Saved Ukrainian Lion Receives Essential Dental Operation
A Wildlife Rescue Center
A three-year-old lioness saved from conflict-ridden the war zone has received critical oral operation to extract a badly decayed canine tooth caused by an abscess.
Lira was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised ÂŁ500,000 to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The procedure was carried out on Friday by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.
"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the broken tooth was severely infected," stated the dentist.
He thought the dental issue was caused by a trauma experienced over twelve months back, causing germs creating toxins inside the tooth.
"My philosophy is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and most secure manner," he said.
The expert explained that as Lira did not need to catch prey, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Animal Rescue Facility
The rescue center said the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to remove a pocket of pus from under the fang and close the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.
He also performed a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
The curator, manager at the facility, said the operation was a "complete success."
She noted the staff had spotted "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to determine "the extent of the problem."
"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," commented Ms Smith.
The successful surgery represents a significant step in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.