The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : This hippo now has trimmed teeth

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 17, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

This hippo now has trimmed teeth

Staff Reporter

Veterinary surgeons took up the challenge Canine tusks were trimmed, using wire saw on both the lower dental arcade

DENTAL CARE: The male hippopotamus, Raja, of a circus seen with the overgrown canine teeth.

CHENNAI: This hippopotamus has successfully undergone a surgery.

The mammal, belonging to a circus, had overgrown canine teeth. on both sides of its massive mouth.

Talking about the surgery conducted by the veterinarians to cut the overgrown canines, N. Balaraman, Vice-Chancellor of TANUVAS, told newspersons here on Thursday that a team of veterinary surgeons headed by R. Sureshkumar, Head of the Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology took up the challenge.

Prior to the surgery, the animal was not given food for a day. It was later administered sedation. After sedation a complete examination was done on the tusk, penetrating a wound on the gums and eyes.

Dr. Balaraman said the overgrown canine tusks were trimmed, using a wire saw on both the lower dental arcade and the upper canines were also partially trimmed. The wounds on the upper gums were cleaned and dressed, he said.

First operation

While conducting the surgery, the water level in the pond was reduced to 15mm and the hippo was safely left in the pond. The surgical technique of tusk trimming and subconjunctival administration of drug were done for the first time in the country, Dr.Balaraman claimed.

The operation was completed within 45 minutes, including the sedation time, he said. Soon after the vets removed 2 inches of canine, the hippo started eating the normal feed. The animal was suffering with the problem on its canine tooth for over a year now and the circus people approached various veterinary institutions outside the State, but they got the help only from the TANUVAS vets, Dr. Balaraman added.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail