Lions Need Dental Care, Too!

February 24, 2012

Veterinary dentist Peter Southerden has worked on the teeth of literally thousands of cats in his 28 years in practice.

But this cat has really big teeth, and really big tooth problems!

Kamal, a male African lion in the Bristol Zoo, had a broken tooth, and was unable to chew on bones.

If the tooth was allowed to just die, it would be very painful, and this would ultimately distort the shape of his lower jaw, making eating in general more difficult. Something had to be done.

Mr. Southerden was joined by the dental team from Eastcott Vets, to carry out the operation on the 13 cm tooth. According to Mr. Southerden,

“In terms of its anatomy, it was similar to a cat, but it was an awful lot bigger.

“It was quite odd really because it is just an enormous beast and everything is just proportionately larger than a cat, even the shape of its teeth are the same as a domestic cat.”

More than two hours later, with the procedure complete, Kamal began to wake up, and all thoughts about a big, cuddly cat disappeared. “But when he came round it was just amazing. He rumbled, he didn’t roar, he made this noise which was so loud, a bit like when you are waiting for a train on the underground and one arrives on the next station."

A note to American readers - veterinary programs in the UK are structured differently than in the US, and their degrees on graduation are baccalaureates, not doctorates. Veterinarians in the UK are generally referred to as "Dr." only when they have a PhD. Referring to Peter Southerden as "Mr." is therefore proper, and not in any way demeaning. We have great respect for our colleagues across the pond!

See the original story from The Swindon Advertiser here.