A ‘miracle’ puppy born with extra legs is defying the odds and gaining a leg up on a healthy future.
Skipper, an Aussie Border Collie mix, was born six days ago at Neel Veterinary Hospital in Oklahoma City.
She came into the world with six legs and two tails, among other unique traits.
Veterinarians believe Skipper was going to have a littermate but the two fetuses didn’t properly separate in utero.
All of Skipper’s legs move and respond to stimulus and she is eating and growing normally, though she may need physical therapy and mobility assistance when she gets older.
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Skipper, an Aussie Border Collie mix, was born six days ago in Oklahoma City. Despite having six legs, two reproductive systems and other unique traits, she appears to be doing well
Skipper has a pair of congenital conjoining disorders called monocephalus dipygus and monocephalus rachipagus dibrachius tetrapus, meaning she has ‘one head and chest cavity but two pelvic regions, two lower urinary tracts, two reproductive systems, two tails and six legs, among other things,’ the hospital posted on Facebook.
She also has signs of spina bifida along her spine.
While the vets had believed Skipper was the first canine born alive with her combination of conditions, a six-legged Labrador named Roo was born in the UK in 2019.
Skipper has been rejected by her mother and is being bottle fed, according to a GoFundMe started by her owners to help defray the cost of vet visits and possible surgeries she may need.
Skipper is meeting her developmental milestones and has learned how to crawl out of her bed. She was rejected by her mother and is being bottle fed by her human family.
All of Skipper’s legs move and respond to stimulus and she is eating and growing normally, though she may need physical therapy and mobility assistance when she gets older
The good news is her organs seem to be working well, they added, ‘she is peeing and pooping, and is very strong!’
Skipper has gone home with her owners but the experts at Neel say they’ll continue to monitor her conditions and development ‘and help keep Skipper pain-free and comfortable for the rest of life.’
On Monday morning, Skipper’s owners announced she is crawling around well, with her outside legs dominant.
She’s even learned to climb out of her bed.
Skipper’s x-ray. She came into the world with one head and chest cavity but two pelvic regions, two lower urinary tracts, two reproductive systems, two tails and six legs, among other unique traits
Veterinarians believe Skipper was going to have a littermate but the two fetuses didn’t properly separate in utero. They will continue to monitor her ‘and help keep Skipper pain-free and comfortable for the rest of life.’
The formula caused her some trouble going to the bathroom at first, but her owners watered it down and she’s tolerating it much better.
‘She is moving well, eating well, and the potty issues have resolved,’ they posted on Facebook. ‘We are continuing to encourage her to build strength and she is pushing herself to do more.’
Skipper is the right weight for her age and hitting her development milestones.
‘She is following a path to a happy and healthy life,’ they wrote.
