Dr. Bichsel studies Brody.

In April, Brody was brought to Health First’s Viera Hospital for an MRI scan in the hopes that we could pinpoint the cause of his mobility issues. The MRIs were reviewed by Dr. Pierre Bichsel, a board-certified veterinary neurologist from Animal Specialty & Emergency Center of Brevard, and Dr. Elizabeth Watson, a board-certified veterinary radiologist. Neither specialist noticed an anomaly in Brody’s nervous system.

Dr. Bichsel visited the Zoo last week for a look at Brody “in action” to see if his movements could provide more clues. Based on his observations, Dr. Bichsel came to the conclusion that Brody likely bruised his spinal cord sometime last year, and the injury was aggravated before he fully recovered.

The good news is that Brody’s condition has improved in recent months, and he does not seem to be in pain. While an injury of this nature can take a long time to heal completely, we don’t think Brody will need to undergo further treatment.

Since his mobility has developed, Brody has been given access to the public-facing habitat for short periods of time. He’s also had a few brief play sessions with Cheyenne behind the scenes, where keepers can easily separate the pair if Brody starts to overexert himself.

We are optimistic about Brody’s future, and you are likely to see a lot more of him this year as his injury heals!