A river otter had to undergo a double root canal Wednesday after breaking both of her upper teeth.
The four-year-old otter, Ticuna, broke both her upper canines from ‘chewing on mollusks, bony fish, and other crunchy crustaceans,’ according to The Miami Herald.
Ticuna, who lives at Miami Zoo, broke her teeth so badly that she needed to have a root canal.
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A river otter had to undergo a root canal Wednesday after breaking both of her upper teeth
She had to be put under anesthesia while two different doctors worked on her two teeth separately.
Dr. Jan Bellows along with Dr. Elizabeth McMorran and veterinary dental assistant Joana Macias were the doctors responsible for Ticuna’s procedure.
They were assisted by Zoo Miami’s veterinary team, led by Dr. Gaby Flacke.
Zoo spokesman Ron Magill said the operation went ‘without incident’ and that Ticuna was now back in her environment and ‘appears to be fully recovered.’
The four-year-old otter, Ticuna, broke both her upper canines from ‘chewing on mollusks, bony fish, and other crunchy crustaceans’
Ticuna, who lives at Miami Zoo, broke her teeth so badly that she needed to have a root canal
She had to be put under anesthesia while two different doctors worked on her two teeth separately
‘Both root canals were performed successfully without incident and Ticuna now appears to be fully recovered back at her habitat in Zoo Miami’s Amazon and Beyond exhibit,’ he said in a statement.
Magill also said that in the wild, this sort of dilemma with their teeth can prevent them from eating properly and eventually lead to death.
Giant otters, who are South American carnivorous mammals, are the longest of the world’s 13 otter species.
They are extremely endangered and, in nature, are typically found only in remote areas of the tropics in South America.
Ticuna pictured here under anesthesia as she gets her root canal done
Zoo spokesman Ron Magill said the operation went ‘without incident’ and that Ticuna was now back in her environment and ‘appears to be fully recovered’