A six-legged puppy has described by Vets as a “miracle” after surviving the first week of life with a mostly complex disorder. The woman, born during a recent snowstorm in Oklahoma, named Captain Poach, and said to have done quite well despite her condition. In fact, it thought that the captain was the first puppy to survive in a six-legged uterus. The border pitcher / Australian shepherd mix entered the world on February 16 with eight littermates, although its owners had to wait several days for the storm to subside before they could test it.
A picture of the newborn puppy has posted at Oklahoma City’s Blue Veterinary Hospital, explaining that Skipper has two congenital diseases called monocephalus dipygus and monocephalus rachipagus dibrachius tetrapus, which simply means he has head and chest cavities but two pelvic areas. Among them are two reproductive systems, 2 tails and six other things. This means that the skipper probably had two pairs in the uterus, but somehow failed to divide the fertilized egg properly and left a copy of the lower half of his body.
No other example of a puppy being born alive with this condition exists in academic literature, making the captain do something wonderful. In addition to his rare condition, he also suffers from a spinal defect called spinal bifida, yet continues to deny the adversity as he grows healthily. According to the hospital post, “Her limbs are showing great shape, she’s peeking and trimming, and very strong!”
“She’s a good nurse and growing up properly so far. She moves all her legs and responds to the stimulus just like a normal puppy,” the post continued maybe. Sadly, the captain refused his mother and now fed the bottle. Her owners have set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for her ongoing medical care. Monocephalus rachipagus dibrachius tetrapus was first in puppies in 2016, when vets performed a caesarean section on a dog in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In this situation, the deformed puppy was stuck in the birth canal and died as a result.
In contrast, the captain was born naturally, despite his extra limbs slipping over the birth canal with the need for surgical intervention. His attendants are documenting his journey on Facebook, saying there is no reason why he should not enjoy a full and happy life, and he hopes to see two of his tails forcefully as the world grows and explores.
