This is the story of how one dog got four prosthesis (that's the right way to say prosthetics, I think).
Dog's are mans' best friend. Here is the story of Naki'o (don't ask me how to pronounce that). He is the world's first canine to receive prosthesis for all four of his limbs. You may think that is overboard, you may be sobbing right now because its the most touching thing you've read all day, but regardless, the technology behind this field is impressive.
Before we (briefly) explain the ins and outs of animal prosthetic limbs, here is a little bit more about Naki'o: this dog was found in an abandoned house frozen in a puddle (literally) and had to have all his paws removed due to severe frost bite. Thanks to the compassion of vet tech Christie Pace, Naki'o (who was at the time appropriately called Stubby) was recused from a high kill shelter and brought home with her.
Because of his young age and light weight at the time, Naki'o was not hindered by his lack of limbs, but as he grew walking became more difficult. One day at work, Christie got the idea of having Naki'o fitted with prosthesis.
That is where Orthopets comes in. They specialize in, you guessed it, orthopedic prostheses for your pets. Fitting an animal with prostheses is not as easy as you may think. Take this into consideration: your average 190lb male althete could never posses the same amount of torque as a 50lb dog does while he races around your yard playing fetch. Prothetses for animals are very specialized for that reason.
Christie and her husband knew that fitting their young, playful pooch with prothetics was the right thing to do. They however, thought that only his left hind limb would need to be replaced only to find out that all four would be necessary. Having only been able to raise enough funds for just one leg, Orthopets stepped in and donated the other three. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Doesn't reading stuff like this make you feel good?
Check out the video to see this awesome dog in action:
Here he is: the super dog himself. Photo: Unknown
Before we (briefly) explain the ins and outs of animal prosthetic limbs, here is a little bit more about Naki'o: this dog was found in an abandoned house frozen in a puddle (literally) and had to have all his paws removed due to severe frost bite. Thanks to the compassion of vet tech Christie Pace, Naki'o (who was at the time appropriately called Stubby) was recused from a high kill shelter and brought home with her.
Because of his young age and light weight at the time, Naki'o was not hindered by his lack of limbs, but as he grew walking became more difficult. One day at work, Christie got the idea of having Naki'o fitted with prosthesis.
Stright chillin' with his bionic legs. Photo: Unknown
That is where Orthopets comes in. They specialize in, you guessed it, orthopedic prostheses for your pets. Fitting an animal with prostheses is not as easy as you may think. Take this into consideration: your average 190lb male althete could never posses the same amount of torque as a 50lb dog does while he races around your yard playing fetch. Prothetses for animals are very specialized for that reason.
One happy pup: Naki'o with his new legs in use! Photo: Unknown
Christie and her husband knew that fitting their young, playful pooch with prothetics was the right thing to do. They however, thought that only his left hind limb would need to be replaced only to find out that all four would be necessary. Having only been able to raise enough funds for just one leg, Orthopets stepped in and donated the other three. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Doesn't reading stuff like this make you feel good?
Check out the video to see this awesome dog in action:
