Text by Dr. Yeoh Boon Nie
Photos by BSBCC
2019 was a challenging year to initiate a new line of health care for our bears. Dental health in captive wildlife is a common but easily overlooked health issue. Last year we equipped ourselves with the basic equipment required for dental work.
In the past year, we have conducted a detailed dental examination, scaling and polishing for all resident sun bears. We noticed some positive behavioural changes in bears that received dental treatment. The bears are now confidently eating, smiling and playing with a healthier set of teeth.
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| Animals deserve great care. Our veterinarian performs dental checks on the bears |
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| Sun bear dental. They have strong and sharp canines |
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| Ongoing dental issues need special treatment |
You must be wondering why they have such terrible oral health.
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| Canine tooth fracture |
Before and after dental scaling:
Sun bear dental check-up. We found one of the female bear had chronic gingivitis and dental tartar with numerous loose teeth.
Sun bear dental check-up. We found one of the female bear had chronic gingivitis and dental tartar with numerous loose teeth.
Inappropriate captive diet
Sun bears, also referred to as honey bears, are well known for their sweet tooth. Most owners feed them rice porridge, fruits and lots of sweet treats. Sugar and carbohydrates is the perfect partner in crime to attack teeth, resulting in calculus deposition and caries.
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| Sun bear being fed a poor diet over years in captivity |
It is ridiculous to assume that human food is suitable to feed wildlife.
“If Bruno could talk, it would surely say the food I gave was delicious. He ate chocolate,”
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/06/10/i-only-wanted-to-save-the-bear/
“If Bruno could talk, it would surely say the food I gave was delicious. He ate chocolate,”
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/06/10/i-only-wanted-to-save-the-bear/
Bar biting behaviour in cage
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| Bar biting |
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| Bar biting causes enamel wear and canine tooth abrasion |
What would you do if you were locked in an extremely small and barren cage? Bar biting is one of the stereotypical behaviours developed in some of our bear’s prior to being rescued. This behaviour has weakened the tooth, and eventually has resulted in a tooth fracture. The damage caused on teeth is permanent with the treatment likely to be extraction. Without a functional canine tooth, eating a normal diet is greatly affected.
We are glad that last year we started looking into these issues; pin pointed the problems and scheduled the treatments. The work is ongoing and many dental treatments still require expertise from our vet dentist.
Please support our work. Your donation will be channelled towards purchasing more suitable dental equipment, treatment costs for the bears, and funds to seek expertise assistance.
We are glad that last year we started looking into these issues; pin pointed the problems and scheduled the treatments. The work is ongoing and many dental treatments still require expertise from our vet dentist.
Please support our work. Your donation will be channelled towards purchasing more suitable dental equipment, treatment costs for the bears, and funds to seek expertise assistance.
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| Canine teeth are specialized for tearing at trees to get honey or insects |
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