Saved from Ukraine Lion Receives Essential Dental Operation
The Big Cat Sanctuary
A three-year-old female lion rescued from conflict-ridden the war zone has undergone critical dental surgery to remove a severely infected fang resulting from an abscess.
Lira was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 after a campaign by director Cam Whitnall, who raised half a million pounds to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The surgery was carried out on last week by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.
"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated Mr Kertesz.
He thought the dental issue was due to a trauma sustained more than a year ago, causing germs creating harmful substances within the fang.
"The approach I follow is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the safest, the least invasive and most secure manner," he said.
Mr Kertesz clarified that as Lira did not need to catch prey, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Animal Rescue Facility
The sanctuary 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 close the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.
He also performed a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.
Briony Smith, manager at the facility, declared the procedure was a "complete success."
She noted the staff had observed "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to determine "how serious the condition was."
"Lira will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," added Ms Smith.
The successful surgery represents a significant step in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.