Rescued Ukrainian Lion Receives Critical Dental Operation
The Big Cat Sanctuary
An adolescent female lion rescued from war-torn the war zone has undergone vital dental surgery to remove a badly decayed fang caused by an abscess.
Lira was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March following a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised £500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions.
The Rescue Center
The surgery was performed 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 broken tooth was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.
He believed the infection was due to a trauma experienced more than a year ago, causing germs producing harmful substances within the fang.
"The approach I follow is animal dental problems should be addressed in the safest, the least invasive and most secure manner," he said.
The expert clarified that as Lira no longer required to catch prey, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The sanctuary reported the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to remove a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and seal the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.
He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.
The curator, manager at the facility, said the procedure was a "complete success."
She noted the staff had observed "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to determine "the extent of the problem."
"The lioness will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will begin improving over the next few days," added the curator.
The successful surgery represents a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.
