By Kathleen M. Muldoon

The other day I was surfing the ‘net for information on a new type artificial foot I thought might suit my prosthesis. In the middle of my search an article popped up titled “Feline Receives First Ever Paw Prosthesis.” Whoa! I had to read that one, and when I did a whole new scientific field was revealed to me, that of animal prosthetics. I forgot all about my own body parts and read every article I could find on the amazing work veterinarians are doing to afford comfort and mobility to critters of many types.

The cat whose story fi rst caught my attention was a stray named George. When he was adopted by the couple who found him, they saw he had been born with stumps where his back legs should have been. They took him to a veterinarian at a university in North Carolina. That veterinarian, with help from some engineering students who designed the prosthesis, implanted the first paw prostheses in George. This happened in 2005.

I searched some more. I soon learned that many veterinarians around the world have successful provided critters with artificial body parts. Here is a brief summary of some these lucky animals.

-Winter, a dolphin in Florida, lost his tail when it got caught in a crab trap. Thanks to skilled prosthetic specialists (people who make artificial body parts), Winter swims with the help of an artificial tail held on by special gel glue. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the man who helped design it, Kevin Carroll of Hanger Prosthetics, was the very specialist who met with me regarding my own prosthesis!

-Motola the elephant lost her foot in Thailand when she stepped on a land mine. Skilled veterinarian surgeons designed and attached an artificial foot. Imagine how big and heavy that must be!

-Mocha, a llama from Michigan, had a badly broken leg that surgeons had to amputate. Her owner heard about animal prosthetics and took Mocha to be fitted with an artificial leg. Now 6-year-old Mocha romps and plays like she did before her injury.

-A rare Japanese stork, Taisa, broke his beak after getting it caught in metal wiring. He began losing weight because he could no longer catch fish. A dentist in Tokyo designed an artificial beak for Taisa, using special dental adhesive.

-Thor, a gray thoroughbred horse in Virginia rescued from deplorable living conditions, had a leg amputated because an injury had gone untreated. Now he stands on the same type of prosthesis human amputee athletes wear when competing in the Paralympics. Of course, his had to be specially designed to support his 1,200 lb. body!

There are so many more animals that now wear specially made prostheses, including roosters, mules, dogs, and a kangaroo named Stumpy. Isn’t that cool? I found out something else in my research. There are animal orthotics (braces, etc.), specially designed “wheelchairs” for four-legged animals that can’t use their back legs and, yes, there is even a whole new growing field of animal physical therapy!

Fortunately, my cat doesn’t need a prosthesis or physical therapy- she could probably use a psychologist, but that’s another story. But I got to thinking how neat a career animal prosthetics and therapy would make for folks like us who know how these special critters feel and what they need.

Do you know of an animal that has benefited from this new branch of veterinary science? Do you see yourself following such a career path? Share your thoughts with Action readers, email it to action@unitedspinal.org or mail them to:

KIDS IN ACTION
United Spinal Association
75-20 Astoria Boulevard
Jackson Heights, NY 11370-1177

If you plan to become a mental health therapist for cats, please let me know as soon as you’ve earned your credentials. Have I got a patient for you!

Kathleen M. Muldoon is a children’s book author and writing instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature. She lives in San Antonio, Texas.