Pets can have Prosthetics too!

Did you know that it is possible to have prosthetic limbs made for dogs?  Dr. Teresa Hershey, at Westgate Pet Clinic in Minneapolis, has gone through the training to mold and fit dogs with prosthetic limbs.  The limb is made with the help of a company called orthopets in Colorado.  Once the mold of the leg has been made, it takes about 2 weeks to get the limb.  Initially, it takes some getting used to for the dog to figure out the new appendage, but once she does, it is an amazing site to see a 3-legged dog go from using extreme effort to propel themselves to being able to walk and run like a normal dog.  Unfortunately, right now, a limb can only be made for a dog that has an elbow or knee, and some of the bone under that joint on the affected limb.  That greatly limits the candidates for a prosthetic.  But as time goes on, surgeons will begin to rethink at what level of the limb they will perform an amputation, and prosthetics will continue to get better.  You can learn more about prosthetic limbs for dogs by going to westgatepetclinicmn.com.