The uShaka Sea World dolphins were visited by veterinary dental specialist Dr Tutt

The uShaka Sea World dolphins were visited by veterinary dental specialist Dr Tutt this week. Dr Tutt has been helping us to maintain the good dental health of the animals in our care for the last couple of years.All animals, as well as humans, develop dental health concerns in their life, and dolphins are no exception. When Dr Trutt examined the teeth of the dolphins last year, he identified 3 dolphins that required further attention. While general anaesthesia is possible and is routinely done at other facilities that house cetaceans, the procedure certainly is not easy, and there are increased risks to the animal. For this reason, we prefer to perform short surgical procedures using a local anaesthetic, and good pain control.Asking a dolphin to remain absolutely still with its mouth open whilst a dental specialist examines its mouth, is much like asking a young child to sit open mouthed in a dentist’s chair.Many of the animal behaviorists in the Mammal and Bird department have cared for the dolphins for over 25 years (some over 30 years) and have developed secure strong relationships of trust. Training the dolphins to open their mouth for an extended time period, and remain calm during the evaluation procedure was built on this solid relationship of trust.Dr Tutt was able to perform various dental procedures while he was here. His evaluation not only included an expert, visual evaluation, but he made detailed dental x-rays (radiographs) of their teeth and gums. These allowed us to identify some issues of concern, which were then immediately attended to. Two of the dolphins needed a tooth cavity filled and one dolphin needed a tooth extraction. We are extremely grateful to Dr Tutt for his help, and value the incredible contribution that he is making to ensure that the animals in our care receive the best medical treatment possible.