Rescued Ukrainian Lioness Undergoes Critical Dental Operation
The Big Cat Sanctuary
A three-year-old female lion rescued from conflict-ridden Ukraine has received vital oral operation to extract a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an infection.
Lira was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 following a fundraising effort by director the sanctuary's leader, who collected £500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The surgery was carried out on Friday by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, 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 infection was due to a trauma sustained more than a year ago, causing germs producing harmful substances inside the tooth.
"My philosophy is animal dental problems need to be treated 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, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Animal Rescue Facility
The sanctuary reported the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from under the fang and seal the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.
He also performed a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
Briony Smith, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the procedure was a "total triumph."
She said the team had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to determine "the extent of the problem."
"The lioness will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the next few days," commented Ms Smith.
The successful surgery marks a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.
