Rescued from Ukraine Lioness Undergoes Essential Dental Operation
The Big Cat Sanctuary
A three-year-old female lion saved from war-torn the war zone has received critical dental surgery to extract a badly decayed fang caused by an abscess.
Lira arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 following a fundraising effort by director Cam Whitnall, who raised half a million pounds to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The procedure was performed on last week by veterinary dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats.
"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the broken tooth was severely infected," said Mr Kertesz.
He thought the infection was due to a trauma sustained more than a year ago, leading to bacteria producing harmful substances within the fang.
"The approach I follow is animal dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and safest way," he explained.
The expert explained that as the lioness no longer required to hunt for food, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The rescue center reported the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and seal the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.
He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.
Briony Smith, manager at the facility, said the operation was a "complete success."
She noted the staff had spotted "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to assess "how serious the condition was."
"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will begin improving over the coming days," commented the curator.
The successful surgery marks a significant step in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.
