A miracle puppy born with six legs and two tails has beaten the odds to survive and thrive. Skipper is a four-day-old part Border Collie, part Australian Shepard mix who was born in the US state of Oklahoma, reports KFOR.
Veterinarians at the Oklahoma hospital where Skipper was bought in last week say that this is the first known instance of a dog with six legs to be born alive. "She has survived longer than we suspect any other canine has (at just 4 days old - published research does not indicate one has been born alive)," the Neel Veterinarian Hospital wrote in a Facebook post.
Dr Alison Everett, a veterinarian at Neel Veterinary Hospital, is almost certain that she will not see another puppy like Skipper again. "I don't think I'm probably gonna see another puppy in my lifetime like this," she said. "I would say she's probably one of a kind. She has four back limbs, two front limbs, two tails, two anuses," Dr. Everett added.
Skipper has a pair of congenital conjoining disorders called monocephalus dipygus and monocephalus rachipagus dibrachius tetrapus. This means that the tiny puppy has one chest cavity and one head, but two pelvic regions, two reproductive systems and two lower urinary tracts.
Despite this, the puppy is "very strong".
"Positively, her organs appear to be in great shape, she is peeing and pooping, and is very strong!" the hospital said. "All of her legs move and respond to stimulus just like a normal puppy."
It is possible that Skipper may need physical therapy and surgeries as she grows older, and a GoFundMe has been set up by her owner to help fund these surgeries. According to the fundraiser, the puppy was rejected by her mother and is being bottle-fed by her owners.
Posts shared on a Facebook page created for Skipper show the pup moving around on a bed and sleeping on top of her owner.
