Saved from Ukraine Lioness Undergoes Critical Dental Operation
A Wildlife Rescue Center
An adolescent lioness saved from war-torn the war zone has undergone vital dental surgery to remove a severely infected fang resulting from an infection.
Lira was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March following a fundraising effort by director the sanctuary's leader, who collected half a million pounds to fund her and four other rescued lions.
The Rescue Center
The procedure was performed on last week by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.
"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 dental issue was due to a trauma sustained more than a year ago, causing germs producing toxins inside the tooth.
"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the least invasive and safest way," he explained.
The expert explained that as Lira did not need to hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Animal Rescue Facility
The rescue center said the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to remove a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and seal the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.
He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
Briony Smith, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the procedure was a "complete success."
She noted the team had observed "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to assess "the extent of the problem."
"The lioness will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will start to feel much better 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.
