Most diseases of animals in nature and captivity is linked to human proximity, resulting from habitat fragmentation and degradation of these animal habitats, the isolation of the species and the close contact between them and domestic animals and manhood. We studied 104 crab-eating raccoons (Procyon cancrivorus) skulls by direct assessment of sheet filling veterinary dental and photographic documentation reporting these abnormalities, which were classified and recorded for statistical purposes. The findings show that the captive animals were most affected with injuries related to periodontal disease, such as calculus, alveolar bone resorption, dehiscence, fenestration, furcation exposure, as well as malocclusion, crowding and severe levels of tooth wear. The free-living animals showed the highest rates of fractures, ante-mortem tooth loss and tooth blackout, which feature larger dental injuries during the feeding process. The intention was therefore to establish a parameter of oral health status of the species studied, their frequency and whether it has the same oral diseases in the wild life and in captivity, relating the prevalence of oral diseases with ecological characteristics of the specie.
Wildlife; veterinary dentistry; teeth; sincranium; carnivorous; Procyon cancrivorus; Procyonidae; dental wear; dental trauma
