Buccal feed impaction and surgical correction in captive reindeer.

An 8-year-old female captive reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) (1) was presented for evaluation of bilateral protrusion of the cheeks of 1-month duration. Several members of the herd displayed similar clinical signs. Examination revealed stretching and laxity of the cheek muscles and buccal food impaction. The defect of each cheek was surgically repaired in the field under heavy sedation and local anesthesia in staged procedures; no surgical complications were encountered. The patient recovered uneventfully and long-term prognosis is good. This report describes a surgical treatment for individual animals with cheek laxity and buccal food impaction.