Saved Ukrainian Lion Receives Critical Dental Operation
The Big Cat Sanctuary
A three-year-old lioness saved from war-torn the war zone has received vital dental surgery to extract a severely infected canine tooth resulting from an abscess.
Lira was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March after a fundraising effort by director the sanctuary's leader, who raised £500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The surgery was performed on Friday by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats.
"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the broken tooth was severely infected," said the dentist.
He believed the infection was due to a trauma experienced more than a year ago, leading to germs producing harmful substances inside the tooth.
"My philosophy is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and safest way," he explained.
Mr Kertesz clarified that as Lira no longer required to catch prey, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The rescue center reported the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from under the fang and close the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.
He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.
The curator, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the procedure was a "total triumph."
She said the team had observed "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to assess "the extent of the problem."
"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," added the curator.
This vital operation marks a significant step in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.
