Derby the Dog's Upgraded 3D-Printed Prosthetic Paws Have Him Standing Tall [VIDEO]

Derby, a two-year-old husky-mutt pup born with deformed front legs, was recently fitted with two new prosthetic paws created by 3D Systems. Now he can sit, stand, run and play just like any other dog.

"He was scooting around on [his] nubs and chest," Melissa Hannon, who rescued Derby through her organization, Peace and Paws, told ABC News during an original interview last December, when Derby got his first set of smaller prosthetic paws.

Since Derby was born without fully-formed front paws, he was forced to crawl and exert mainly his hind legs to get around. Last year, he got a pair of custom prosthetic paws also made by 3D Systems - a company that creates 3D designs and fabrications for clients. Those allowed him to run on all fours for the first time, but he was hunched forward. (Scroll to read more...)

Getting the perfect fit required the use of a variety of 3D technologies, researchers say. Now, his upgraded grown-up prosthetic paws allow him to stand at his full height. One unique characteristic of Derby's prosthetic paws is the "loop" or rounded bottom that allows him to run at a full sprint without digging his paws into the dirt.

"Derby took to his new prosthetics very well," Sherry Portonva, Derby's owner, said in a video released by 3D Systems. "They raised him up to his proper height, he's sitting like how a real dog sits, which he's never been able to do."

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