A German Shepherd who ran into a garden bench in the dark is now champing at the bit thanks to the dentistry skills of a Somerset vet and her team. 

Six-year-old Diesel’s canine tooth was sticking out of his mouth at an angle, as well as having fractured his lower jaw, after the accident which saw him referred to Cave Veterinary Specialists near Wellington for emergency dental treatment.

Annabel McFadzean, clinician in dentistry and oral surgery, said: “Diesel was a dentistry emergency.

“We needed to reposition the tooth as soon as possible, as the longer the delay the higher the likelihood he would lose his canine tooth.

“It had already lost the blood supply from the luxation injury, but if we could get the ligament fibres to heal that hold the tooth in place we would be able to perform a root canal treatment to save the tooth.”

The intricate dental surgery saw the tooth and bony fragment repositioned, while a splint was put in place to provide rigid support. The aim was to allow the fibres to regenerate and for the bone to heal.

Somerset County Gazette: Diesel’s owner, Kane Hibbard from Chard, says Diesel has fully recovered.Diesel’s owner, Kane Hibbard from Chard, says Diesel has fully recovered. (Image: Cave Veterinary Specialists)

Diesel’s owner, Kane Hibbard from Chard, said: “Diesel has fully recovered and lives life as he did before. His jaw has fully repaired and he has had his canine root canalled, along with his three small front teeth being removed.

“He is back to playing with toys and socialising with other dogs with no discomfort. Diesel was well looked after at Cave and we had regular phone calls and updates which was very reassuring for us.”

Annabel added: “We saw Diesel back for a repeat CT scan a few weeks later and the mandibular bone was healed. The canine tooth was now stable in the jaw and we finished with root canal treatment.

“It’s great to have saved Diesel’s tooth and we just hope he keeps a close eye on where he’s running in the future so we don’t have to see him again under the same circumstances!”

Linnaeus-owned Cave, located just minutes from Junction 26 on the M5, offers specialist-led services in anaesthesia, cardiology, dentistry and oral surgery, dermatology, internal medicine, neurology and neurosurgery, oncology, orthopaedic surgery and soft tissue surgery. More information can be found on their website.