Robo Robbie

Sharman Steel, 64, from Kent, fitted her pooch with bionic boots. Now he has a whole new lease of life…

Watching my little Shetland sheepdog, Robbie, run around the garden, I couldn’t help feeling sorry for him.

Despite his energy, he was held back by the cone around his neck.

Poor Robbie had been in and out of the vet’s for years with various health problems.

I got Robbie back in 2001 from a local breeder in Kent, and I absolutely adored him.

I’d often take Robbie out to the nature reserve near our home where we’d walk for miles. Whenever he met a female while out on one of our walks, he’d fan out the fringe of his tail, showing off like a peacock!

But one day about four years ago, I noticed that his legs were floppy.

Trundling through the reserve, he was struggling to keep up with me.

Taking him to the vet’s, I was told that he had Cushing’s disease.

‘It’s caused by a malfunction in his adrenal glands,’ the vet explained. ‘It affects the leg muscles.’

Robbie was prescribed tablets, which seemed to work at first, but after a while, his back legs became splayed and his knees buckled.

Soon, walking became so difficult for him, he needed a special doggie pram.

Pushing him around in his pram, I got some funny looks from strangers, who thought I was treating him like a baby.

‘He can’t walk very well,’ I explained to people.

Back at the vet’s, I was told that a metal plate could be inserted into each of his legs. His problem wasn’t actually that uncommon in Shetland sheepdogs and the op had worked successfully for others.

But poor Robbie wasn’t so lucky…

After his op, the metal plates caused an infection.

He had to be operated on again to have them removed. ‘There must be something we can do to help him,’ the vet said.

A few weeks later, back at the vet’s, we had some good news.

‘A company called Orthopets UK makes special metal and rubber orthopaedic braces for dogs, like little space-age boots which strap around their legs,’ the vet explained. Each boot would cost £1,000. But this was for Robbie – I’d have paid ten times that if I had to.

‘Anything to get Robbie out of his pram and onto his paws,’ I smiled, happy there was finally something I could do to help him.

After having his measurements

taken, Robbie was ready for his fitting.

The vet placed his paw into the boot, fastening it with Velcro through metal loops and padding it to make it comfortable. Then he lifted Robbie onto the floor. ‘Go on, Robbie, walk for us!’ I encouraged him.

As he wobbled towards me, I was so proud.

‘He’s lopsided because he only has one boot on,’ the vet said. ‘Let’s try him with both.’ Strapping on the second boot, Robbie was stomping happily around the surgery!

The soles of the boots are made of thick rubber which thump against the floor.

But Robbie seemed to be enjoying his new marching music!

Back home, Robbie was so patient as I fumbled around, trying to put his boots on for him. But I soon got the hang of it. ‘Shall we go for a walk in your new boots?’ I smiled.

Taking him to his favourite nature reserve, I was almost in tears as I watched Robbie scampering through the undergrowth.

Racing to greet his doggy pals, none of them seemed too bothered about his new robotic legs – even the female dogs didn’t mind!.

‘Isn’t that the dog who was in a pram?’ a lady asked. ‘It’s so nice to see him up and about!’ And it was. Now Robbie marches around happily in his boots as if nothing ever happened.

He’s Robbie the Robo-dog, with impressive paws of steel and walking tall once more.