Meet Brunhilda, our September Pet of the Month. She is an amazing little trooper, who we met through the Michigan Humane Society's efforts to help her through tragedy early in 2015. MHS responded to a tip about a stray cat who couldn't walk in January 2015 and the found a little kitty with a big heart. She had some major injuries and would need a lot of help, but she purred and kneaded as they tended to her. Ultimately, Brunhilda lost her R rear leg because she had an old open fracture (bones out through the skin) that couldn't be fixed. She also had damage to her L rear paw (a dislocation healed in place and tendon damage resulting in severely curled toes).
Most pets do great with 3 legs. However, in Brunhilda's case, one of her 3 legs was not normal still. She was bearing all her back end weight on the tip of remodeled bone. Over time, this would likely have its own issues. So, the MHS, looked for help and found OrthoPets and then Pawsitive Steps. We evaluated Brunhilda and planned for her future. Sadly, her L rear toes could not be salvaged and she needed surgery to give her some pad to stand on there. It took a lot of patience and love and Brunhilda did great through it all.
Once everything healed up, it was time to cast Brunhilda's L rear leg for a special prosthesis for a kitty called a "house slipper". It is lighter weight than most devices and, in Brunhilda's case, would be custom fit to help distribute her weight across the base of her remaining paw instead of just the tip. The goal was more comfort and better function on 3 legs.
Brunhilda has taken everything in stride. It took a couple weeks to figure out the house slipper, but once she got it, she also discovered toys and new ways to play! We have been so pleased to have been able to help.
The next goal is a new home. The Michigan Humane Society is looking for a very special forever home for this amazing little girl. The made a beautiful video which shows her progress...just follow the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjf6G-IYnyU
Brunhilda was also featured in the Detroit Free Press at: http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2015/07/10/three-legged-cat-detroit/29993587/