Posted on 05/25/2011 2:49:39 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) – A former shelter dog that’s missing a foot is now learning to walk on all fours again.
“Brownie” tried on his new custom-made prosthetic paw on Tuesday. He lives with a family of four in Westminster and now he’s on new footing that may take some getting used to.
Everybody dotes on the friendly 3-year-old dog. They’re excited about his future because he’s had a difficult past. Brownie came to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley in April from an overcrowded shelter in Kansas. He’s active and playful even though he’s missing his left back foot.
“The sending shelter didn’t know if he maybe lost it due to frostbite or maybe he was born that way; just not sure what happened to him,” Kim Sporrer with the Humane Society said.
Now, for the first time, the German shorthair pointer got the chance to feel what it’s like to walk on all fours. Brownie was fitted for an artificial paw on May 10 — just two days after he was adopted by Giovanni Stabile and his family. Two weeks later, back at the prosthetic clinic Orthopets, Brownie stood level for the first time.
Brownie will need time and practice to adjust. It’s a typical start toward a better future.
“It will help him better with keeping his hips in line,” Stabile said.
“He’s going to be able to run more normally and have a much better quality of life with less chronic pain in the long run,” Dr. Patsy Mich with OrthoPets said.
Orthopets may put a tread taken from bicycle tires on the bottom of the artificial paw. That will help with plans to take Brownie hiking and even mountain climbing.
What a handsome boy! That’s wonderful.
Gosh he’s a dead ringer for my old German shorthaired pointer. Such a handsome breed.
Here’s hoping Brownie gets used to his new paw quickly.
He reminds me of the first time my Rocket (cat) walked in the snow here (we moved here from California). Each step he took, he’d shake the snow off his paw. I laughed — couldn’t help it.
That picture reminds me of a Golden Retriever I used to have. He broke his left rear leg and the doc put a walking cast on it so he would use the leg and not have the muscles atrophy. He would NOT put his foot down with the cast on, he held it straight behind him and hopped on 3 legs. I had to take him back and have the cast removed. He would then put his foot down but very gingerly until he started healing up and gradually put more weight on it.
That boy has a brave heart. Thanks.
Sorry to say, but back in the ‘50’s the vets had better sense. They did a full amputation on the ruined back leg and let the dog hop on the one back leg. My dog Weaver, who had this happen from being run over, became comfortable and very speedy this way. I pity this dog and the dumb experiment done on him.
I saw one of the dog whisperer shows where he took in a dog with 3 legs. After he was able to go home again, that dog could outrun the 4 legged one’s when Cesar was playing...throw the ball for the pack and he would come back with the ball in his mouth....animals don’t know how to pity themselves. Life is too short...
My neighbor had a three legged dog that got along just fine. It was an excellent guard dog (I’d never get out of my car at her house) but was well socialized. It became one of the dogs that was trusted enough to become an “office” dog at the kennel where I used to leave my Golden Retriever when we were out of town.
My Golden was a trusted “office” dog too, meaning that when the kennel was over capacity at Christmas, or Thanksgiving, my dog (and the 3 legged dog) could loll around the office during the day and stay in the owner’s home at night.
This happened several times before I questioned the kennel owner and found out that the 3 legged dog staying in the office belonged to my neighbor 2 doors down. There was another house in between, but my land extended behind the house directly next door and adjoined the land belonging to the family of the 3 legged dog. Those two dogs already KNEW each other. They were fine together in the kennel office, but at home they would bark furiously at each other over the property line!
Go figure!
Reminds me of some married folks I have know....:O)
Great story. God bless him and the people who care for him.
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