Veterinarians in Novosibirsk have achieved a first for Russia: restoring mobility to a cat by implanting two prosthetic legs after an amputation surgery. Within a day of the operation, the animal was able to begin walking again, according to the Takie Dela website.
Ellie the cat was brought to an animal clinic after suffering extreme frostbite. Caught in the cold, she had serious injuries to her hind legs, paws, nose, and ears. Veterinarians soon amputated part of Ellie’s back legs.
It so happens that Novosibirsk veterinarian Sergei Gorshkov has pioneered a unique methodology for attaching prosthetic limbs to dogs and cats. The process requires first implanting titanium prostheses to the animal, designed with the help of 3D printers. Once the artificial limbs are attached, rubber paws are affixed to the ends of the legs.
Gorshkov has carried out the operation three times before on animals missing a single limb. In those cases, the prosthetic leg allowed dogs and cats to run, jump, and play, for the first time since their injuries.
Ellie marks the first time in Russia that veterinarians have succeeded in outfitting an animal missing two limbs with prosthetic legs.
