Having lost all four limbs from an extended period of being buried in the snow, Dymka the kitten has been equipped with four titanium prosthetic limbs, enabling her to regain normal mobility.
One of the most distressing injuries animals can endure is the loss of all four limbs due to severe frostbite after being trapped under the snow. Many of these animals face a daunting struggle for survival, often succumbing to illness due to their inability to move. However, Dymka stands out from the rest; this kitten has been equipped with four prosthetic limbs, allowing her to regain the ability to walk normally.
The narrative unfolds on an October day in 2018 when Russian veterinarian Sergei Gorshkov, living in the city of Novokuznetsk, encountered a woman who discovered Dymka buried in the snow.
Huddled beneath the white snow, Dymka was discovered, enduring the effects of severe frostbite.
The intense cold had inflicted severe damage to Dymka’s all four limbs, ears, and tail. The tissues were irreversibly harmed and deemed unsalvageable. Consequently, the affected parts had to be amputated.
In Novosibirsk, veterinary teams routinely attend to cats experiencing frostbite during the winter months. While severe injuries necessitating amputations are uncommon, they are not unprecedented.
Fortunately, Dymka is among the fortunate cats to be fitted with prosthetic limbs. Veterinarians worked in conjunction with kx sự, a researcher from Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU), to craft personalized titanium prosthetic components to replace Dymka’s amputated limbs.
Employing computed tomography (CT) scanning, the research team digitized Dymka’s limbs, generating a 3D model. Subsequently, a 3D printer completed the process. To prevent rejection, doctors utilized calcium phosphate as an intermediary agent for the prosthetic attachment. This calcium phosphate facilitates the bonding of the prosthetic limbs to Dymka’s leg bones through the oxidation process. Remarkably, after seven months of installation, Dymka demonstrated incredible progress in adapting to her four prosthetic limbs. She can now walk, jump to a certain height, and even run.
Dymka and Ryzhik hold the distinction of being the world’s first cats to undergo prosthetic limb surgery.
Dymka is not the initial feline to undergo a procedure involving the attachment of four prosthetic limbs at this clinic. In 2016, a male cat named Ryzhik underwent a comparable surgery, addressing similar limb injuries.
At present, both cats have seamlessly adapted to their new paws and exude contentment. Dymka found a permanent home with the woman who discovered her and brought her to the clinic.
