Saved Ukrainian Lion Receives Critical Dental Operation
The Big Cat Sanctuary
A three-year-old female lion rescued from war-torn the war zone has undergone critical oral operation to extract a severely infected canine tooth caused by an abscess.
Lira was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a campaign by managing 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 carried out on Friday by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.
"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the damaged fang was severely infected," said Mr Kertesz.
He thought the dental issue was caused by a trauma sustained more than a year ago, leading to bacteria creating harmful substances within the fang.
"My philosophy is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the safest, the most conservative and most secure manner," he explained.
Mr Kertesz explained that as the lioness did not need to catch prey, 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 the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.
He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.
Briony Smith, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the procedure was a "total triumph."
She noted the team had observed "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to assess "the extent of the problem."
"Lira will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will begin improving over the next few days," added Ms Smith.
This vital operation represents a significant step in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.
