Raccoon dentistry

A young adult raccoon was brought into the wildlife hospital with a broken canine tooth. Hospital staff took digital x-rays and discovered a bullet lodged in the animal’s jaw. Someone had shot the raccoon in the face. Dr. Guthrum Purdin from Lindsay Wildlife Museum removed the bullet but he knew the raccoon would need additional, specialized dental care. Hospital staff took the raccoon to Dr. Ruth Adams at Muller Veterinary Hospital in Walnut Creek. She removed a broken tooth, which if left in place could have become infected, causing the animal great pain and possibly even death from infection. The raccoon made a full recovery with the help of a Lindsay Wildlife Museum hospital home care volunteer, and was released back to the wild.