A Wildlife Rescue Center
A three-year-old female lion rescued from war-torn the war zone has received vital dental surgery to remove a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an abscess.
Lira was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March following a campaign by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The surgery was performed on Friday by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.
"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the damaged fang was severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz.
He thought the infection was due to a injury experienced over twelve months back, causing germs creating harmful substances within the fang.
"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues need to be treated in the safest, the least invasive and most secure manner," he said.
The expert clarified that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."
The Animal Rescue Facility
The sanctuary said the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to extract a pocket of pus 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 also found to be infected.
Briony Smith, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the procedure was a "total triumph."
She said the team had observed "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to determine "the extent of the problem."
"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," commented Ms Smith.
The successful surgery represents a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.
A seasoned software engineer with a passion for open-source projects and tech education.
