Saved Ukrainian Lioness Undergoes Essential Dental Operation
The Big Cat Sanctuary
An adolescent lioness saved from conflict-ridden Ukraine has received vital dental surgery to remove a badly decayed canine tooth caused by an abscess.
Lira arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March following a campaign by director Cam Whitnall, who collected £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The procedure was performed on Friday 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 broken tooth was severely infected," said Mr Kertesz.
He thought the dental issue was caused by a injury experienced more than a year ago, leading to bacteria creating toxins inside the tooth.
"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues need to be treated in the safest, the least invasive and safest way," he explained.
Mr Kertesz explained that as the lioness did not need to catch prey, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Animal Rescue Facility
The sanctuary reported the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to extract a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close 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 facility, declared the procedure was a "complete success."
She noted the staff had spotted "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to determine "the extent of the problem."
"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," commented Ms Smith.
The successful surgery marks a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.