A puppy that was born with upside down front paws has learned to walk again after they got a corrective surgery.
Siggi, the dog, was rescued by a group based out of Dallas, Texas, when they were just 13 weeks old.
The rat terrier was born with a rare birth defect and was brought to the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
The college had previous experience with a similar condition in early 2019.
Their Veterinary Teaching Hospital operated on a foxhound puppy named Milo, whose front paws were also turned upside down.
The successful recovery of Milo prompted the group to turn to OSU to fix the condition of Siggi.
Dr. Erik Clary, a small animal surgeon with the hospital, said:
As with Milo, Siggi’s problem looked like it was in the paws but it was actually in her elbows. For reasons not fully understood, these patients’ elbows come out of joint early in life and the result is severe rotation of the lower front limbs and an inability to walk. At most, they might muster a crawl that seems most uncomfortable and is poorly suited for a dog’s life.
Siggi was only around 4 pounds at the time of the surgery.
But unlike Milo, Siggi had an additional problem with their front legs.
After a CT Scan was carried out, it was found that Siggi had a deformity in part of her lower elbow, which complicated the surgery.
Dr. Clary said:
The CT helped us plan a more complex procedure that would require an intentional break high up in her ulna bone to de-rotate the limb.
The surgery was carried out on May 12 and the elbows of the puppy were secured with splints and an orthopedic fixator device.
When she was brought to the hospital again on June 29, 2021, for a follow-up checkup, the vets delivered good news.
An X-ray exam confirmed that the bone was healing.
The splint was also removed.
After the splint was removed, Siggi was taught to walk properly.