Saved from Ukraine Lion Receives Essential Surgery
The Big Cat Sanctuary
An adolescent lioness rescued from war-torn the war zone has received critical oral operation to remove a severely infected canine tooth caused by an infection.
Lira was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a fundraising effort by director Cam Whitnall, who collected half a million pounds to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The procedure was performed on Friday 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 broken tooth was highly inflamed," stated Mr Kertesz.
He believed the infection was due to a injury sustained over twelve months back, leading to bacteria creating harmful substances within the fang.
"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues need to be treated in the safest, the most conservative and safest way," he said.
Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The rescue center said the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz having to extract a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.
He also performed a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.
The curator, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the procedure was a "complete success."
She noted the staff had spotted "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to determine "the extent of the problem."
"Lira will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will begin improving over the next few days," commented the curator.
This vital operation marks a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.
