The first dog to be fitted with four prosthetic paws is thriving with his newfound mobility. Designed and fitted by Martin Kaufmann of Orthopets, the prosthetics have allowed Naki’o, who lost his own paws at just five weeks, to transition from crawling around on his belly to moving freely, running, jumping and even playing with other dogs.
Naki’o was abandoned as a puppy when his owners left their foreclosed home. During the Nebraskan winter, he stepped into an icy puddle in the home’s basement and got all four of his paws trapped in the freezing water. With severe frostbite, Naki’0 and the rest of his litter were transported to an animal rescue center. Veterinary technician Christie Tomlinson adopted Naki’o, and organized a fundraiser to pay for his two back legs to be fitted with the prosthetics. He came through the procedure so well that Orthopets decided to donate the remaining two prosthetic legs. The prosthetics are designed to replicate the muscle and bone structure of the dog’s natural limbs, and so allow him to do everything a normal dog would be able to do.
(Incredible Features via Reddit)
Published: Jun 21, 2011 06:02 pm