A paralyzed puppy has been given a “second chance at life” and is now able to walk again after his spine was fixed with 3D printed screws.
Arthur, a six-month-old cockapoo, suddenly developed weakness in his legs and collapsed, becoming unable to move.
His owner, Natalie Jones, rushed him to Chester Gates Veterinary Hospital in Chester, Cheshire, where vets carried out an MRI scan and X-rays of his spine.
Doctors discovered that parts of Arthur’s spine were not properly connected, compressing his spinal cord and causing him to lose use of his limbs.
The dog then underwent a four-hour operation where surgeons implanted custom 3D printed spinal screws and surgical cement into the dog’s spine.
Three months after the surgery, Arthur is slowly learning to walk and is “a puppy again.”
“It’s been a long journey but over the past week he’s started to play and come into his own,” Natalie said.
“It feels great to see him as a puppy again.”
“I want to thank Chester Gates and Fusion Implants for all they have done.”
“They gave our beautiful son a second chance and that means the world to me.”
Natalie said she first realised something was wrong with Arthur when he suddenly screamed and ended up lying on the floor, leaning against the sofa, breathing heavily.
Not knowing whether Arthur would recover from the operation, she said her goodbyes to him and left hospital three days later with her tail wagging.
“When Arthur collapsed I panicked,” said Natalie, who lives in Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Wales.
“Less than six months ago, our beautiful two-year-old cockapoo, Rupert, passed away after a sudden illness.”
“I arrived at Chester Gates and was seen within minutes.”
“The vets were very calm, which was very reassuring.”
“Arthur had no choice but to undergo surgery.”
“I told him how much I loved him and that I wanted him to be strong, but in my heart I was saying goodbye because I didn’t know if he was coming home.”
“Five hours later, I got a call from him saying he got through.”
“He was released from hospital three days later with his tail wagging.”
“We were so happy but it was scary to see a dog so unwell.”
“He was in a brace from his abdomen to his head, was unable to move his limbs and required 24-hour care.”
Leading veterinarian Rocío Orlandi, who led the team, said Arthur’s condition was “very serious” before the surgery.
He said: “Arthur’s condition is very serious and these bone abnormalities are very close to the brain stem and are potentially life-threatening.”
“The use of 3D printing technology increased the precision of this complex surgery, which was a success and has significantly improved Arthur’s prognosis.”
