Extraction of aberrant tusk and mandibular osteomyelitis treatment in a pot-bellied pig (Sus scrofa domesticus)

Abstract

BackgroundLittle information is published about Vietnamese pot-bellied pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) dentistry. Case DescriptionA Vietnamese pot-bellied pig was presented with a right mandibular abscess. Treatment with oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid had been initiated by the referring veterinarian. A computed tomography scan was performed and revealed dental abscess of the right mandibular canine (tusk), associated with severe osteomyelitis of mandibular bone. Aberrant tooth growth was suspected, due to the history of attempted tusk extraction and fracture of both mandibular tusks at a young age. A first procedure was performed to extract the right tusk. The reserve crown was exposed through a ventral and dorsal approach. The tooth was sectioned in segments and removed through the surgical accesses. Culture was performed and yielded Fusobacterium necrophorum, Prevotella heparinolytica, Actinomyces hyovaginalis, Escherichia coli and mixed Gram-negative bacilli and anaerobic coccobacilli. Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid was continued for eight weeks after tusk extraction. Four months later, the pig was presented for recurrence of mandibular abscess. A second procedure consisted of debridement and filling of the mandibular cavity with calcium sulfate hemihydrate impregnated with clindamycin hydrochloride. Oral clindamycin was prescribed for three months. No further abscess was reported at seven months follow-up. Conclusions and case relevanceThis case highlights that tusk extraction in pot-bellied pigs may be associated with severe complications. It also highlights that treatment of pigs with oral necrobacillosis is worth considering before euthanasia. This case report presents a procedure of aberrant mandibular tusk extraction in a pot-bellied pig and is the first documented case of a successful treatment of oral necrobacillosis in a domestic pig.