Rescued Ukrainian Lioness Receives Critical Surgery
The Big Cat Sanctuary
A three-year-old lioness saved from war-torn Ukraine has undergone critical dental surgery to remove a severely infected canine tooth caused by an infection.
The lioness arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March following a campaign by director Cam Whitnall, who raised half a million pounds to support her and four other rescued lions.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The procedure was performed on Friday by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats.
"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the broken tooth was severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz.
He believed the dental issue was due to a trauma experienced over twelve months back, leading to germs producing toxins within the fang.
"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 no longer required to hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The sanctuary said the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a accumulated infection from under the fang and seal the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.
He also performed a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
The curator, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the operation was a "total triumph."
She said the staff had spotted "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to determine "how serious the condition was."
"Lira will be a little uncomfortable 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.
This vital operation marks a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.
