RZSS Vet blog: the sharp end of animal dentistry

21/04/2016 in RZSS

Back in 2015, Walker – one of two male polar bears at RZSS Highland Wildlife Park – was noted to have chipped the tip off his upper left canine tooth. Whilst he wasn’t in any apparent discomfort, we performed a full examination under anaesthesia to make a better assessment. The good news was that no treatment was required at the time; however, we did suggest a repeat examination just to ensure the tooth wasn’t deteriorating. Arktos’ move across the Park to meet Victoria in early March presented the perfect opportunity. Whilst dental examinations and treatment are a routine part of the veterinary department’s work, it isn’t every day that we have to anaesthetise a 500 kg polar bear! Highland Wildlife Park vet Jane Harley, RZSS vet Adam Naylor, and RZSS vet nurse Donna Brown were therefore grateful for the assistance of veterinary anaesthesiologist Eddie Clutton and his team from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.

The day started early at the Park, with Walker first being darted with a combination of anaesthetic drugs. Once asleep, a tube was passed into his airway so that continued gas anaesthetic drugs could be administered. A team of more than ten staff were then needed to move Walker onto a specialised inflatable examination table designed for horses. Veterinary dental specialist Norman Johnston and his team could then get to work assessing the tooth.

Even though the broken fragment of tooth was relatively small, the team were concerned that it could allow infection into the tooth’s fragile growing core (the pulp cavity). If infected, extensive root canal treatment – including cleaning, removing and filling the tooth’s internal core – would be necessary. We rarely perform complete removal of canine teeth in large carnivores due to the difficulty in getting such large teeth out. For starters, the whole tooth may measure over 15cm in length!

In order to assess the health of the tooth, Norman took a series of x-ray images so that he could evaluate the quality of the tooth dentin (the hard body of the tooth), the periodontal ligament (the strong connections which hold the tooth into its socket), and the surrounding bone of the jaw. The good news was that he was pleased with his findings; other than some cosmetic discolouration, the tooth appeared to be healthy. Based on Norman’s assessment, the team decided not to treat further at this stage. After a general health check, including blood tests and a physical examination, Walker was brought round from the anaesthesia. He recovered well and the keepers were happy to report he was back to his usual self the next morning. The keepers and veterinary department will keep a close eye on the tooth and will be back to recheck it later in the year.

Dr Adam Naylor

Veterinary Surgeon Resident to the RZSS