Rescued from Ukraine Lioness Receives Critical Surgery
A Wildlife Rescue Center
A three-year-old female lion rescued from conflict-ridden Ukraine has undergone 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 following a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who collected £500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions.
The Rescue Center
The surgery was carried out on last week by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.
"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the damaged fang was severely infected," stated the dentist.
He believed the infection was due to a injury sustained over twelve months back, leading to germs producing toxins inside the tooth.
"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and safest way," he explained.
The expert explained that as Lira did not need to hunt for food, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The rescue center said the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and close the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.
He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.
Briony Smith, curator at the facility, declared the procedure was a "complete success."
She noted the staff had spotted "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to determine "how serious the condition was."
"Lira 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 marks a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.
