Novel treatment for chronic pododermatitis in an Indian elephant (<i>Elephas maximus indicus</i>) with Mohs’ paste

Abstract

Asian and African elephants are frequently afflicted by foot disorders that can be very challenging to manage even with aggressive therapy. Such conditions may have indirect life-threatening effects. Mohs’ paste (zinc chloride based escharotic agent) was used to treat a female Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) aged 39 years with foot disorder at Kanazawa Zoological Gardens. Degenerated hyperplastic tissue was observed inside the hoofs of digits 2 and 5. Mohs’ paste was applied on the lesions, which coagulated the hyperplastic tissue and restrained its proliferation. Subsequently, the hyperplastic tissue could be trimmed with little pain, and the disorder became manageable. Mohs’ paste treatment was effective and is expected to be an alternative treatment for hoof disorder.

Application of a novel carboxymethyl cellulose-based Mohs sol–gel on malignant wounds in three dogs

“…The modified Mohs paste is beneficial in reducing hemorrhage and malodor in dogs and cats with malignant wounds [ 1 ]. Moreover, it reportedly reduced degenerated hyperplastic tissue in an Indian elephant with chronic pododermatitis [ 4 ].…”