11/10/2026
Even wallabies get toothache!
This wallaby had a swollen jaw, had lost her appetite and was feeling very sorry for herself. Her keepers were concerned that she might have 'lumpy jaw', a very serious and aggressive bacterial infection that is highly contagious and very hard to treat.
Xrays showed that fortunately that wasn't the cause of her pain but she did have a nasty infection at the base of one of her incisor teeth that had developed into a large abscess. The tooth was loose and had lost its attachment to the bone and its blood supply so removal was the only option. The problem tooth was extracted, samples collected for antibiotic testing, pain relief and intravenous fluids given, and a stomach tube passed to allow us to give her a good meal. She was allowed to wake up under close supervision then returned home to continue her recovery while being given finely chopped food and plenty of treats until her mouth is less sore 🦷🦘🥗
