Rescued Ukrainian Lion Receives Critical Dental Operation
A Wildlife Rescue Center
A three-year-old female lion rescued from conflict-ridden Ukraine has undergone vital oral operation to remove a severely infected fang resulting from an abscess.
The lioness was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 after a fundraising effort by director the sanctuary's leader, who collected £500,000 to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.
The Rescue Center
The procedure was performed on last week by veterinary dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.
"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.
He thought the dental issue was due to a trauma experienced over twelve months back, causing bacteria producing harmful substances within the fang.
"My philosophy is non-human dental problems should be addressed in the most predictable, the least invasive and safest way," he explained.
Mr Kertesz explained that as the lioness no longer required to hunt for food, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The rescue center reported the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and seal the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.
He also performed a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.
Briony Smith, curator at the facility, said the operation was a "complete success."
She noted the staff had spotted "a small lump on Lira's jawline" 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 coming days," added the curator.
The successful surgery represents a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.