Tiger to get dental treatment at Onderstepoort veterinary hospital

The latest exotic animal to be treated at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital is Fushan, a nine-year-old male Siberian tiger.

Fushan is from Cheetah Experience in Bela-Bela, Limpopo, and had to undergo a root canal procedure at the faculty.

He was born in South Africa and donated to Cheetah Experience (which was still located in Bloemfontein at that time) when he was around five-months-old.

It wouldn’t be Fushan’s first visit to the vets – he previously needed help with a hip problem.

When Fushan arrived at his new home in Bloemfontein back then he was playing happily – albeit with a limp.

Previous examinations led to the centre being told that it was believed he had hip dysplasia and they had to wait until he was fully grown to be evaluated.

They were advised to monitor him and give him calcium supplements.

As he became older, the limp became more pronounced and in 2017, the centre had set up their veterinary practice in Bloemfontein.

They were able to sedate and examine him, after which their veterinarian, Dr Sandra Bertram diagnosed serious osteoarthritis in the left hip, likely caused by trauma as a young animal.

The acetabulum (or socket of the hip bone) also showed damage and had an abnormal shape, while the left hip was unable to extend more than a few centimetres.

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The tiger was prescribed pain medication and supplements and had access to a swimming pool for therapeutic exercise.

Over the next few years, his behaviour was closely monitored.

His medication and supplements were adjusted, particularly when the weather got particularly cold or he had over-exerted himself which influenced his mobility.

In February, Fushan was relocated to Cheetah Experience’s new property in Bela-Bela.

His new enclosure is 7 500sq/m, plus he has a 3mx5m, 1,5m deep swimming pool that is in addition to lots of trees, bushes and rocks.

In early July, Fushan was brought to Onderstepoort to get some dental work done as well as to assess his hips.

Veterinary experts were on hand to perform comprehensive examinations.

The team included wildlife specialists and veterinary dental surgeons such as Professor Katja Koeppel and Professor Gerhard Steenkamp as well as wildlife veterinarians doctors Jennie Hewlett and Annette Roug.

Particular examinations of his hips were aimed at determining whether there was any degeneration of the joints and whether more could be done for him.

As expected, there was some deterioration of his left hip joint. However, Cheetah Experience will be able to continue managing his condition with medication and assessing him regularly.

His current supplements will also be reviewed and alternatives will be recommended if needed.

Cheetah Experience staff wondered why Fushan did not chew on things, and an examination by Steenkamp revealed chipping on some canines, which have developed over time.

He will review the dental work in six months unless there is earlier evidence of problems.

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