Saved from Ukraine Lioness Undergoes Critical Surgery
The Big Cat Sanctuary
A three-year-old female lion saved from war-torn the war zone has received critical oral operation to remove a badly decayed canine tooth caused by an abscess.
The lioness arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after 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 performed on last week by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.
"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the damaged fang was severely infected," stated the dentist.
He thought the infection was caused by a injury experienced over twelve months back, leading to germs creating harmful substances inside the tooth.
"The approach I follow is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the least invasive and safest way," he said.
Mr Kertesz clarified that as Lira did not need to hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The sanctuary said the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.
He also performed a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
Briony Smith, curator at the facility, declared the operation was a "total triumph."
She noted the staff had spotted "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to assess "how serious the condition was."
"The lioness will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the infectious materials are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," added the curator.
This vital operation marks a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.