A dog who was struggling after losing one of his front legs to cancer has been given a new lease of life thanks to the wonders of modern technology.
Rey the Doberman, aged 4, had a pretty perfect life with his family in Boston, Massachusetts. “We got him from a breeder down in Texas,” Rey’s owner, who chose not to disclose his name, told Newsweek.
“He’s our only dog and he’s attached to everyone, including my sisters and my parents. He’s always following someone or in the kitchen when we’re cooking dinner, he doesn’t really like being alone.”
However, in early December last year, Rey started walking funny. “It was something that kinda happened suddenly,” his owner said. “We initially thought he just hurt himself or just slept on it funny and we put a heating pad and also a cold pack on him and checked his paws if there was a cut but there wasn’t.”
Rey underwent a series of tests with his veterinarian before the devastating news that he had osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer that is more common among large dogs. In cases like Rey’s the most common treatment involves the amputation of the affected limb.
It was clear, almost straight away, that Rey would need surgery. “He couldn’t use his leg that had the tumor and he would cry and whine constantly,” his owner said.
“We couldn’t play with him or take him on any walks or hikes due to him limping and the doctor said not to. That made him really sad because all he would really do is lay down and sleep. He would bring us his toys and we couldn’t play.”
Rey underwent the necessary surgery. While moving around on three legs was okay in the weeks that followed, Rey’s owners were eager to ensure he enjoyed the best quality of life possible so turned to 3DPets, a pet mobility device company that designs prosthetics using 3D printing technology.
Rey represented a unique challenge to 3DPets, given his size and the fact dogs carry 60 percent of their weight on their front limbs. Lydia Mindek, Director of Operations at 3DPets said: “Printing the jacket for our full-limb prosthetics or carts in one piece is extremely important because we want to avoid any potential areas of weakness or fracture.”
It was 3D printer company Elegoo that helped make Rey’s prosthetic a reality, stepping in to cover the $1,750 costs to cover the design work, and provide 3DPets with access to the OrangeStorm Giga, a 3D printer big enough print the full-body harness Rey would need.
Fast forward to today and the dog that had lost the ability to do so many of the things he loved for such a long time is back to running around and playing fetch with his family.
More importantly, for Rey’s owner, he’s back to being the focal point of the household. “Honestly he hasn’t changed, he’s still a ham,” he said. “He just rolls around or whines when he doesn’t get attention or he’s curled up on the couch when we’re watching TV.”
While Rey’s prosthetic will require regular cleaning and the occasional bit of maintenance, it’s a small ask for something that has brought him back to being the happy dog he was once before.
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