A Wildlife Rescue Center
An adolescent female lion saved from conflict-ridden the war zone has received vital dental surgery to remove a severely infected canine tooth caused by an infection.
Lira was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March following a campaign by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised half a million pounds to support her and four other rescued lions.
The Rescue Center
The surgery was carried out on Friday by veterinary dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.
"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the broken tooth was highly inflamed," said the dentist.
He thought the infection was due to a injury sustained over twelve months back, leading to bacteria producing toxins inside the tooth.
"The approach I follow is animal oral health issues should be addressed in the safest, the most conservative and most secure manner," he explained.
Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness did not need to hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The rescue center said the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a accumulated infection from under the fang and seal the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.
He also performed a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.
The curator, curator at the facility, declared the operation was a "complete success."
She noted the staff had spotted "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to determine "how serious the condition was."
"Lira will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," commented Ms Smith.
This vital operation marks a significant step in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.
