If every cat is as lucky as Dymka, then there are not so many stray cats in the world who die on the streets. Dymka, a gray female cat, about 4 years old, was spotted by a passing driver in the snow in December 2018 and sent him to a clinic for treatment. According to local reports, Dymka's paws, ears and tail were frostbitten due to long stay outdoors. Frostbite cases like this are very common in the local area. The winters in Siberia are very severe, and the cold temperatures can frostbite the skin and tissues, especially the limbs. If frostbite is severe, the tissue will die and the limbs must be amputated. Every year, there are basically 5-7 cases in every clinic.
Dymka's limbs were so frostbite that the veterinarian had to amputate it. Fortunately, with the help of clinics and university researchers, Dymka miraculously returned to normal life. Now it can walk, run, and even climb stairs, thanks to the veterinarians who used 3D printing technology to help it make new peptide-made limbs. The researchers used computed tomography to perform an x-ray scan of Dymka's legs, built a model, and then 3D printed a titanium rod, developing and applying a coating made of calcium phosphate to help the 3D limbs fit better into the leg bones while minimizing the risk of infection and transplant rejection. After the limbs synthesized by
3D are manufactured, they are implanted in batches. In July 2019, the front leg was implanted first, and then the hind leg. After more than half a year of recovery and adaptation, it was not until December 2019 that Dymka was able to master and adapt to new claws. Now Dymka, like a normal cat, can get up and stretch, walk around the examination room, and play with new toys on the blanket. The only difference is the black material connecting its legs and the special texture at the bottom. Overall, Dymka is unfortunate because he is homeless and has frozen his limbs, but it is lucky. With the help of humans, using high technology, it re-implants new limbs and regains its original happiness.
Dymka is reportedly the second cat in the world to undergo four metal repair surgeries, and the first title belongs to a male cat named Ryzhik. In 2016, the cat was amputated four times on its frostbitten foot and ended up undergoing a similar operation. Therefore, here we call on, please do not keep pets casually, and once you decide, please do not discard them casually. Only in this way can such a tragedy not happen. After all, not all cats have such luck.