Coalition crew helps injured K-9

5/29/2003 - OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM (AFPN)  -- The 376th Air Expeditionary Wing showed its true coalition colors May 25 as a medical team composed of Army, Air Force and Korean people prepared to perform surgery on Clinton, a Danish military working dog.

Clinton broke one of his upper canines May 22 while chewing on his cage.

I guess he was hungry, said E-4 Soren Bech, a Danish security policeman and Clintons handler.

The 6-year-old German shepherd was not in any pain from the tooth, but Clinton would start to feel the exposed nerve as time went on, said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Steven Wire, the 376th Expeditionary Medical Group dentist who performed the procedure.

To fix the future problem, Wire had to use his human dentistry skills on the animal.

I have to give him a root canal, Wire said before the surgery. Its pretty much the same procedure for a human being. After the root canal, Ill put in a composite plastic-bonded filling.

To prepare the dog for his day under the drill, Army 1st Lt. (Dr.) Tammy Stevenson, a veterinarian, started Clinton on antibiotics and sedated him before surgery.

With help from his Korean counterparts, Wire made sure the dental office was set up with all the necessary equipment. This included an operating table, a digital X-ray machine, vital-signs monitoring equipment, and most importantly, blankets to keep Clinton warm.

At 7:30 a.m. May 25, a nervous-looking Bech carried Clinton into the operating room. Clinton is more than Bechs co-worker, he is part of the family, the handler said.

In Denmark, we keep our dogs at home, said Bech. Hes great with kids. We have a great relationship.

An anxious Bech watched as Wire, with assistance from Korean Capt. Sang il Lee and his staff, drilled and filled the broken tooth. Bech joked with Stevenson about how much his son missed Clinton.

He misses the dog, said Bech. Not his father, but the dog.

Everything went as planned as Wire finished up Clintons new and improved tooth. Stevenson checked the dog with a stethoscope and smiled. A sigh of relief came over Bechs face as Stevenson said, Everything is good, while giving a thumbs up.

It went great, said Wire following his part in the surgery. I give him a real good prognosis. Hes the best patient I had all day.