Saved Ukrainian Lioness Receives Essential Dental Operation
A Wildlife Rescue Center
An adolescent female lion saved from war-torn the war zone has undergone critical dental surgery to extract a badly decayed fang resulting from an abscess.
The lioness was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a fundraising effort by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who collected half a million pounds to support her and four other rescued lions.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The procedure was carried out on Friday by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.
"When I examined the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the broken tooth was highly inflamed," said the dentist.
He believed the infection was due to a trauma experienced over twelve months back, leading to bacteria producing toxins within the fang.
"My philosophy is non-human dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and safest way," he explained.
The expert clarified that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The sanctuary said the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to remove a pocket of pus from under the fang and seal the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.
He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
Briony Smith, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the procedure was a "total triumph."
She said the team had observed "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to assess "the extent of the problem."
"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," added the curator.
The successful surgery marks a significant step in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.
