After hours veterinary care
Treendale Pet Medical is a referral center for animal prosthetics, artificial legs and orthotic braces near Bunbury Western Australia for dogs, cats and pets that need a new leg or a brace for an injury or for post operative support.
Artificial legs or prosthetic limbs in pets is growing in popularity and is no longer a dream. At Treendale Pet Medical we can make your dreams come true& we provide after hours vet Bunbury services. There may be a solution for your pet, but please call us before an amputation is done. There is some special requirements that need to be considered before the limb is amputated.
It is crucial to preserve as much of the limb as possible. The more normal leg that is retained, the better the function of a prosthesis and the better chance for success. It is crucial to prevent the suture line or wound to be along the bottom of the amputation site because the prosthesis will sit on this area and cause pain if the sensitive scar is weight bearing. It may be best for us to do the amputation for you so that we can maximise the chances of success and minimise any discomfort from weight bearing on a prosthetic leg. Dr Rob Hill BVSc BSc CMAVA MANZCVS (small animal surgery) is a chartered member of the Australian Veterinary Association and has memberships in small animal surgery with the ANZCVS.
Crucial decision making is necessary and a lot of planning is critical to correctly amputate the leg and organise an artificial leg (prosthesis).
We will need a history from your vet and any radiographs that have been taken. X-Rays are very important to help plan for a prosthetic leg.
Radiographs will also have to be taken after the amputation as part of planning for the artificial leg.
Dogs may need a full amputation for terrible fractures, non healing infections or cancer. It is possible to have a prosthetic leg for the front leg or the back leg and even for multiple legs. Some animals that have had terrible injuries such as trauma from a road traffic accident may lose multiple legs. If you don’t want to give up on your pet, please give us a call. Treendale Pet Medical 08 97961388.
Prosthetic legs come in all different shapes and sizes and must be custom made for your pets individual requirement and leg shape. Off the shelf prosthetic legs just do not work for animals.
There is all kinds of possibilities for amputees and animals that have been paralysed.
Wheelie vest for canine foreleg amputee.
Another wheelie version for a dog with partial amputation of both front legs.
The solutions are many and quite creative in the modern world.
There are even solutions for partial amputations. This dog lost the lateral and medial toes in an injury that got infected. The lateral and medial toes were amputated. A prosthesis is currently being made for this dog because the two good toes are not strong enough to support the leg and body.
Closeup of the damaged foot needing a prosthesis.
Xray of the damaged foot following amputation of digit two and digit five.
Hyperextension of the digits.
The dog cannot support its weight and the metacarpophalangeal joint is hyperextending which will eventually fail. A prosthesis will support the leg and allow normal function and protect against further injury.
Would you like your dog to have a prosthetic limb?
Would you like your pet to have a relatively normal life as a quadriped (walking on all four legs)?
Do you need to find someone to help you get a prosthetic leg for your pet?
If you found this information engaging, consider checking out our other articles that delve into Spinal Injury in Dogs.
Social distancing is easy for pets and people in our spacious waiting areas.