We Know The Stories Of Animals With Prostheses

For problems from birth or for serious injuries,  there are animals that lose parts of the body necessary for their survival. Legs, shells and even beaks have been reconstructed thanks to the kindness of people and technological advances. Let’s find out together how animals with prostheses got a second chance.

Nowadays it is very common to see a dog that moves thanks to a kind of wheelchair. But not only this species of animals, even the wild ones were saved thanks to prostheses. However, their condition  does not allow them to return to live in their natural habitat, so they will remain in shelters  or recovery centers for life.

There are companies that are dedicated to manufacturing prosthetics for animals, but many of these are also created thanks to the ingenuity  and skills of ordinary people. In the examples we show you there is a combination of these two cases:

Winter the dolphin

Winter is a female dolphin who was found injured on the coasts of North America. The vets did everything,  but Winter had a damaged rear fin, and sadly he lost it. A short time later, a new one was built, the first in the world.

Source: www.clubhousenews.com

A film inspired by the story of Winter was made,  starring herself. It was so successful at the box office that the sequel was shot a couple of years later. Thanks to this dolphin, many other animals have a prosthesis like his.

Oscar the cat

Oscar the cat, also known as the bionic cat,  had an accident with a harvester, and had to amputate two legs. When they found him, his injuries were so bad that it was thought there was no hope for him.

However, the vet who visited him first quickly saw that he had a chance. Thanks to the collaboration of various universities, not only has it been possible to give Oscar two new legs,  but the technique used with him is also applied to humans. 

Beauty, the bald eagle

Having been hit by a hunter,  the bald eagle Beauty has lost almost all of its beak. This part of the body is essential for both eating and cleaning.

The vet who found her and an engineering company that had never done anything like this  returned Beauty’s beak. Now it can lead a normal life, eat alone and groom itself like any other eagle of its kind. This type of reconstruction was a breakthrough in the field of prosthetics for animals, especially for birds.

Source: http: //www.neatorama.com/

Septimus the Tortoise

In the first photo that appears in this article, there is the Septimus tortoise, which was attacked by mice while hibernating, so it could not defend itself. By the time they found it,  the rats had gnawed at his legs so much that the only solution was amputation.

Luckily,  the owner had wheels from a model airplane in his house. He adapted them to the size of his body and a vet stuck them under the shell. Septimus survived, and is able to move faster than before.

Mister Stubbs the crocodile

When he was young, a crocodile named Mister Stubbs lost his tail in a fight. He was found a few years later, with the wound healed but with serious consequences. Without his tail he could not dive into the water to hide, so he was forced to spend his life on the surface  without being able to hunt.

Source: https: //www.reynoldsam.com

Mister Stubbs was the first crocodile to receive a prosthesis, and it fits him perfectly. He is learning to swim again, having lost his practice after so many years.

Thanks to creative and skilled people, and to companies pioneering the use of materials and 3D printing, many animals are receiving prosthetics.