Rescued Ukrainian Lion Undergoes Critical Dental Operation
A Wildlife Rescue Center
A three-year-old lioness rescued from war-torn Ukraine has undergone vital dental surgery to remove a badly decayed fang caused by an abscess.
The lioness was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March following a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who collected £500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The procedure was carried out on Friday by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats.
"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated Mr Kertesz.
He thought the infection was due to a injury experienced over twelve months back, leading to bacteria producing toxins inside the tooth.
"The approach I follow is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and most secure manner," he said.
Mr Kertesz explained that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The rescue center reported the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a accumulated infection from under the fang and close the large wound 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, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the operation was a "complete success."
She noted 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 somewhat sore to initially, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," commented the curator.
This vital operation represents a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.
