University of California Students Create 3D-Printed Mask for Dogs With Fractured Skulls

A young dog that had a fractured cheekbone and jawbone following an attack from another dog has been helped out by the University of California’s Davis School of Veterinary Medicine who have created a special mask for canines with such injuries.On November 30, the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine shared a press release about the mask, which has been dubbed the Exo-K9, and a video followed on December 2. The 3D-printed exoskeleton was designed by biomedical engineering students alongside UC Davis staff, and a custom version of the Exo-K9 was created to fit the dog called Loca.The school shared information on Loca’s recovery once she received the mask, writing, “she almost immediately began eating soft food and remained comfortable on her pain medications. In addition to the Exo-K9, Loca was fitted with a padded neck bandage to provide stabilization of her neck fracture and limit her range of mobility during the healing process.”A three-month checkup confirmed that Loca was recovering well from the surgery on her facial injuries. The video had 44,000 views on Facebook at time of writing. Credit: UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine via Storyful