Dog gets artificial Limbs

:)

I suppose that depends on your point of view.

Half full or half empty Tohme .. !!!

Care to share your view tohme? Personally I cant see anything wrong with it but this is just my opinion :)

Personally I am not sure that fitting dogs with artificial limbs is necessarily always a good thing; not saying it is wrong either but I feel that the existence of them may (I could be wrong) put undue pressure on owners/vets etc.

Trying to see it from several angles here really. 

Very good isn't it. :-) Dollface.

I'm also in two minds about it.

I think if the dog is still getting lots of enjoyment out of life, more so than any awkwardness from these, then it's great. They are adaptable. I guess the owner just has to weigh that....the happiness of the dog vs. the inconvenience or any other negatives associated with the artificial limbs.

I saw on a tv program once a parrot who had lost it's foot and a doctor fitted him with a fake foot. He got around just great and seemed happy.

Carrie

I think it is a good idea as long as the dog is enjoying life...Not much different then the wheel chair (not sure what it is called) for dogs, but looks like this one gets around good :)

Goodness, this is a difficult one and I've been thinking long and hard about it.  Whilst it seems that this is a great solution for the dog in the story, my thoughts have centred around the point Tohme made, ie could it put undue pressure on vets/owners if these artificial limbs were freely available? I have wondered to myself whether if I was ever in the horrendous position of facing one of my boys losing both of his hind limbs (and the likeliest scenario I can think of for that would be through trauma), and possibly having to make a fast decision, would it make a difference if the vet said "of course, now there are superb artificial limbs available and eventually after the recuperation period your dog wil be able to get about again".  To my mind, and in my situation with my boys, if there was NO choice such as this, the decision would be "easy" and the dog would be allowed a peaceful end and would not even have the amputations.

But in terms of being offered artificial limbs for my dog, if I think of my boys, fantastic active HPR's that they are, I wonder if they would be happy getting about on artificial limbs. Could such limbs really give them back the scope to live their lives fully, and by fully I mean it to include exercising in the type of environment and ways in which HPR's thrive and are stimulated. And could I risk putting them through it, in case they MIGHT be happy enough afterwards?  For me, I think the answer would be no, but how much harder and guilt ridden the decision would be, because then there would always be the "what ifs" to live with :(

These are just my thoughts, based on my own situation, so it is not my intention to offend anyone :)

Lesley

Tough one for me as I have a three legged dog, but I think I would give the dog every chance for a happy life, if these offered that then I would try it, I know I was scared how mine would cope with three legs, they adapt so well the day after the operation she got up and hopped over to us like she had always had three legs, never one day have I regretted letting it be done....