But the Spotted Rat Terrier was also quite unusual. Due to a birth defect, his front paws were inverted.
A team from the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine was able to give Siggy a chance at a normal life, after performing corrective surgery to return the claws to the proper downward position.
A Dallas animal rescue group brought Siggy to VTH at 13 weeks old, hoping that Siggy would have the same good fortune as Milo.
VTH animal surgeon Dr. Eric Cleary said in the release, “As with Milo, Siggy’s problem looked like it was in the paw, but it was actually in his elbow.” “For reasons that are not fully understood, the elbows of these patients are dislocated from the joint early in life and the result is severe flexion of the front lower limbs and an inability to walk. More and more, they A can crawl that seems most uncomfortable and is poorly suited for a dog’s life.”
According to Clary, Siggy underwent a more complex surgery than Milo because the CT exam showed “significant” deformity in the bones in the lower elbow.
“The CT helped us plan a more complex procedure that would have required an intentional break up in his ulnar bone to de-rotate the limb,” Clary said.
On May 12, Siggy received life-changing treatment, followed by splints and an orthopedic fixator device at the elbow, while the bones healed.
Weeks later, Siggy’s bones were strong enough to be rehabilitated and to start learning to walk again.
Cleary said that Siggy “proved to be a fairly quick learner … doing many things that puppies love to do, including chasing a ball across the yard.”
Although Clary’s team performed the surgery, they credit Siggy’s happy ending to OSU’s marketing team, who helped spread Milo’s story and told people that surgery was possible.
“Siggy took care and came to OSU’s VTH because Milo’s story was shared beyond our walls,” Cleary said. “Milo has brought great joy to many people and I hope the same will be true of Siggy.”
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