Castors come to the aid of injured animals
Castors have offered a new lease of life for a 100 year old tortoise last month, in Oxfordshire. Yuri the tortoise woke from her hibernation to find her back legs failing and dragging on the ground.
Castors have offered a new lease of life for a 100 year old tortoise last month, in Oxfordshire. Yuri the tortoise woke from her hibernation to find her back legs failing and dragging on the ground. Her owner decided something needed to be done to help her mobility. After some research the owner decided to attach castors to her rear shell which has worked a treat! Well I have seen castors and wheels used in a variety of unusual ways, however attaching them to tortoises has to take the biscuit! But, to my surprise, this is not a recent or unique invention, and on further research we have discovered this practice of attaching castors to tortoises is occurring across the globe. There are reports from California in America, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and even a Zoo in Jerusalem that have attached castors to tortoises to aid mobility and improve quality of life.
The disability stories for tortoises varies from the hazardous to the dramatic to just ripe old age. From being run over by lawnmowers to being shot, as is the case of the Brazilian tortoise. Many tortoises live to a ripe old age, and it is common for their legs to become disabled later in life. Rescuing tortoises from one foot in the grave has been videoed and played on social media sites such as You Tube. The practice of attaching castors to the underside of the shells, to replace lost limbs, or failing and disabled legs has been an incredible success story. Pet owners, zoos and vets have used frames with swivelling castors attached around the body, or alternatively simply glued the castors directly on the shell. Some prefer swivelling castors and others opt for fixed castors, or even a combination of the two for maximum manoeuvrability.
Tortoises are not alone in their need to manoeuvre on castors when disabled. Pet owners, vets and zoos across the globe utilise a variety ofcastors and wheels to aid animal movement and rehabilitation. Disabled dogs, for example can benefit from dog carts and wheelchairs. Often these pieces of equipment are attached to the back legs and torso, and can have major benefits to dogs that previously may have been put to sleep. As a nation of pet lovers, we will clearly continue to look for alternatives to prolong and protect out pets quality of life. Doggie carts and frames can be manufactured from lightweight aluminium and stainless steel with saddles and harnesses to keep thecastors and wheels in place.
Even smaller pets such as rabbits can benefit from what can only be dramatically described as a chariot. Rabbits can suffer from paralysis of their back legs, and attaching miniature carts oncastors can give them a new lease of life. These miniature carts are similar in design to the dog frames, and more lightweight. So however unlikely it appears to be, castors and wheels can have major benefits in aiding injured and disable animals both in Great Britain and internationally across the globe.
