Dental Expert Called in to Remove Decayed Tooth from Spotted Hyena at Perth Zoo
A dental specialist was called in to help a team of vets working in a very high pressured situation at Perth Zoo recently, when 15-year old spotted hyena Kigana required tooth extraction treatment.
A team of four keepers carried the 50-kilogram hyena to the operating table after he was sedated using a dart. As the animals are so dangerous, vets only had a 50-minute window to remove the tooth and monitor Kigana’s blood pressure and heart rate. At the beginning of the procedure, the team struggled to get a reading for the male hyena’s blood pressure, but after some prodding, the reading was taken and the procedure began.
Tooth extraction is a lot more complex on hyena than other species and this is why a dental specialist was called in. Hyena eat a lot of bone, which makes up around 40 percent of their diet, in order to keep their teeth clean and they also undergo regular plaque scraping, which is provided by the zoo vets. Unlike some animals, which have their teeth brushed, the hyenas are unwilling to bear their teeth long enough to carry out cleaning, but they are trained to show keepers their eyes, ears and mouth for brief inspection.
Kigana is now recovering well after having the decayed tooth extracted and he will soon be reunited with Sabi, the zoo’s other spotted hyena.
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