Image credit Feathered Angels Animal Sanctuary
Last week, Buttercup the duck was fitted with a prosthetic foot, made entirely from 3D printed materials. Prosthetic limbs for animals aren’t new, and 3D printed prosthetics certainly aren’t, either, but this is one of the first times a duck – or any animal – has walked around on a printed limb.
Buttercup the Duck
Buttercup the duck was born with a foot on backward. Although he could hobble, his foot bled while he walked, and the vets caring for him decided to amputate it.
Feathered Angels Waterfowel Sanctuary, located near Nashville, Tennessee, decided to help out. They worked with NovaCopy, a local 3D printing company, to make a prototye foot for the duck to walk on. Now Buttercup is happily strutting around with a rubber foot, and there’s plans to get him an improved prosthetic in the future. You can watch him walk around in this video – and no, he’s not camera shy!
3D Printing and Veterinary Care
The problem with any prosthetics, whether they’re meant for animals or humans, is that they need to be custom made in order to work properly. This raises prices to amounts that many pet owners just can’t pay, especially after covering medical bills. Even dog “weelchairs” start at a few hundred dollars – before any customization to compensate for spine issues.
Another problem is pets rejecting their new prosthetic. Dogs and cats don’t like post-surgery plastic cones, and many animals have a hard time adjusting to any kind of artificial attachment. It’s hard to justify purchasing a new wheel cart for your pet after they chewed off the last one.
Buttercup’s new foot, in various development stages. Credit Feathered Angels Animal Sanctuary
Luckily, Buttercup adjusted to his new foot almost right away, and is walking on it with no problems. He’s still using a prototype, but 3D printing opens up the possibility of custom-made parts that the pet won’t notice. If you need an anti-chew guard of some sort, you can print one that will fit your pre-existing equipment for a relatively cheap cost.
Buttercup’s new foot also signifies a potential increase in care for disabled pets. If it costs less to care for a disabled animal, there’s a greater chance that they will be adopted, freeing up much-needed shelter space. And really, who wouldn’t want to take care of an adorable duck with a rubber foot?
If you want to read a little more about Buttercup and help his cause, you should check out his Facebook page. Feathered Angels and NovaCopy are working together to make a finished model of Buttercup’s foot and help other animals in need.