Red-faced spider monkey goes for CT scan at vets

Red-faced spider monkeys like Smokey are classed as "vulnerable" in the wild

Staff at a veterinary surgery had an unusual patient to examine recently – a rare monkey from a nearby zoo.

Smokey, a red-faced spider monkey at the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay, Conwy, needed a CT scan when he fell ill with gastroenteritis.

He was taken to the nearby Mochdre Vets, where staff were able to use the scan to diagnose the problem, so he didn't need to have surgery.

Zoo staff say Smokey has now recovered and is now eating and acting as normal while finishing off his treatment.

Keepers first became concerned when Smokey started vomiting just over a fortnight ago.

The zoo had already lost a female spider monkey a few months ago, who died suddenly from a perforated ulcer, so they were keen to get Smokey checked out quickly.

Staff at Mochdre Vets recommended a CT scan as a way of finding out what was wrong.

Staff weren't sure what was making Smokey ill, but the scan allowed them to rule out him having a tumour, or having swallowed something

Deputy Head Nurse Robi McAffrey said: "the scan meant we could treat Smokey without surgery.

"We were able to rule out tumours, foreign bodies, and even ulcers.

"Operations in spider monkeys are always complex, and in Smokey's case, there was an added concern.

"He has been known to pull fur from his arm when stressed, so having a healing wound could have been a real temptation for him."

Nurses at the practice are used to putting cats and dogs through the CT scanner, but a spider monkey was a new type of patient for them.

Staff at Mochdre Vets said that giving Smokey a scan meant they could diagnose what was wrong without having to operate on him

Head nurse Jess Nettleton said: "The procedure is very quick, which meant Smokey was only asleep for a short time - something that carries obvious benefits for his safety and recovery.

"By the same afternoon, he was safely back in his pen and eating again."

Red-faced spider monkeys are found in the rainforests of South America, but they are classed as vulnerable because their habitat is being destroyed and they are sometimes hunted.

Staff at Mochdre Vets in Colwyn Bay are more used to scanning dogs and cats!

Smokey has now made a full recovery and is just completing his course of treatment.

Commercial Director at the Welsh Mountain Zoo Michaella Brannan said: "Smokey is much better and is back to his normal self, interacting with visitors.

"He's now eating a normal diet and swinging effortlessly around his enclosure in the way that we'd expect him to."

Head nurse Jess Nettleton prepares Smokey for the scan