The Animal Avengers have fitted puppy, Zeus, with a 3D printed “ballet shoe” to help him walk properly after his foot was chewed off.

You may remember the Animal Avengers from heartwarming stories such as Victoria the Goose. They are a team of vets who come to the rescue of pets and wild creatures in need, providing innovative solutions to the struggles of animals. The team is based in Brazil.

This time around, the team has developed a 3D printed “ballet shoe” for Zeus the whippet puppy. When Zeus was a newborn he was viciously attacked and as a result, his back paw was chewed off.

Although he has adapted to his disability, it was important for the Animal Avengers to intervene. The reason was to prevent Zeus’ gait from getting worse, which could potentially cause him spine and limb trouble in the future.

In order to help, dentist Paulo Miamoto and veterinarian surgeon Roberto Fecchio first took a CT-scan of Zeus’ leg.

Miamoto explains:

“We used the information to model a 3D prosthesis that would fit onto and snuggly embrace Zeus’s lower left leg… The artificial attachment re-establishes the spatial difference between the rest of his legs and the gap between the damaged limb and the ground.”

Zeus and the 3D Printed Ballet Shoe

To 3D print the prosthetic, which weighs just 24 grams, the vets used biodegradable plastic. The ballet shoe slips on easily and is attached with Velcro straps.

Miamoto said:

“Zeus needed to be able to run up and down with ease and we knew that while comfort was one thing, making sure the prosthesis was effective when it touched the ground was also important. We had to find a way to absorb the shock of Zeus’s new paw hitting the floor so he would be encouraged to use it and not find the impact a frightening experience. So, we covered the tip of the prosthesis in a dental silicon, moulded from a small 3D printed cast.”

At the first fitting, the vets were nervous to see how Zeus would react. His paw is completely healed, but the vets believed the traumatic memory could cause some problems.

However, Zeus soon took a liking to the new prosthetic. Initially, he continued to hop with his leg lifted off the ground. Within a day, Zeus’ owner Christiane Kimura reported that her puppy had adapted to his new green foot.

Now, Zeus is in intensive physiotherapy at Animal Care Vet Hospital and is quickly learning how to make the most of his new ballet shoe. The doctors are confident that Zeus will soon “be prancing and bounding around at full steam with his balance restored.”

Source: Mirror