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Horses and Dogs Find a Friend at Equine Prosthetics
By Miki Fairley  When Deborah Galt, a licensed
veterinary technician, first saw Thor, it seemed likely the stately
thoroughbred would have to be put down.
Thor, who was supposedly being cared for by a horse rescue group,
had been standing in a bare lot in weather conditions ranging from
scorching sunshine to torrential downpours for months, according to
Erin Harty in the article "A New Leg Up on Life," www.vetcentric.com. When Galt was finally able
to take him home, he was severely underweight, dehydrated, and so
badly injured that he couldn't put any weight on his mangled right
leg. The injury, probably caused by becoming tangled in wire or
machinery, caused Thor to hold the leg suspended above ground.
But Thor wasn't ready to give up--and his cheerful "can-do"
attitude convinced Galt not to give up on him.
After Thor underwent two unsuccessful attempts at providing him
support for his deformity, Galt decided to try something else, and
she talked to Roy Scudamore, CP, who has more than 25 years'
experience in providing human O&P care. Scudamore, who worked
at Old Dominion Prosthetics & Orthotics, Charlottesville,
Virginia, and Ivan Letner Jr., CP, company president, worked
together to provide Thor's first prosthesis. Letner donated both
time and materials to fabricate the prosthesis.
The majority of the 16-hand, 1,200-lb. gelding's right hind leg
is present, although nonfunctional from the fetlock down. "He had
suffered trauma to his right leg that severed his deep and
superficial flexor tendons and his lateral suspensory and broke his
lateral splint bone," explains Roy. "The first attempt to correct
this condition resulted in his P-3 breaking and his hoof capsule
being shed. The second attempt at correcting his condition made him
extremely lame, and it became very apparent that the only way to
save him would be with a customized prosthesis."
Although his residual limb is not ideal, Thor now wears the same
type device that the Paralympic athletes wear, Scudamore adds. He
does the typical horsey activities: bucking, grazing, and playing.
"He is a very gentle horse and a wonderful ambassador," says Roy.
"He regularly travels to events such as the Adventure camp for
amputee children, benefits for the Christopher Reeves Paralysis
Foundation, and to a local Disability Awareness Day." Roy adds,
"Through his example, these children can see that anything is
possible!"
Thor's Success Inspires New Company
Successfully providing the brave horse with a prosthesis led
Scudamore and Galt to found Equine Prosthetics Inc., recently
relocated to Florida. "Thor is our signature horse," says Roy, who
now works full time providing veterinary O&P care. Requests for
help have come from all over the country and abroad.
Many small animals, such as cats and smaller dog breeds, don't
need prostheses, since they adapt fairly easily to walking on three
legs, and their light weight means that the "tripod" configuration
doesn't put undue strain on their bodies, Scudamore explains in the
VetCentric article. However, bigger animals, such as horses and
larger dog breeds, have too much body mass to support themselves
comfortably on three legs. If they are otherwise healthy,
even-tempered, and in good spirits, these animals are good
candidates for a prosthesis.
In some ways, the furry, four-legged patients are similar to
humans. They have a "gadget tolerance," Roy explains. Some animals
will learn to handle prostheses or orthoses right away, but most
will need time to adjust to the devices and learn new methods of
walking--just like people.
Thor: A Disability Ambassador
In Thor's case, a certain amount of trial and error was needed
before arriving at a comfortable, effective prosthesis. In fact,
the establishment of Equine Prosthetics Inc. was based on the
almost complete absence of prosthetic care and know-how in
veterinary medicine and the need for more knowledge and experience
in this area, Scudamore comments. Thor's first comfortable
prosthesis was fabricated using crude materials, but had the basics
of what he ultimately needed. Thor's first professional prosthesis
was a simple peg-leg that gave him a support and a chance for the
leg to heal.
Educating Veterinary Professionals
The veterinary profession has never had much experience in
treating animals with limb deformities, and in the past they were
simply put to sleep instead, notes Galt. Now there is another
option. In cases in where an animal has a limb that is no longer
functional, it is best to amputate rather than try to save the
limb, Scudamore believes. Saving the limb in these cases could risk
further injury along with prolonged deterioration of health.
