One of Northwest Trek Wildlife Park’s resident river otters, Blakely, recently had a dentist appointment to fix a fractured tooth.
Blakely traveled with Northwest Trek’s head veterinarian, Dr. Allison Case, to sister zoo Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s healthcare hospital for the exam. Typically, Blakely would be treated at Northwest Trek, but the dentist was already at Point Defiance Zoo treating a tiger for a similar dental issue.
Dr. Alice Sievers, a board-certified veterinary dentist and one of only 250 veterinary dental specialists in the world, volunteered her time with veterinary assistant Sharon Ghormley and veterinary technician Taylor Parker, all from Vancouver-based Pet Dental Specialists, a clinic primarily focused on treating dogs and cats with dental issues.
After taking radiographs and determining the best plan of action, Dr. Sievers gave Blakely a root canal.
The zoo’s non-profit partner, The Zoo Society, donated the X-ray machine to the healthcare hospital.
Meanwhile, Northwest Trek and Point Defiance Zoo’s associate veterinarian, Dr. Cassidy Soehnlein, and the zoo’s veterinary technician Sara led a full physical checkup on Blakely.
