Rescued Ukrainian Lion Undergoes Critical Surgery
The Big Cat Sanctuary
An adolescent female lion saved from war-torn Ukraine has undergone critical dental surgery to extract a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an abscess.
The lioness arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 following a campaign by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who raised half a million pounds to support her and four other rescued lions.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The surgery was carried out on last week by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.
"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the broken tooth was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.
He believed the dental issue was due to a trauma sustained over twelve months back, leading to bacteria creating toxins within the fang.
"My philosophy is animal dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and most secure manner," he explained.
Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, removal 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 Mr Kertesz having to remove a pocket of pus 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.
The curator, curator at the facility, said 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 assess "how serious the condition was."
"Lira will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the coming days," commented the curator.
The successful surgery marks a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.
