Any pet owner will tell you that their furry friends are full fledged members of their family.
It is much more accurate to compare the time needed to take care of pets to having children rather than taking on a hobby. If you are looking to adopt an animal, be prepared to adopt the lifestyle and prospective finances that come with it.
Vet bills can get expensive, and since dogs and cats have a fraction of our average lifespan, it is a pretty normal thing to opt to put an older animal down rather than have them suffer through intrusive medical and surgical procedures for certain conditions.
In the last ten or so years, we've gotten a lot more treatment options for animals, particularly for dogs and cats with physical disabilities. Fitted prosthetics for animals may be expensive, but they are immensely worth the cost if they can ensure a better quality of life for an animal.
Ryzhik is a Siberian cat who was found left in -40C temperatures.
Exposure to the cold caused him to contract gangrene, which lead to all four of his paws having to be removed.
However, Ryzhik's new owners were determined in their fight for their feline's life.
They took Ryzhik to a clinic in Novosibirsk, Russia, in an attempt to get some artificial limbs fitted.
"The part of the artificial limb that goes inside the body is spongy," explains Vet Sergey Gorshkov, "the bone tissue grows inside it."
The surgery to connect each artificial paw was extensive, but Gorshkov added that the surgeons "achieved a good result."
Ryzhik's prosthetics are fully connected to skin and bone, which is a tremendous innovation in veterinary technology.
The clinic is attempting to extend its technique to artificial limbs for birds and hooves for cattle.
He hasn't attempted to remove the prosthetics at all, which likely means that they are comfortable.
Though he's currently a little wobbly, doctors are confidant that he will be more balanced as he learns how to walk on his new feet.
Animals like Ryzhik deserve a chance to have a life, and it is amazing that so many of the world's vets are working tirelessly to make that vision a reality.
h/t: The Siberian Times
