Rescued Ukrainian Lion Undergoes Essential Surgery
A Wildlife Rescue Center
A three-year-old lioness saved from war-torn Ukraine has received vital oral operation to extract a badly decayed canine tooth caused by an infection.
The lioness arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a fundraising effort by director the sanctuary's leader, who collected half a million pounds to fund her and four other rescued lions.
The Rescue Center
The surgery was carried out on last week by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.
"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.
He thought the dental issue was caused by a injury experienced more than a year ago, leading to bacteria producing toxins inside the tooth.
"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues should be addressed in the most predictable, the most conservative and safest way," he said.
Mr Kertesz 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 reported the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz having to extract a accumulated infection from under the fang and seal the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.
He also performed a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
The curator, curator at the facility, said the operation was a "complete success."
She noted the team had spotted "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to determine "how serious the condition was."
"Lira will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will begin improving over the next few days," commented the curator.
This vital operation marks a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.