Rescued from Ukraine Lion Receives Critical Dental Operation
The Big Cat Sanctuary
A three-year-old lioness rescued from war-torn Ukraine has undergone vital oral operation to extract a severely infected canine tooth caused by an infection.
The lioness was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 after a fundraising effort 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 last week 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 highly inflamed," said Mr Kertesz.
He believed the dental issue was due to a injury experienced over twelve months back, leading to germs creating harmful substances inside the tooth.
"The approach I follow is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and most secure manner," he said.
Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness did not need to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The rescue center reported the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a accumulated infection from under the fang and seal the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.
He also performed a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
Briony Smith, manager at the facility, declared the operation was a "total triumph."
She noted the team had spotted "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to determine "the extent of the problem."
"Lira 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 the curator.
The successful surgery represents a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.
