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The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old female lion rescued from war-torn Ukraine has received critical dental surgery to extract a badly decayed fang resulting from an abscess.

The lioness was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a campaign by director Cam Whitnall, who raised £500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The procedure was performed on last week by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"When I examined the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the damaged fang was severely infected," stated the dentist.

He believed the infection was caused by a trauma experienced over twelve months back, causing bacteria creating toxins within the fang.

"My philosophy is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the safest, the most conservative and safest way," he said.

The expert clarified that as Lira no longer required to hunt for food, removal was the most "logical and humane option."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The sanctuary said the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and close the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.

Briony Smith, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the operation was a "complete success."

She noted the staff had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to assess "the extent of the problem."

"Lira will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," commented Ms Smith.

The successful surgery represents a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.