Meadow (calf) facts for kids
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Meadow is a special Black Angus calf. She is thought to be the very first calf to get two new artificial legs, called prosthetics!
Meadow was born in New Mexico. Sadly, she lost both of her back hooves because of frostbite. A kind person named Nancy Dickenson found Meadow badly hurt. Nancy had helped many injured animals before. She really wanted to help Meadow walk again.
Nancy talked to veterinarians (animal doctors). They made sure Meadow could live a good life. The doctors then removed part of Meadow's back legs. After that, they fitted her with her new prosthetics. Dr. Robert Callan, a vet from Colorado State, believes Meadow is the first calf to get two artificial legs. He checked with other animal hospitals and schools to confirm this.
How Meadow Got Her New Legs
The surgery for Meadow happened at Colorado State University's (CSU) Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Many experts worked together on this important procedure. There were five anesthesiologists (doctors who put animals to sleep for surgery). There were also expert large animal veterinarians, surgeons, and CSU vet students.
Putting a cow to sleep for surgery is tricky. One big challenge is stopping the animal from breathing in its stomach contents. This is called aspirating.
When people have surgery, they usually don't eat or drink beforehand. This empties their stomach. It lowers the chance of food going into their lungs during surgery. But with farm animals like Meadow, this isn't possible. A calf's stomach is like a big "fermenting vat." This means it can never be truly empty. Food often comes back up into their mouth. Plus, cows make a lot of saliva. All this meant Meadow was at high risk of aspirating. If this happened, it could block her airway and lead to a serious lung infection called pneumonia. The team worked very carefully to keep Meadow safe.
Meadow's Amazing Recovery
Meadow's operation and new legs were a big success! She has now gone back to her new home at Twin Willows Ranch. Nancy Dickenson says Meadow is getting used to her new legs very well.
Meadow can now be seen running and eating grass. She is even making friends with the goats in a nearby pen! Her story shows how amazing animals and veterinary science can be.
