Nema is our October Pet of the Month! We met this little lady when she was a sweet little 8 week old Golden Retriever puppy and she will turn 1 year old next month. Her owners brought her to Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation & Therapy for Pets for an evaluation to see what options might be available for her right front leg. She was born with a congenital limb abnormality and she was unable to extend her elbow, carpal joint or toes on her R front leg completely. Over the next several months, her owners did homework exercises with her and we monitored her monthly to assess her progress. During that time, Nema was able to fully extend her elbow and start using her leg and she also could extend her carpal joint to allow standing. However, as a puppy, she was very rough on her paw and her toes remained curled under, so it was protected in a boot while she was up and running around.
In June 2014, she was casted for an individualized hybrid orthotic device. She had all the right parts, but her R front toes never did get normal movement back. As a result, a special device (not really a prosthetic and not really and orthotic) was made for her to cup her R FL paw with space to prevent concussive forces and correct the resulting limb length discrepancy. On July 3, 2014, Nema got her flashy new orthotic device and has been doing great with it. We have truly been blessed to be able to help guide her progress and watch her grow up into a big dog with 4 functional limbs! We couldn't be happier for her!
BTW - Nema has her own photo album on our facebook page with lots of images of her growth and progress. Check it out!