Medical advancements are happening every day, and they are downright amazing! This is not only true in human medicine, but in veterinary medicine as well. A parrot who was recently rescued in Brazil is proof!
Paulo Roberto Martins Nunziata is the founder of Renascer ACN, an animal rescue and rehabilitation center. He and his team members took in a parrot with a badly damaged beak. Since these birds use their beaks for everything, they knew the little one wouldn’t be able to survive on his own.
While they could have just brought the parrot in and let him live out the rest of his days in peace, Paulo and his team wanted to give him the quality of life he deserves! So veterinarian Maria Ângela Panelli Marchió got to work coming up with a solution.
Maria is especially good at helping injured animals get back on their feet with with homemade plastic resin prostheses. Before long, she figured out a way to build the parrot a prosthetic beak.
The bird had to undergo surgery to have it attached, but once they finished, the little guy’s life was completely transformed!
The new beak was made by hand using polymethylmethacrylate. It is so durable that it would take some serious machinery to remove it.
Even better, it’s not just for show! Since being fit with his new beak, the parrot has been able to eat, climb, and do everything else he could do before!
“Today [the parrot] has a normal life,” Paulo said. “However, it just can’t be returned to its natural habitat because even though the prosthesis is resistant, there’s a risk of it falling over time, as these animals use their beaks for everything.”
We’re just glad this cutie is safe and sound! If this doesn’t count as an innovative veterinary advancement, we don’t know what would.
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