should continue to live a long life,” Dr Ian Ashpole, Veterinary Officer at Chester Zoo, told IFLScience.
How would you treat a 15-foot snake with a cancerous tumor? That was the question posed to veterinary professionals at Chester Zoo when they were tasked with helping Jodie Foster the reticulated python.
Keepers first noticed that Jodie wasn’t acting her normal self and began eating less. Tests revealed that Jodie had a fibrosarcoma, a type of malignant tumor in her jaw. While one operation saw the team able to remove the tumor, unfortunately it later returned and started destroying part of Jodie’s jawbone.
The team at Chester contacted experts at the University of Liverpool to come up with a new plan to help Jodie.
The logistics of moving a 15-foot, 40-kilogram snake are challenging.
Dr Ian Ashpole
“We contacted veterinary oncology experts at the University of Liverpool to see what might be the best way forward for JF’s treatment, and they suggested electrochemotherapy as a procedure which has been used to treat similar tumours in domestic cats, dogs and at least one reptile species previously, so we thought it was a promising way forward,” Dr Ian Ashpole, Veterinary Officer at Chester Zoo, told IFLScience.
The operation was extra complicated because Jodie is no small snake.
The team had to anesthetize Jodie in her own habitat before carrying her over to the vet surgery. Two operating tables were put together to make a space large enough to accommodate all of Jodie’s length.
To keep her comfortable, the room was heated and warm blankets were used to help keep her body temperature stable during the procedure.
“The logistics of moving a 15-foot, 40-kilogram snake are challenging and we had to use specialised drugs and techniques to keep her safe under general anaesthesia. Pythons are also ectothermic (cold-blooded) so we needed to make sure she remained nice and warm throughout the procedure to ensure she recovered well and quickly afterwards,” said Dr Ashpole.
“In terms of anatomy, pythons can dislocate their jaws (to help them swallow large prey items), so we knew removing some of the affected mandible would be less of an issue than in other species.”
The vet team first removed the tumorous mass inside of Jodie’s mouth, and carried out a hemimandibulectomy that took away part of the damaged jaw bone.
Then came something that had never been done before. Electrochemotherapy uses carefully controlled electrical pulses that make cancer cells more susceptible to the drug bleomycin. This means that a lower dose of the bleomycin can be used, often in a single treatment.
“Electrochemotherapy is an emerging treatment, and this was the first time it had been used in a snake. The success of this treatment is a testament to the power of collaboration,” said Jose Alvarez Picornell, Department of Small Animal Clinical Science, University of Liverpool, in a statement sent to IFLScience.
“By working closely with Ian, we were able to develop a plan that not only benefited Jodie Foster but will also contribute to the wider veterinary community.”
After the 90-minute procedure, Jodie was returned to her habitat to recover. Now, a few months later, she is back to her normal self and happily chowing down on her lunch.
“She was initially being fed smaller items whilst her jaw was healing but now she is back to her normal self and eating whatever is offered. There should be no negative long-term impacts from the surgery or therapy and, all being well, she should continue to live a long life,” said Dr Ashpole.
Experimental surgery
Across the world, zoos and animal centers try new and experimental procedures to help those in their care.
Kimalu the beluga whale became the first to survive general anesthesia after a procedure to remove cysts on her head, while a brown bear called Tundra received a totally badass tooth as part of the largest veterinary crown in the world.
That's not the only recent feat of animal dentistry worth shouting about, as Rico the two-toed sloth had a pioneering three-hour procedure last year. Though it does make you wonder – why don't animals have to brush their teeth?
Plus, it's not only the bigger creatures receiving expert care and attention, as a Peruvian jumping stick was treated with a custom splint after difficulty shedding her exoskeleton.
