Meet Rudy
Thoracic limb prosthesis rather than amputation
Rudy was adopted from the Boulder humane society at 3 months of age in 2018. She was born with a defect of the right front limb. The entire leg was shorter and smaller than the left front limb. There was little to no fur on from the carpus (wrist) to the paw and the skin was so abnormal the paw pads were easily torn. Amputation was one recommendation shared with her family.
Dr. Mich initially saw Rudy for evaluation of the right front leg and in addition to the abnormal paw she had a step incongruency of the elbow on that side. Plans were made to manage the elbow and the abnormal paw with surgery and a custom prosthesis (combination of prosthesis and orthosis).
In late December of 2018 just a day after her first evaluation Rudy saw Dr. Mich who found that the left carpus was thickened, painful and did not have full range of motion. Rudy had a septic joint and bone infection on the left front limb. This is a serious infection that can cause damage to cartilage and long term complications for weight bearing; this was even more serious given the abnormal right front leg. Imagine if the abnormal right front had been amputated when she was a puppy!
Rudy had a transcondylar screw placed to stabilize her elbow. Once her right elbow and left carpus were doing well, Dr. Mich went to work to provide her with a prosthesis that would protect the tender skin and paw pads and also give her a lift so that her shoulders would be level. She took to it quickly and now is giving the bunnies in her yard a tough time.
Update Fall 2021: Rudy was featured in a minidocumentary hosted by Dennis Quaid on Public Television.
My name is Rudy. I am almost 4 years old, and I am an English Cream Golden Retriever. I was born with the umbilical chord wrapped around my front leg, so my front right paw is little and short. I was born to a breeder who wasn’t sure if I’d make it very far in this life, so they posted pictures of me all over the internet trying to find someone to take me. But lucky for me, my mom saw me and she has a weakness for adorable things, so she scooped me up right away! She did lots of research on prosthetic devices and amputations, and came up with an article that Dr. Mich wrote about the benefits of using prosthetic devices and braces instead of amputation. We met Dr. Mich and I got fitted for a pink brace. I’ve had it for about 2 and a half years, and since then I’ve been unstoppable. I’ve managed to climb over a 6 foot fence (using a woodpile as a boost), ran all over the mountains, chase SO many bunnies and squirrels, and terrorized my 4 Labrador Retriever big brothers. I’m the happiest bundle of fluff, and my pink device doesn’t slow me down. If anything, it makes people give me WAY more attention, especially when I stomp it if they aren’t giving me my favorite head scratches. Thanks Dr. Mich for making me a device that can keep up with me!”
