Rescued Ukrainian Lion Receives Essential Dental Operation
A Wildlife Rescue Center
An adolescent lioness rescued from war-torn Ukraine has undergone critical oral operation to extract a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an abscess.
Lira was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a campaign by director Cam Whitnall, who raised £500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The procedure was performed on last week by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.
"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the broken tooth was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.
He believed the dental issue was due to a trauma experienced more than a year ago, leading to germs producing toxins inside the tooth.
"My philosophy is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the safest, the least invasive and safest way," he explained.
Mr Kertesz clarified that as Lira did not need to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."
The Animal Rescue Facility
The rescue center reported the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.
He also performed a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
The curator, manager at the facility, declared the operation was a "total triumph."
She said the team had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to assess "how serious the condition was."
"Lira will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will begin improving over the coming days," commented Ms Smith.
This vital operation represents a significant step in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.