Rescued from Ukraine Lion Undergoes Essential Dental Operation
A Wildlife Rescue Center
A three-year-old lioness saved from war-torn the war zone has undergone vital dental surgery to extract a badly decayed fang caused by an infection.
Lira arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March following a campaign by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised half a million pounds to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.
The Rescue Center
The procedure was carried out on Friday by veterinary dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats.
"When I examined the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated Mr Kertesz.
He thought the infection was due to a trauma sustained more than a year ago, leading to bacteria producing harmful substances inside the tooth.
"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues should be addressed in the safest, the most conservative and most secure manner," he said.
The expert explained that as the lioness did not need to catch prey, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Animal Rescue Facility
The rescue center said the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to extract a pocket of pus from under the fang and seal the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.
He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.
The curator, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the procedure was a "complete success."
She noted the team had spotted "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to assess "the extent of the problem."
"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the coming days," commented Ms Smith.
The successful surgery represents a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.
