Rescued from Ukraine Lion Undergoes Essential Dental Operation
A Wildlife Rescue Center
A three-year-old female lion saved from war-torn the war zone has received critical dental surgery to remove a severely infected fang resulting from an abscess.
Lira arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March following a campaign by managing director Cam Whitnall, who collected £500,000 to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The procedure was performed on Friday by veterinary dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.
"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the broken tooth was severely infected," stated the dentist.
He thought the dental issue was due to a trauma sustained over twelve months back, leading to bacteria creating toxins within the fang.
"The approach I follow is non-human dental problems need to be treated in the safest, the most conservative and safest way," he said.
Mr Kertesz explained that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The rescue center reported the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to remove a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.
He also performed a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
The curator, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the procedure was a "total triumph."
She said the team had spotted "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to determine "the extent of the problem."
"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," added the curator.
The successful surgery represents a significant step in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.
