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8 North American river otter at The Swamp ZARD can’t come soon enough for Dr. Eric Hostnik, a board-certified
veterinary radiologist who specializes in wildlife, zoo, and aquatic
9 Fractured tooth of a North American river otter, diagnosed
using CT medicine. He is a consultant with CZS’s Radiology Consulting Service
10 A CT of the abdomen of a western lowland gorilla shows and a member of the ZARD leadership team. He is also an associate
cecal torsion, a twisting of the gastrointestinal tract professor of veterinary radiology at Ohio State University College of
Veterinary Medicine.
11 Western lowland gorilla at Tropic World
Hostnik’s clients are veterinary professionals from all over
the world. They send him radiographic images of their patients—from
sloths and vultures to rays and angelfish. For example, a client may send
11
him radiographs of a vulture with the question: “This vulture is sick.
Is this image normal?”
“There are no textbooks to reference for the normal radiographic
anatomy of non-domestic animals,” he said. That includes vultures.
Each species’ anatomy is unique. “We’re doing the best we can with what
we’ve got,” said Hostnik, who was also a founding member and the first
president of the Zoo, Exotic, Wildlife Diagnostic Imaging Society within
the American College of Veterinary Radiology.
In addition to his extensive knowledge of animal anatomy
and physiology, Hostnik is resourceful and diligent. He may search
for previously published studies of an animal of a similar species.
“I understand the radiology principles of tissues and bones,” he said.
“If I have a paper that tells me
about the anatomy of a species, 12
I try to interpolate those details
and give the most educated
interpretation I can give.”
Sometimes he gets lucky.
For example, a paper published
decades ago about the anatomy of
a two-toed sloth helped him with
a case. “It outlined a vertebral vein
that drains the back half of the
body, which is pretty unique to
ZARD’s anticipated launch date is the that species.”
fall of 2024 and excitement is building in Some of the toughest cases 13
the zoological community. “It will definitely concern non-mammals, said
benefit our understanding of health and Hostnik. The biology is very
wellbeing for larger populations of animals different in water-dwelling
in managed care,” said Chinnadurai. animals such as rays, sting rays,
“The more we can understand what normal, and river rays. “The liver in these
healthy animals look like, the better we can species is full of fat, which gives
optimize their healthcare going forward.” them buoyancy. Whereas if I find
a fat liver in a cat or a pangolin,
This project was made possible in part that would be a completely
by the Institute of Museum and Library different pathology.”
Services, Grant MG-249218-OMS-21.
12 Radiograph of a stingray
13 White-blotched river stingray
at The Swamp
BROOKFIELD ZOO | SPRING 2024 29
