Worthing Vet Returns From Dental Mission In India
A vet who swapped Worthing for Agra,India, has returned after spending time treating vulnerable sloth bears.
Rachel Perry, from Grove Lodge Vets, was invited to join the mission to treat the bears by International Animal Rescue. She was joined at Agra Bear Rescue Facility by colleague, Lisa Melilla.
Sloth bears are so-called because they have long claws. They have shaggy fur and their diet is made up of fruit, insects and honey. In the past, it was common for sloth bears to be used as dancing bears and they are now protected under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species.
To make younger bears less harmful for handlers, young sloth bears used to have their teeth broken and as a result, dental problems are very common. Broken teeth often become infected and dental abscesses were very commonplace in dancing bears.
Rachel said that she “jumped at the chance” to be involved in the project and said the experience was amazing and completely different to her work in the UK.
During her time in India, Rachel treated a number of bears and she was able to relieve their pain and make them more comfortable. She performed root canal treatment on the teeth that could be saved and extracted those that were severely decayed, which she said was complex because of the size of the bears.
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