Rescued Ukrainian Lioness Receives Essential Surgery
The Big Cat Sanctuary
A three-year-old lioness saved from conflict-ridden Ukraine has received vital dental surgery to extract a severely infected fang resulting from an abscess.
The lioness was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March following a fundraising effort by director Cam Whitnall, who collected £500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions.
The Rescue Center
The procedure was performed on Friday by veterinary dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats.
"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.
He thought the infection was caused by a trauma experienced over twelve months back, leading to germs producing toxins inside the tooth.
"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues need to be treated in the safest, the most conservative and most secure manner," he said.
The expert clarified that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The sanctuary reported the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from under the fang and close the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.
He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
The curator, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the procedure was a "total triumph."
She noted the staff had spotted "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to assess "how serious the condition was."
"Lira 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," added Ms Smith.
This vital operation marks a significant step in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.
