If someone is missing an arm or leg, an artificial limb can sometimes replace it. This can be achieved with prosthetic limbs cast in the size and shape of the missing part that can help the amputee person to perform daily activities such as walking, eating, or dressing. Some artificial limbs let them function nearly as well as before.
But it is not just limited to humans, prosthetic limbs have been helping amputee animals as well. Only it made its way to India not very long ago. And the one to introduce it is Dr. Tapesh Mathur from Rajasthan who is a vet credited with making the ‘Krishna Limb’, India’s first prosthetic limb for animals.
Dr. Mathur has been designing prosthetic limbs for animals since 2014 becoming the pioneer in the field in India by helping 200+ cows, dogs, horses, rabbits, and birds from 18 States to adapt to using a prosthetic limb. He is now working on a camel’s limb and is also installing wheel carts, especially for dogs where a prosthesis is not possible.
Prosthetic limbs for animals cost somewhat around 8000-10000 INR in the market which is born by Pen Foundation established by Dr. Mathur and his wife Dr. Shipra Mathur, who is a journalist. The couple sets aside a portion of their monthly earnings to fund Krishna Limb. Many animal lovers have come forward to make contributions to the cause as well.
“We do not feel like taking money for what we do. What we do is like a moral responsibility. We carry on with support from people and well wishers and those who can’t afford to pay the cost, we ensure that it doesn’t deter them to not avail of our services.
We humans have inflicted this plight on the animals. It is our duty to make sure they lead dignified lives,” shared Dr. Tapesh Mathur with LifeBeyondNumbers.
For his extensive work in the field, he went on to be bestowed with 3 national awards and several recognitions. He is the first vet nominated to the Government of India committee to oversee cruelty in experimental animals.
“My biggest award is when people don’t abandon animals and want to keep and care in the hope of getting their walk back. It’s so fulfilling to see how in just less than a decade of my journey, the notion about disabled animals has changed, people want to help, want to explore the possibility of a better life, and also consult us just in time when we can actually guide them to keep the leg intact if possible. Prevention is what matters more, that we drive safe, we attend to injuries in time and offer good treatment,” added Dr. Tapesh.
How it all began
When Dr. Mathur served at the Rural Veterinary Polyclinic in Jaipur, he came across numerous cases of amputation in animals. He noted that most of these animals, especially cows, lost their limbs in road accidents and he was the one to perform surgeries on them. Yet he would often wonder about the aftermath.
Also, read: Paradise May Be Boring For The Animals. So She Keeps Them In “Probably Paradise”. And She Needs You.
“They could not walk or lead normal lives. Their owners wouldn’t have the means to take care of invalid animals. This thought disturbed me for many years and I wished to do something for the animals. That is how I started researching the subject of prosthetics for animals,” said Dr. Mathur.
After initial research, Dr. Mathur converted a small room in his home into his workshop. He tried to replicate what has been done for humans, now for animals. To make it user-friendly, he focused on making lightweight models that had never been attempted before.
Producing these prosthetic limbs wasn’t easy, and Dr. Tapesh required raw material, which was expensive. Polypropylene, which is used for manufacturing prosthetic limbs, is only supplied in bulk, and Tapesh had to source it from Mumbai using his own savings.
There are certain steps involved in designing: first, Dr. Tapesh takes the necessary measurements, based on which the artificial limb is molded, and then its cast as per that. It gets even more challenging when has to visit animals living in remote areas as his patients often cannot be brought to him.
In the beginning, he experimented on a couple of amputee cows, only to see them fail but that wasn’t the end of the road for him.
Krishna Limb
There was a calf named Krishna, who had met with an accident and was brought to the polyclinic. In order to save him, his leg had to be amputated. Dr. Mathur wanted to help him and decided to give him a prosthetic limb.
“It’s not an easy process like it is for humans. We, humans, know that artificial limbs will help make our lives better. But the animals do not know that. They instinctively reject the limbs and fiddle to get rid of them,” said the prosthesis expert.
Krishna too behaved similarly but after 15 days of physiotherapy, he slowly got accustomed to the limb.
“After that, Krishna did not just walk; he ran. I cannot explain the joy of that sight,” shared the vet.
This milestone inspired Dr. Tapesh and his wife Dr. Shipra to propel the project further. Since Krishna was their first successful patient, they named the initiative after him ‘Krishna Limb’.
Today Krishna Limb is a huge success and has been able to help hundreds of animals across the country. They additionally arrange camps to help more animals.
“We get a flood of queries each day, not every animal can be fitted but people want to help and keep HOPE that’s a BIG award for me. Each case is a challenge and finally, it boils down to the involvement of owners and their honest efforts. Then only it works,” concluded Dr. Mathur.