Posted on 07/15/2007 7:52:19 PM PDT by DancesWithCats
A Belgian Shepherd dog called Storm has become the world's first pet to be fitted with a prosthetic paw.It is believed to be the first time that such an operation has been carried out and could provide hope for many humans.
What makes the false limb special is that the dog's skin can grow into the metal.
Storm, who lives in Oxshott, Surrey, had a leg removed when it became infected with an aggressive tumour earlier this year.
The operation was carried out by Noel Fitzpatrick, a veterinary surgeon based in Farnham, Surrey, who specialises in repairing the damaged limbs of pets.
"The technology is not just the first time that the implant type has been used outside the human finger," Mr Fitzpatrick said.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Ping!
Six million dollar dog.
I hope they can apply something like this to humans some day and have it be effective.
ping
You're right! LOL Quick wit.
And as I was thinking about this, it would have been wonderful to have been able to save Barbaro as well ... the race horse that they just recently had to put down?
WOOF - WOOF - woof
Any pictures of the pup?
Couldn’t find any pictures of Storm but maybe in a week or so? Will certainly keep a watch out for any! I’d love to see him, poor ol’ thing.
Trying to find more information, ran across this on a vet site:
http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/dortho.html#Prosthetic%20limbs%20for%20dogs
Prosthetic limbs for dogs
Q: Our son just had to have his four year old Bernese Mountain dogs rear leg amputated because of Cancer. He has heard that there is a prothetist available for dogs. We do not know where to get information about this and hope that you can help us. Any information you can give us will be very much appreciated. Thank you
A: I am not aware of a company making prosthetic limbs for dogs. I do have a book that deals with severe orthopedic problems at the office and I will check on this for you there. If I find anything, I’ll write again.
There is a surgery which is called “limb sparing” in which the cancerous portion of the bone is removed and replaced with a graft. This allows wide removal of cancerous bone without the loss of the limb. It is pretty expensive and only done at one or two institutions, as far as I know. I am not sure if this is what you were hearing about.
Most dogs do pretty well on three legs without the need for a prosthesis. I hope that your son’s dog will be OK, too.
Mike Richards, DVM
Prosthetic limbs for dogs, part 2
Staff response: Sonja just showed us the April issue of Dog Fancy magazine. An article by Solveig Fredrickson talks about the artificial leg Kuma the Akita is now wearing. The leg was made by Hal Moore of Oregon Orthopedic. The exact address is not given but Dog Fancy can be reached at www.petchannel.com.
... and this about another doggie:
Crippled Kuwait Pup May Get Prosthesis
Catherine Tsai, Associated Press
June 28, 2007 — A puppy found hobbling in the Kuwaiti desert has ended up at Colorado State University, where she might be a candidate for an experimental prosthesis that could one day help humans.
Sally, a Saluki, was spotted in the desert several months ago by a volunteer with animal welfare group PAWS and taken to a shelter in Kuwait City. It’s unclear how the dog was injured.
Part of the dog’s left hind leg had been severed and a veterinarian in Kuwait wanted to amputate the remaining leg. PAWS volunteer Steve Holden e-mailed his alma mater, CSU, and its veterinary hospital to ask whether that was sound advice.
CSU animal surgeon Erick Egger responded that it was, but that Sally, who he estimated was about a year old, might make a good candidate for new research on grafting prosthetics to bone, which would prevent her from losing more of her leg.
PAWS then flew Sally with Holden to Fort Collins, arriving Tuesday.
While humans can be fitted with a prosthetic limb to be strapped on, dogs don’t take to them well. Egger wants to try an “ingrowth” prosthesis.
One concept involves inserting a metallic implant at the bone, attaching an artificial limb to the implant, and then allowing bone to grow around it.
“The real critical part that will make it work or not is whether we can get soft tissues like skin and muscle to grow into the metal that extends into the body,” he said.
Veterinarian Robert Taylor in Denver has been working on the concept, which perhaps one day could be transferred to humans, Egger said.
It could be a month or two before Sally gets her new leg, he said. He is looking at ways to raise funds to pay for materials, which he estimates could cost about $5,000.
What dog is that then? Is that the same device?
Oh they will, and better.
This link is long and boring. But the end few seconds are fascinating and well worth the wait. WAIT FOR IT, YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hzRja9eunY
Lots of talk of stem cells and cloning technology to solve many ills of the world. It always seemed to me that rather than work on developing organs that are just as good as the original, we should work on organs that will be 10x, 20x or even 50x better.
Humans & Robotics - PERFECT TOGETHER!
“We do not know where to get information about this and hope that you can help us.”
You might try contacting the veterinary departments at Texas A&M University, Cornell University, or the Veterinary Medical Association. I’m sure one or all of them will be able to refer you to places that deal with canine prosthetics. Goodness, sorry. Forgot to mention www.upenn.edu/, which is where Barbaro was treated. I know they’ve tried implanted prosthetics on horses. I’m not sure what the outcome has been.
I wish your son’s dog and all of you all good things. I hope the best for the Brit dog as well, of course.
This advancement in medical science should give us all paws, er, pause.
thanks, bfl
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