H E A L T H
&
W E L L N E S S
Prosthetics for
Dogs
W R I T T E N BY : L A U R E N D U F R AT, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Emma the Dalmation has not had the greatest start to life. She was once a part of the meat trade in China before she was rescued and came to America with the Dalmation Rescue of South Florida and now being fostered in the Charleston area. Unfortunately, she has lost her two front legs and parts of her tail and ears. One of the most heart-breaking experiences for any pet owner is for their furry friend to lose a limb. Whether from disease, cancer or an accident, this is always a difficult and traumatic time for pet and owner alike. However, with advances in modern technology, amputation no longer represents the same restrictions as it once did. New animal prosthetics and the experts who make them are restoring lost freedom to pets. Years ago, one could only imagine that artificial limbs for dogs were even an option. Animal prosthetics is a relatively new field, but one that has made great strides in a short period of time. There are approximately ten people in the entire world who manufacture animal prosthetic limbs. In dogs, limb prostheses have not often been attempted in the past and when they were, they generally failed. Part of this may be because of the way limbs are amputated from animals. Front legs are generally amputated at or near the shoulder and rear legs are typically amputated at the hip or in the region of the mid thigh. According to the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, “The most common location for removing a damaged or diseased limb in dogs and cats is up high where the limb meets the body. This is so that any remaining portion of the leg does not become a problem for the pet. Any portion of a limb that remains may become traumatized during daily activities or interfere with movement.” In recent years some rehabilitation experts, including Dogs in
Emma the Dalmation Motion Canine Rehabilitation, have recognized that there are short and long term consequences to dogs functioning on three limbs, including: ·Tissue breakdown ·Degenerative joint problems in remaining limbs ·This can shorten life in dogs missing a limb. Therefore, materials and techniques developed in human prosthetic design have now been applied to many more animals. One of these trailblazers is Derrick Campana, the owner of Animal Ortho Care in Sterling, Virginia. Derrick originally started out as a crafter of orthotics and prosthetics for humans. It was only after helping to create an artificial limb for a local veterinarian’s dog that Derrick discovered his true calling. Now Derrick creates artificial limbs and orthotic devices for a wide variety of animals including dogs,
