The Animal Files - First Episode

Television (Full Length Episode) – 2013

Rokan the Tiger has a toothache, a hawk has a broken wing, and Dax the farm dog has not been himself in this first episode of The Animal Files. The show — largely filmed at Massey University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital — sees vets dealing with unusual cases of animals in distress. This episode also visits Wellington Zoo, where 16-year-old Sumatran tiger Rokan needs a root canal — a risky procedure requiring a brave veterinarian. Meanwhile the hawk gets a wing repair, and Dax’s diagnosis surprises everyone. Warning: this episode is not for the squeamish.

I've got a lot of confidence in my anaesthetic teams but I think anything that you're dealing — particularly around mouths — you've got a soft but a reasonable gag so that you've got a bit of warning prior to the teeth coming together on top of your finger, hand or whatever happens to be in there...
– Veterinarian Angus Fechney, on the risks of tiger dentistry