Saved from Ukraine Lioness Receives Critical Surgery
A Wildlife Rescue Center
A three-year-old female lion saved from war-torn Ukraine has received vital dental surgery to remove a severely infected fang caused by an abscess.
The lioness arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March following a fundraising effort by director Cam Whitnall, who collected half a million pounds to fund her and four other rescued lions.
The Rescue Center
The surgery was carried out on Friday by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats.
"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the damaged fang was severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz.
He thought the dental issue was due to a trauma experienced more than a year ago, leading to bacteria creating toxins inside the tooth.
"My philosophy is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the least invasive and safest way," he said.
The expert explained that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Animal Rescue Facility
The sanctuary said 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 also performed a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.
Briony Smith, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the operation was a "total triumph."
She noted the team had observed "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to assess "the extent of the problem."
"The lioness will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will begin improving over the next few days," added Ms Smith.
This vital operation represents a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.
