Patient: Zeke is a 2-year-old, 8-pound Yorkshire terrier

Diagnosis: Missing right front paw and has a tarsal subluxation of the left hock

Type Of Device: Front right prosthesis and left hock brace

Case Report: Zeke was hit by a car and sustained multiple injuries. He had a serious injury to his front right paw and their veterinarian performed an amputation at the carpal. Zeke visited us in September of 2022 to be evaluated for a prosthesis.

We determined he was a good candidate for a prosthetic device. There was ample skin at the distal end of the leg that would help ensure he was comfortable when he put pressure on that limb. We casted the stump of Zeke’s leg and he returned three weeks later for the fitting of his device.

Zeke was adjusting to his new prosthesis. During the same time, the fracture in his rear left leg had not fully closed and he returned for an evaluation for a hock brace. We made a non-jointed hock brace to support the hock and help prevent the subluxation.

At first, Zeke would run around on his two good legs, holding his two braced legs in the air. With time, and slow leashed walking, Zeke learned to use all four of his legs. He returned for adjustments to fine-tune the fit of the prosthetic as we saw the wear patterns on the device. He wears his prosthesis from morning to night, but he only wears his hock brace during walks and playtime.

Zeke’s family said, “Both devices have helped Zeke tremendously! I hate him not wearing his prosthetic. It is a necessity. After getting used to the prosthetic, Zeke stopped getting stuck on the steps and he runs and plays a lot more! He even started jumping up on the couch again. Happy to be alive!”