Saved Ukrainian Lioness Receives Critical Surgery
The Big Cat Sanctuary
A three-year-old lioness rescued from conflict-ridden Ukraine has undergone critical dental surgery to extract a severely infected fang resulting from an infection.
The lioness was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March following a campaign by director Cam Whitnall, who collected half a million pounds to support her and four other rescued lions.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The procedure was performed on Friday by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.
"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the damaged fang was severely infected," said the dentist.
He thought the dental issue was caused by a trauma sustained over twelve months back, leading to germs producing toxins inside the tooth.
"The approach I follow 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 did not need to hunt for food, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Animal Rescue Facility
The rescue center said the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to remove a pocket of pus from under the fang and close the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.
He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.
The curator, curator at the facility, declared the procedure was a "total triumph."
She noted the team had spotted "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to determine "the extent of the problem."
"The lioness will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," commented the curator.
The successful surgery marks a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.
