If you’ve ever been out in the cold, you know how painful the bitter temperatures can be. Now imagine being a puppy left out in that frigid air and suffering frostbite on all four paws.
Sounds horrifying, right? It is…
As if that wasn’t painful enough, your neglectful owners — dog breeders — didn’t take you to the vet. Instead, they decided to amputate all the paws themselves, maiming you, and making it so you were no longer able to get around on your own.
For one unfortunate Rottweiler named Brutus, that’s exactly what happened.
But don’t worry — there is a happy ending…
Two years after losing all four of his paws, a very determined Brutus is back to doing something that once seemed impossible — walking on his own.
Now 2 years old, Brutus is living with a dedicated owner, Laura Aquilina in Loveland, Colorado, and has become the second dog ever known to receive four prosthetic limbs.
Aquilina began fostering Brutus and more recently adopted him.
Wait until you see the great lengths she went to in order to give the pooch a better life…
After it became apparent that he had trouble navigating hardwood floors and stairs due to the damage his paws sustained, the family realized they could not meet the disabled dog’s needs.
Aquilina and a pet rescuer in Canon City joined forces to set up a page on Go Fund Me, an online fundraising site for personal causes, and named it “Better Paws for Brutus.”
Within months, hundreds of people who were touched by Brutus’s sad story donated more than $12,000 toward corrective surgery and new artificial limbs made especially for him by OrthoPets, a Denver-based company that specializes in prosthetics for animals.
In preparation for prosthetics, Brutus underwent paw surgery with Dr. Trent Gall, a Colorado State University veterinary alumnus working in Longmont. The procedure removed bone fragments, dew claws, and two toes left from the botched amputation.
After recovery from surgery, Brutus and Aquilina began the process of prosthetics fitting.
And do you think the miracle paws did their job…
OrthoPets adapts the same technologies used in the field of human orthotics to care for animal patients.
“I believe prosthetics will play a big role in the future of veterinary orthopedics,” said Dr. Felix Duerr, an assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences who practices small animal orthopedics and sports medicine at the university’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. “Brutus shows how we can explore new technologies to find solutions, and how our partnerships with companies like OrthoPets really help.”
The unique prosthetics have three purposes: to protect and make Brutus’ limbs more comfortable, to support his front collapsed legs, and to realign each leg to an equal length.
And with that, Brutus is able to walk again.
True, he’s a bit wobbly when he gets around. But you don’t think that’s going to stop him, do you?
But in upcoming months, he will engage in underwater treadmill therapy, balance activities, exercise balls, and other neuro re-education therapies to help him adjust to his new limbs.
The physical therapy in conjunction with adjustments on the prosthetics means Brutus is expected to grow more capable by the day.
“There are three points to the treatment triangle: the referring veterinarian, the prosthetics, and the rehabilitation,” said Marty Kaufmann, founder of OrthoPets. “If the three points work together and each discipline has the same goal, there is a high chance for success.”
And if his progress is any indication, Brutus is well on his way to leading a fabulous life — and teaching us all about determination.
Images via Facebook
You can follow Brutus and his journey on Facebook and his GoFundMe page.
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