Ideally, the surgery, performed by a veterinarian, will best
prepare the limb for a prosthesis.
After surgery, the residual limb should be placed in a
snug-fitting cast with a temporary (jig) prosthesis. This is done
for three main reasons, Roy explains:
1. To keep the wound clean and free of debris;
2. To keep edema from settling into the surgical site, thus
retaining maximum circulation which will promote healing by keeping
oxygen-rich blood flowing to the internal wound site;
3. To retain mobility. Mobility keeps muscle function high, thus
maintaining strength and agility; prevents contracture deformities;
increases circulation to the limb and throughout the entire body;
and helps maintain the animal's psychological health.
Educating O&P Professionals
Simply applying human techniques to animals does not necessarily
work well for several reasons, Galt explains:
1. Fitting a limb or brace to an animal requires extra-special
attention to detail, since the animal can't voice where it needs
adjustment;
2. Another consideration concerning horses is that, because of
their great size and flight instinct, they could very easily hurt
those who are trying to help them;
3. Animal gait patterns are very different from humans, so
traditional methods of management seldom work the same.
It takes years of experience to fit animals comfortably and
correctly, so that the animal performs as expected, and the owner
has a positive outlook on the whole experience, says Galt.
Educating Owners
Owners need to be aware of the care their animals will need. For
example, Deb Galt removes Thor's prosthesis, brushes his leg, and
examines it for any pressure sores that might be developing, notes
the VetCentric article. She washes his leg and dries it with a
hairdryer, since the prosthesis can't be replaced if the hair and
skin are wet. She replaces his "stump sock" (a sock or nylon) with
a clean one and reattaches the prosthesis. The entire process takes
about 15 minutes daily. Once or twice a week she also gives his leg
a whirlpool bath.
Once the care becomes a matter of routine, the patient expects
it and usually quite cooperative, the article points out. To help
the owner know how to take care of the patient at home, Scudamore
also videotapes the animal being fitted and cared for.
Most animals adapt quite quickly, Scudamore says. One dog was
standing on his new leg just five hours after surgery and was
chasing squirrels nine days later, according to the article. A
burro that hadn't walked in two and a half years was chasing a dog
around the backyard within a month of receiving his prosthesis.
Some Other Typical Clients
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Spirit |
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Among Roy and Deb's other furry clients are
Spirit, a golden retriever, who lost a hind paw, probably to a rat
in the mass-breeding "puppy mill" in which he was born. He is doing
much better now, since he has a $1,000 prosthetic paw.
Beauty Grace, a Doberman mix, was found in a drain ditch as a
puppy. She was missing her right front leg distal to the carpus.
Radiographs showed a congenital deformity with little or no ulna
and carpus. She was fitted with a simple peg-leg to help her learn
how to walk. If she continues to do well, Equine Prosthetics will
improve the device to give her more mobility.
When Mickie came to Equine Prosthetics, he was a one-month-old
appendix quarter horse colt born with windswept feet both front and
hind. Although his hind legs and left front leg straightened out
nicely, the right front leg didn't show much promise of
improvement. The veterinarian was doubtful that corrective surgery
would be successful for this type of deformity and decided to try
something else instead. Equine Prosthetics made a custom orthosis
to correct the valgus deformity. After wearing the brace for
four-six hours daily for two-three months, his leg is now straight
and his gait normal. Mickie is currently in training and competing
successfully in shows.
Company Continues To Progress
Equine Prosthetics works to stay abreast of the frequent
advances in prosthetic and orthotic care through continuing
education, notes Scudamore. The company also is working to
establish a database of veterinarians dedicated to the
rehabilitation of animals and also is working with veterinarians to
develop a line of orthotic devices. Says Scudamore, "By developing
a variety of devices that will help postoperatively for many types
of injuries, including fractures and soft-tissue injuries, we hope
to offer options for animals that would otherwise have a poor
prognosis."
For more information, contact Roy Scudamore,res@equineprosthetics.com 
Table Of Contents - April 2004
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