Due to severe frostbite, Russian kitten Dymka loses both ears, tail and paws in 2018. Today the doctors give her a gift that will give her back a wonderful cat life.
The story of the Russian kitten Dymka begins dramatically: on a freezing cold day in October 2018, the velvet paw from Siberia suffers such severe frostbite that she loses several body parts. Even then, Dymka was lucky: the vet treating her in Novosibirsk decided against putting her to sleep and gave her a second chance in life.
But because kittens only go through life extremely clumsily without paws, the veterinarian has an amazing idea. Together with scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University, he uses a 3D printer to develop prostheses for the velvet paw.
Kitten with prostheses from 3D printer
For only the second time ever, veterinarian Sergei Groshkov is implanting prosthetic legs in a cat. After the front paws are fitted without complications in May 2019, the hind paws follow two weeks later. Kitten Dymka is suddenly back in life with all her paws. Now, however, she has to learn how to handle her new titanium legs.
But the smart little animal quickly manages to do that, too, and is now living a real cat’s life with her owner again.