One Bear of a Cavity: Texas A&M Veterinarians Perform Root Canal on 17-Year-Old Black Bear
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A not-so-grizzly dental patient at Texas A&M was laid out and sedated to care for his big teeth and avoid his huge paws.
Veterinarians at Texas A&M on Wednesday did a root canal procedure on Tibore, a 17-year-old North American black bear.
Owner Lana Steeples says the trained bear showed signs of discomfort when he ate and drank, so she "worried he needed some dental work done."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}KBTX-TV reports experts at the Texas A&M veterinary hospital welcomed the furry patient, weighing several hundred pounds.
Dr. Johnathon Dodd says it's very common for wild animals to have dental problems because of their aggressive nature. Dodd says animals "fight, they chew on things, they chew on bones, they break teeth."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Information from: KBTX-TV, http://www.kbtx.com