Prevalence of the maloclusion in Panthera onca e Puma concolor keeping in captivity in the State of São Paulo

Abstract

The development of the dentistry was delayed in the preventive internal in wild animals. Some international papers regarding wild animal dentistry already had been carried through with animals originary from captivity and free life of some species of diverse geographic distributions, but not specific to the great neotropical felines (Panthera onca and Puma concolor). It was the aim of this paper to survey the prevalence of maloclusion in neotropical felines in the institutions visited in the State of São Paulo. For the study we used a sample of 42 jaguars (Panthera onca) and 36 pumas (Puma concolor), totalizing seventy and eight 78 animals , proceeding from 18 institutions of such species in captivity in the State of São Paulo. All animals had been examined, when it was observed if the occlusion was in accordance with the normal for the species. The teeth had been identified one by one, examined directly by means of dental explorer. The maloclusion was present in 47.61% (20 cases) in Panthera onca and two individuals of Puma concolor (5.55.00%). The animals with maloclusions apparently did not have problems of food apprehension or chewing ability, even though they presented in the region of teeth with more reduced interproximal space, thus plaque the lack of removal of this plaque can provoke oral problems.