(Screenshot by Michelle Starr/CNET Australia)
A dog that lost all four feet to frostbite as a pup has been given a new lease on life with prosthetics.
When Naki'o of Nebraska US was just a wee pup, he was left in the basement of a foreclosed house, his four little paws and tail frozen in a puddle, his mother dead. Then he was taken to a kill shelter — where he was rescued by A Puppy's Voice. Though the little guy was saved, his limbs were too far gone and all five had to be taken off to keep him healthy. For his front legs, this meant just the toes, but his back paws had to be taken off completely.
Although he could move around on his stumps, as he grew older and gained weight, his gait was hobbled and caused him pain — until his adopter, veterinarian assistant Christie Pace, decided to get help. After seeing a dog in a knee brace, she realised that prosthetics were a possibility. She consulted with pet prosthetician OrthoPets, and after being told that Naki'o would need prosthetics for all four limbs at US$1000 to US$3000 apiece, she set about raising money for his hind leg braces.
The left hind leg was the most severely affected, so that was the one Naki'o had fitted first. Then OrthoPets' Martin Kaufmann donated the other three prosthetics so that Naki'o could run and play like a normal dog. At this time, Naki'o is the only known dog in the world with four prosthetic limbs.
Via abcnews.go.com