Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has achieved a milestone in veterinary medicine after successfully performing its first corrective surgery on a calf born with a congenital cleft lip at the Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture (FPL).
The achievement highlights UMS’ capability in managing complex veterinary cases while strengthening its role as a higher education institution involved in developing expertise, research and innovation in livestock health.
FPL Dean Professor Dr Abd Hamid Ahmad said the calf, named Joy, was the first recorded case of its kind at the faculty since the university’s livestock farm began operating with a new breeding group.
He explained that congenital defects such as cleft lips are rare but can occur due to several factors, including genetics, nutrition during pregnancy and environmental conditions that affect foetal development.
“Besides successfully carrying out the corrective procedure, we also documented the entire process for learning, research and future reference purposes,” he said in a statement.
Abd Hamid said Joy was born with a lip abnormality that affected its ability to properly graze, causing its growth to be slightly slower compared to other calves of the same age.
Although the calf was still able to suckle and survive normally, the FPL veterinary team decided to conduct the corrective surgery to improve its feeding ability and overall quality of life.
Before the procedure, Joy was placed in a special enclosure for three months, where it received high-protein feed, regular health monitoring and training to reduce stress during treatment and recovery.
Abd Hamid said the successful operation was made possible through close cooperation between veterinary doctors, livestock unit staff and FPL support teams with experience in various animal procedures, including Caesarean sections on goats and cattle as well as trauma treatments.
He added that the expertise and coordination of the UMS veterinary team allowed the procedure to be carried out systematically, safely and according to professional standards.
FPL also maintains a comprehensive case management system involving health records, clinical reports, surgical documentation and post-treatment monitoring to further strengthen UMS’ credibility in veterinary medicine.
Abd Hamid said documenting such cases would provide valuable references for veterinary professionals, researchers, students and the livestock industry in managing congenital conditions among farm animals in the future.
He added that the experience would not only enhance clinical training but also contribute towards improving veterinary knowledge, animal welfare and the productivity of the livestock sector through appropriate medical intervention.
