Saved Ukrainian Lioness Undergoes Critical Dental Operation
A Wildlife Rescue Center
A three-year-old female lion saved from war-torn the war zone has received vital dental surgery to extract a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an abscess.
Lira arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a fundraising effort by 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 last week by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.
"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the damaged fang was severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz.
He believed the dental issue was due to a trauma experienced over twelve months back, causing germs creating toxins inside the tooth.
"The approach I follow is animal dental problems should be addressed in the safest, the least invasive and safest way," he explained.
Mr Kertesz clarified that as Lira did not need to catch prey, extraction 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 remove a pocket of pus from under the fang and seal the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.
He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
Briony Smith, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the procedure was a "total triumph."
She said the staff 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 a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will begin improving over the coming days," commented the curator.
This vital operation marks a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.
