KENT, UK: A pufferfish recently underwent emergency dental work after her teeth grew so big that it was unable to eat.
Mark Byatt, 64, the owner of Goldie the porcupine pufferfish, rushed her to the vets at Sandhole Veterinary Centre in Snodland, Kent, after noticing she was losing weight because of her long teeth stopped her from eating properly.
Medics confirmed the five-year-old Goldie's teeth needed to be sawed down. To cut off one inch from her teeth, they sedated her by putting her in a water bowl filled with a mild anaesthetic solution and accomplished it in an hour-long procedure.
Daniel Calvo Carrasco, the veterinary surgeon, said that Porcupine pufferfish teeth would grow continuously throughout their lives. He added that they had been usually kept short naturally, as they have been worn down on their regular diet of hard-shelled foods. However, these foods were provided in her home environment, and she was not as forthcoming in eating them as her other tankmates.
As a result, her upper beak grew to the point where it was impeding her ability to eat effectively.
Goldie is now well settled back home in her tank in Leybourne, much to the relief of her owner.