Clawdia and her OrthoPets Forelimb Prosthetic
Clawdia is an 8-year-old service dog who works with veterans with PTSD who suffers from right forelimb meromelia, a birth defect where part of the leg is missing. She is no longer comfortable walking on hard surfaces. When a good Samaritan saw Clawdia’s owner pulling the lab mix in a wagon, the stranger offered to pay for a prosthetic for her. The family contacted Dr. Danyel Wynn at Walking Paws Rehab in Boulder, Colorado who worked closely with OrthoPets to design a custom prosthetic based on her fiberglass impression, measurements, radiographs, media and exam.
On device fitting day, Clawdia beamed, showing off her new gait. A few adjustments were performed to perfect the fit and OrthoPets also designed a house slipper, a lighter device made primarily of foam, for Clawdia to be worn at home. For the last few months, Clawdia and her family have been working hard with Dr. Wynn to improve her gait and strengthening. Most recently, she has been practicing downhill walking from within a dry treadmill.
