Saved Ukrainian Lion Undergoes Essential Dental Operation
A Wildlife Rescue Center
A three-year-old female lion rescued from conflict-ridden the war zone has undergone critical dental surgery to extract a severely infected fang caused by an abscess.
The lioness was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 following a campaign by director Cam Whitnall, who collected £500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The surgery 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 damaged fang was severely infected," stated the dentist.
He thought the dental issue was due to a trauma sustained more than a year ago, causing germs producing toxins within the fang.
"My philosophy is animal dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the least invasive and safest way," he said.
The expert clarified that as the lioness did not need to hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Animal Rescue Facility
The sanctuary said the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and close the significant opening 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.
The curator, manager at the facility, declared the operation was a "complete success."
She noted the staff had observed "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to determine "how serious the condition was."
"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the coming days," commented the curator.
The successful surgery marks a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.
