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Baby sloth raised by teddy bear
Sloth
Baby Edward clings on to his sloth teddy.

Enables youngster to strengthen his limbs

A zookeeper at London Zoo is helping to raise a baby sloth with the aid of a very special teddy bear.

Seven-week-old Edward, who was born to second-time parents Marilyn and Leander, needed a helping hand when his mum stopped producing milk and was unable to care for her infant.

To help him build up the muscles that he would normally use to cling onto his mother, zookeeper Kelly-Anne customised a sloth-teddy with carabiners so that it could be hung from a branch, enabling the youngster to climb on and strengthen his limbs.

Kelly-Anne also bottle-feeds Edward every three hours with goat's milk - far from being an easy task, given that sloths are nocturnal mammals and are notoriously slow! Kelly-Anne says that she often has to wait for Edward to stir from a deep slumber before she can feed him.

"If he's feeling particularly hungry he makes a very funny noise to let us know," says Kelly-Anne. "A sound somewhere between a squeak and a sneeze, but it's very loud and he makes his point!"

Kelly-Anne keeps detailed records on everything the infant does, from eating to sleeping and even his toilet habits! Sloths only leave their high tree-top habitats once a week to go to the toilet, so by keeping track of how much he goes, keepers can account for any weight loss or gains.

London Zoo say that Edward is a valuable addition to the European breeding programme for his species. His details will be added to the international studbook, which is shared with zoos around the world.

Image (C) ZSL London Zoo

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.