Abandoned six-legged puppy has surgery to remove extra limbs

The two extra partially fused hind limbs are believed to be an inherited condition. Photo / Instagram, greenacres08

A six-legged dog found abandoned in a carpark has undergone surgery to remove its extra limbs.

Ariel, a cocker spaniel puppy, was found in Pembroke town centre last September and was able to have surgery after a fundraising appeal was launched.

The dog, which had multiple birth defects, was taken in by the Greenacres Rescue charity, based near Haverfordwest, and is being cared for by a foster family.

It was named after Disney’s Little Mermaid character because the partially fused extra back legs were said to resemble a mermaid’s tail.

The vital surgery was done at Langford Vets Small Animal Referral Hospital in Somerset after the charity appealed for funding through its Facebook page.

A spokesman said: “Her additional limbs have been removed. Thankfully, having the CT images meant they did not discover anything unexpected and although it wasn’t a regular amputation it was uneventful.”

Surgeons Aaron Lutchman and Ed Friend managed to save all four of the dog’s working limbs after fears one might have to be amputated.

“She’s doing really well, she’s bounced back and she’s a happy little dog and we’re hoping she’s going to go on to lead a fabulous little life,” said Lutchman.

“She’s got her own little character and even though she’s had a tough start in life she really has done well to come through this as she has ... if we can do what we can to help then that’s just absolutely brilliant.”

Polydactylism, the condition behind the extra limbs, is a genetic anomaly that causes dogs to have additional toes on their paws. It can affect either the front or hind limbs, or sometimes both. These extra toes can vary in size and shape, and they may be fully formed with bone and nail structures, or they could be small and rudimentary.

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In dogs the condition is believed to be an inherited trait, passed down from generation to generation. It is thought to be caused by a gene mutation that affects the development of the limbs during embryonic growth. Different genetic factors can contribute to this condition, and researchers are still working to fully understand the underlying mechanisms.

Mikey Lawlor, 42, the founder and manager of Greenacres Rescue, said: “The vet who initially assessed Ariel noted that, in addition to her two surplus back legs, she also had an additional vulva.”

A CT scan that revealed Ariel only has one kidney increased the complexity of the medical treatment required.

“And, due to having two hip joints on one side, Ariel’s pelvis never formed properly,” said Mr Lawlor. “As a result her normal back right leg had virtually no muscle tone, so there was a possibility that might have had to come off too.

“Thankfully, that wasn’t the case as it’s shown signs of having strengthened a lot in recent months.”

Mr Lawlor said he hoped Ariel would be discharged this weekend to return home to its foster family in west Wales.

“Then, after she’s had several weeks of physiotherapy and recovery, we’ll see about finding her a forever home,” he added.

“The response we’ve had to Ariel’s story so far, including calls and emails from as far away as New York and Australia, has been incredible – so I’ve no doubt she’ll be snapped up.”

Vicki Black, the director of the hospital, added: “Ariel was a complicated little dog whose care required close collaboration across a number of our specialist teams, including orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery, anaesthesia and radiology.

“As part of the University of Bristol we are a centre committed to career-long learning and are proud to innovate and treat pets like Ariel.

“We are delighted such a lovely animal has recovered well from her surgery.”