Cookie, a red-footed tortoise, got pinned in his enclosure when his owners were away.
PORTLAND, Oregon — A 10-year-old red-footed tortoise named Cookie is movin’ and groovin’ again, thanks to 3D printing technology. The DoveLewis Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Hospital said the 3.5-pound animal had to get his leg amputated in early March after suffering an injury.
“Red-footed tortoises are prone to flipping themselves over in their enclosure and having trouble righting themselves,” said Kelly Flaminio, the senior exotics veterinarian at DoveLewis.
That’s exactly what happened to Cookie: His leg got pinned in his enclosure when his owners were away.
“It probably caused some blood vessels and nerve damage to the end of the limb,” Flaminio said. “So when I saw Cookie — unfortunately, the owners had noticed, and I kind of pointed out as well — the base of the limb around his foot and around his toenails had started to shrivel because it was no longer getting blood supply from that injury.”
That’s when a fellow doctor decided to use their 3D printer to create a prosthetic wheel, allowing Cookie to continue exploring his surroundings days after his amputation.
“We used a surgical implant putty and attached it to the bottom of the shell,” said Flaminio. “And then this piece came with multiple attachments, and it just clicks into place like this again.”
Flaminio said this was DoveLewis’s first time using this technology in cases like Cookie’s — though it’s a similar treatment being performed for exotic animals like tortoises.
“People have talked about using like, pool balls or golf balls cut in half, but none of that is custom-made,” said Flaminio. “… We were able to take measurements and get exactly what we wanted and to create this fun little piece that slides in and out — so that was pretty exciting.”
And after some tasty treats and a little loving push, Cookie is back and moving and is taking one prosthetic step at a time.
