A miracle puppy named Skipper was born with a mix of congenital conditions, resulting in six legs and two tails, among other unique traits.
The unique Aussie Border Collie cross was born at the Neel Veterinary Hospital, Oklahoma City, six days ago. Upon seeing the extraordinary creature, veterinarians came to the conclusion that her condition was caused by not fully separating from a littermate in utero.
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A Miracle Against All Odds
Skipper's condition has been called a miracle after she appeared to be totally healthy and is doing well at home. However, her owners claim on her GoFundMe page that she has been rejected by her mother and is getting the nutrients she needs through bottle feeding. The crowdfunding page now has $620 out of its $2000 target, which aims to cover veterinary bills and possible surgeries the puppy might soon need.
According to the Neel Veterinary Hospital's Facebook post on Monday, February 22, Skipper the puppy has one head and chest cavity, but has two pelvic regions, two lower urinary tracks, two reproductive systems, two tails, and six legs. The social media post from the hospital noted that despite this condition, her organs seem to be working just fine. Additionally, the Aussie Border Collie mix was able to urinate and defecate, and even better, all her six legs are working "just like a normal puppy."
However, vets at the Oklahoma hospital noted that Skipper might require medical support and physical therapy as she grows older. "We will continue to research her conditions, monitor her development during rechecks and help keep Skipper pain-free and comfortable for the rest of life," Neet Veterinary added in its post.
Also on Monday, a Facebook page dedicated to the puppy reports that she has started climbing out of her bed. Her previous problem with the formula milk, which caused her to experience difficulties in going to relieve herself, has been solved.
"She is currently at the correct weight for her age and accomplishing all of her milestones. She is following a path to a happy and healthy life," the Facebook post from the Skippers Journey page added.
A Combination of Congenital Conditions
Skipper's unique features are caused by a mix of different developmental conditions. Veterinarians were able to identify two conjoining disorders: monocephalus dipygus and monocephalus rachipagus dibrachius tetrapus - summarized as the presence of one single head, and the duplication of some body parts. This is caused by Skipper not fully separating from her supposed littermate while still in the womb of their mother.
A study published in the September 2016 Veterinary Research Forum examines a prior case of monocephalus rachipagus tribrachius tetrapus also in a puppy. It explains that monocephalus dipygus generally refers to cases of conjoined twins having only one head with a duplication anomaly, whose fundamental causes remain largely unknown. References in the study state that the malformation is generally believed to come from an error in blastogenesis due to "incomplete fission of a single zygote."
Skipper the puppy has also displayed signs of spina bifida - a congenital defect caused when the spine and/or the spinal cord fails to form completely. It causes a variety of physical and intellectual disabilities.
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