🐼 7.3 Panda Base VH (Shadowing Journal): Medical Procedure for Short Jaw Panda Case
Due to the recognition from the Science Education Department’s Head Jin Shuang (after translating the BBC documentary for her), I was recommended by her to assist the Vet Hospital Department with translations, especially during visits from foreign doctors. It was an incredible opportunity to shadow/translate for Dr. Cedric Tutt, who grew up on a farm and led a nomadic lifestyle. His career involves traveling internationally, visiting panda bases one day and working in the African savannas with cheetahs the next. Inspired by his diverse and impactful work, I aspire to have a similar career where I can contribute to wildlife conservation across different environments.
Medical Procedure for Short Jaw Panda Case
Patient Information:
Gender: Male
Age: 11 months
Case: Short jaw
Procedure:
Anesthetization:
Administer an intramuscular injection for initial sedation.
Intubate to monitor blood oxygen levels, heart rate, and blood pressure.
Place an oxygen mask on the panda.
Start intravenous anesthesia for complete sedation.
CT Scan:
Carefully move the panda to the CT room.
Perform a CT scan to get detailed images of the jaw and teeth structure.
X-ray Examination:
After the CT scan, bring the panda back and conduct an X-ray to further evaluate the jaw and teeth alignment.
Fluid Sampling:
Use cotton swabs to extract fluid from the surface of the gingiva.
The fluid will be analyzed for DNA and bacterial content.
Dental Examination and Extraction:
Check the teeth thoroughly. Identify a grey baby tooth that is loose, inflamed, and dead.
To prevent complications, this tooth needs to be removed.
Administer local anesthesia similar to human dental procedures.
Use a scalpel to make an incision on the gingiva and slowly extract the tooth.
Use gauze to control and stop any bleeding.
Additional Dental Issues:
Note that two teeth are growing at almost 90 degrees to each other.
The short jaw condition will likely cause weak biting force in the future, affecting the panda's ability to chew bamboo normally.
Solutions and Considerations:
Current Solution:
There is no immediate solution for the jaw misalignment. The approach is to monitor the growth of the jaws to see if they eventually align and the teeth stop colliding.
Why No Solution Is Feasible Now:
Using a stick inside the mouth to hold one jaw from extending further and stretch the other is risky. The panda’s strong bite force could damage the teeth, and the crowded teeth leave no space for a stick.
Placing an external device to hold the jaws in place could interfere with the panda’s diet and cause pain. Additionally, it is impractical to keep the panda immobilized for several months.
Observation:
Similar issues have been observed in the panda’s siblings. As they matured, their jaws grew to be more similar in length, providing hope that this panda’s condition may improve with age.
Prevention of Future Cases:
Genetic Considerations:
Given that similar issues are present in the panda's siblings, this is likely a genetic condition.
To prevent future occurrences of short jaw, it is advisable to avoid breeding the same mother and father together.
Conduct a DNA analysis to identify the parents and their family or descendants with short jaws. Refrain from breeding these individuals to mitigate the risk of passing on the condition.
