Puppy learns to walk again after US veterinary teaching hospital corrects deformity

KUALA LUMPUR ― A deformed puppy is learning to walk again after surgeons at Oklahoma State University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital reversed its upside-down front paws.

People.com reported that the doctors took in 13-week-old rat terrier Siggi after they previously operated on another dog named Milo with similar deformities.

Dr Erik Clary, who performed the pup's surgery, said Siggi's problem looked like it was in the paws, but it was actually in her elbows.

“For reasons not fully understood, these patients' elbows come out of joint early in life, and the result is a severe rotation of the lower front limbs and an inability to walk.”

“At most, they might muster a crawl that seems most uncomfortable and is poorly suited for a dog's life,” Dr Clary reportedly said.

Unlike Milo, Siggi had a “significant deformity” in the lower part of her elbow bones.

Because of this, Dr Clary said Siggi's procedure required an “intentional break high up in her ulna bone to de-rotate the limb”.

Siggi was operated on May 12 and was given splints and casts on both of her front legs as part of her recovery.

During a June 29 checkup, a vet confirmed that Siggi's bones healed through an X-ray exam, and then the dog's splints and casts were removed.

“At that stage, the task then became one of teaching her how to walk, and she proved a fairly quick learner,” Dr Clary added.

“Lorraine, her medical foster with Dallas Dog RRR, did a fabulous job implementing an incremental rehabilitation regimen that now has Siggi doing many things that puppies like to do, including chasing a ball in the yard.”

Dr Clary said he was very pleased with Siggi's progress. MALAY MAIL