Episode: "Tsunami"
Location: De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Center, South Africa
Veterinarian: Dr. Peter Caldwell

Jaws the cheetah is discovered in Botswana with horrific injuries from being caught headfirst in a snare trap. In his struggle to escape, he caused serious trauma to his jaw.

The injury is to a part of the jawbone called the manibular ramus, which is completely fractured. The soft tissue around the bone and gums is lacerated and damaged, causing infection.

Dr. Peter Caldwell, senior veterinarian at South Africa's De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Center, along with Dr. Dagwin Camby — an orthopedic specialist — place Jaws on antibiotics and treat him for shock and pain.

Because Jaws' palette is ripped from the roof of his mouth, maggots infest the area. The mouth region is shaved, cleaned and disinfected to create a sterile site for surgery.

A hole in the throat called a pharyngostomy is cut to accommodate the endotracheal tube, which feeds oxygen and anesthetic into the lungs. This is to maintain the cheetah under general anesthesia while operating on the jaw without getting in the way of the surgeons' hands and contaminating the surgical site.

Stainless steel surgical bone plates and screws, inserted by Dr. Dagwin Camby, are used to repair the fracture. A surgical power drill is also used.

After surgery, Jaws is put on antibiotics to prevent further infections. Pain management is crucial during and after the procedure because Jaws needs to start eating as soon as possible.

In the end, the traumatized cheetah remains at De Wildt for recovery.

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