Local hospital’s furriest patient on the road to recovery after undergoing an MRI

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Brevard Zoo’s beloved Brody the bear is on the road to recovery after checking into Health First’s Viera Hospital for an MRI.

Brody has been a resident at Brevard Zoo since in his rescue as a small club from the Ocala National Forest in March 2020. At the time of his rescue, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission deemed him “un-releasable.”

SEE: 2 new nighttime spectaculars to debut during Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary

Last summer, Brody began struggling with mobility issues. Zoo veterinarians tried hip surgery and stem-cell therapy, which initially showed promising signs, however; veterinarians soon suspected that some of his issues were neurological in nature.

Numerous tests failed to discover weakness in the young bear’s hind legs, so zoo officials approached Health First about helping out.

READ: Viral video from toddler’s hospital room spurs debate over meaning of ‘brain dead’

“Our counterparts at the Brevard Zoo approached us and explained Brody’s situation and we knew we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to help. It took about two weeks of preparation between our staff and Brevard Zoo veterinarians before we could assess Brody’s health needs,” said Dianna Green, Health First’s director of clinical operations & radiology. “We had to find out how much he weighed, was he going to fit into the scanner and what exactly we would be looking for because we’ve never scanned a bear before, and their anatomy is different than what we’re used to seeing.”

READ: Child Tax Credit: Could you end up having to repay some of it?

“The MRI may help to identify things a traditional CT can’t see especially in soft tissue like muscle and vertebral disks. Brody obviously needed to be sedated for this sort of examination, and certainly the shortest time possible is better and more comfortable for him. Being Brody’s neighbor certainly has its perks he was in and out in approximately 45 minutes,” Green said.

The MRI didn’t detect any specific issues and doctors determined, based on his behavior, that Brody bruised his spinal cord and aggravated an injury before it fully healed.

READ: Out of office: Bumble gives all 700 employees week off

Brody is back at the zoo and has supervised visits with the other bears at the zoo to get exercise and play time.

Zoo officials want to make sure Brody and the other bears do not get too rowdy, possibly causing more injury and slowing down the healing process. Doctors believe Brody is on the road to a full recovery.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, and click here to watch the latest news on your Smart TV.

Teen sleeping in hammock attacked by bear in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, bear killed (NCD)

©2021 Cox Media Group