Saved Ukrainian Lioness Undergoes Critical Surgery
The Big Cat Sanctuary
An adolescent lioness saved from war-torn the war zone has undergone vital dental surgery to extract a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an abscess.
The lioness arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 following a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised £500,000 to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
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 broken tooth was highly inflamed," stated Mr Kertesz.
He believed the infection was due to a trauma sustained over twelve months back, causing bacteria creating toxins inside the tooth.
"The approach I follow is non-human dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the least invasive and safest way," he explained.
Mr Kertesz explained that as Lira did not need to catch prey, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Animal Rescue Facility
The sanctuary reported the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.
He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.
Briony Smith, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the procedure was a "complete success."
She said the staff had observed "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to assess "the extent of the problem."
"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will begin improving over the coming days," added Ms Smith.
The successful surgery represents a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.
