Post by Bennett D. Ebberly on Nov 4, 2003 23:27:26 GMT -5
Polar Bear Gets Two Root Canals
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) - It was check-up day for Boris the polar bear as the 1,018-pound carnivore underwent two root canals and other medical checks while under anesthesia at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium during the weekend.
``Everything went really smoothly,'' said Tukwila dentist Edmund Kwan. ``It's like working on a person but even better! He's asleep!''
The 19-year-old bear was one of six that U.S. Fish and Wildlife officers rescued last Nov. 19 from a Mexican circus performing in Puerto Rico.
Two of the bears, Boris and Kenneth, now reside at the Tacoma zoo.
While with the circus, the bears acquired a nervous habit of rubbing their teeth against their cages' hard, metal bars, said University Place dentist Rhonda Savage, who assisted in Saturday's cleaning.
The practice wore down and broke the bears' teeth. Their unnatural diet of white bread, lettuce, fruit, dog chow and, once a week, fish, contributed to an abnormal build-up of plaque on their teeth, not to mention weakened physical condition.
During his spell Saturday with a team of dentists, veterinarians and support staff, Boris got his teeth and ears cleaned, two elbow cysts flushed, his blood and urine tested, vaccinations, and an ultrasound of his internal organs.
``Physically, he checks out well. He's in much better shape than when he came,'' said Dr. Holly Reed, the zoo's chief veterinarian.
In contrast to the cramped, hot conditions with the circus, Point Defiance is a bear Club Med.
These Ursus maritimus swim in a salthingy er pool and roam through their outdoor exhibit and bear den. Their daily diet includes fish, beef and a high-fat, high-protein polar bear chow packed with vitamins and minerals.