My advice is not intended to replace a professional stuffed animal doctor’s opinion, nor should it be used to diagnose or treat any stuffed animal disease or ailment without professional supervision. Do you have a question for me? Email me at theintern@thesarf.org

Q.

One of my stuffed animal kids… is, well, a little overweight. He’s recently had some mild joint pains while running around at school, and I’m afraid it’s because of his weight. Do you know of any possible solutions or therapies that he can do to alleviate the pain? I’m really hoping it doesn’t become a problem for him– it’s not really his fault that he’s larger stuffed, and I’m hoping that I don’t have to perform some sort of in-house surgery/liposuction. Please let me know if you have any ideas!

A.

As for your SA, joint pains are fairly common in larger-sized stuffed animals. As they age, you might observe seam strain ranging from slightly visible stitching to major thread loss. In extreme cases, if left untreated this can result in full limb separation. And though limb separation in stuffed animals is nowhere near as serious in stuffed animals as it is in live animals, it is still something that should be avoided whenever possible.

Regarding your suggestion of possible liposuction, I strongly caution you against this. Stuffing liposuction is quite dangerous and can result in gross malformation of the stuffed physique… not to mention the mental and physical scarring that often negatively affect an SA’s self-esteem.

I suggest that you check his joints for stretched stitching that may be contributing to his discomfort. These can be repaired by a simple in-house surgery that you can perform with a needle and fur-matching thread. Be sure to distract your SA during the procedure. At the SARF, we like to tape colorful photos to the ceiling so patients have something to take their minds off of the stitching taking place. The procedure is actually quite painless. I have had it done myself.

You should also wear a mask when performing the procedure, as it will make you feel more official. A simple dust mask should suffice. We wear ones like these.

In the mean time, I would make sure your SA’s teachers are aware of his condition. Because SA’s do not move on their own, his teachers have great control over his level of activity. They can monitor his pain levels and make sure he rests when he’s experiencing any pain or swelling.

Also, placing the SA in a bed with his head on a pillow and covers pulled up to just below his arms – with his arms outside of the blanket – is very comforting and helps to alleviate pain.

Thank you for your question. I hope my advice helped.

Sincerely,
The Intern

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