OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — A tiny puppy is capturing hearts in Oklahoma.
Skipper is an 11-ounce Border Collie-Australian Shepard mix. She was also born with six legs.
“I don’t think I’m probably gonna see another puppy in my lifetime like this,” said Dr. Alison Everett, a veterinarian at Neel Veterinary Hospital.
Everett saw Skipper when she was first brought in last week. She immediately knew Skipper was special.
“I would say she’s probably one of a kind. She has four back limbs, two front limbs, two tails, two anuses,” said Dr. Everett.
Skipper was born Feb. 16 along with eight other brothers and sisters.
Her veterinarians say she also likely has two sets of organs inside her lower body as well.
“She likely has two urinary bladders, two urinary systems, probably two reproductive systems and then somewhere in there, her intestines system splits into two,” Everett said. “What we think happened with her is that sometime during development, when the body normally starts patterning itself, where you get this mirror image. She started trying to split, almost like trying to form a twin, and it just didn’t complete itself.”
Everett said right now, the puppy seems healthy. Skipper is eating normally, moving around and is answering nature’s call as she should.
“She’s moving around like a healthy puppy. I’m not currently seeing any outward signs of any pain or discomfort,” said Everett.
Skipper does have Spina Bifida and could require physical therapy as she gets older. It’s also possible she could face further health challenges.
“With this puppy, without knowing exactly how things are wired inside or how she will continue to develop, we don’t know how long she will live for. She might have a much shorter life expectancy than an average pup,” she said.
For now, Skipper is thriving.
“It’s very exciting, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn more about her and what she can teach us,” said Everett.