Oklahoma

Meet Skipper, the ‘Miracle' Puppy Born With 6 Legs and 2 Tails

Skipper is a border collie and Australian shepherd mix who weighs just 11 ounces

Skipper the "miracle" puppy.
Neel Veterinary Hospital

She's tiny, adorable and just happens to have two extra limbs.

Skipper the puppy was born on Feb. 16 with six legs — two front legs and four back legs — and two tails, in what veterinarians are calling a “miracle.”

The Neel Veterinary Hospital in Oklahoma City shared photos of the incredible canine on Sunday, who weighs just 11 ounces.

"She has survived longer than we suspect any other canine (with her conditions) has," the Neel Veterinary Hospital wrote on Facebook. Neel Veterinary Hospital

“I don’t think I’m probably gonna see another puppy in my lifetime like this," Dr. Alison Everett told Oklahoma City’s local NBC affiliate KFOR. "I would say she’s probably one of a kind."

Skipper, a border collie and Australian shepherd mix born in a litter of nine, also likely has two sets of urinary systems, including two bladders, and two reproductive systems, Everett said.

“What we think happened with her is that sometime during development, when the body normally starts patterning itself ... she started trying to split, almost like trying to form a twin, and it just didn’t complete itself,” Everett explained.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn more about her and what she can teach us,” Everett told KFOR.
Neel Veterinary Hospital
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn more about her and what she can teach us,” Everett told KFOR.

Everett added to KFOR that Skipper is “moving around like a healthy puppy” and is not showing “any outward signs of any pain or discomfort.”

In its Sunday Facebook post, Neel Veterinary Hospital also shared an update on how Skipper is developing.

“Her organs appear to be in great shape, she is peeing and pooping, and is very strong!” the hospital wrote. “She nurses well and is growing appropriately so far. All of her legs move and respond to stimulus just like a normal puppy.”

Skipper’s story caught the attention of dog-biscuit company Milk-Bone, which awarded her a lifetime supply of treats and is helping cover her medical bills, the veterinary hospital shared on Facebook Wednesday.

There are still plenty of unknowns about how Skipper will develop, and Everett told KFOR she “might have a much shorter life expectancy than an average pup.”

She may need physical therapy as she grows, and she has spina bifida, a defect that affects the vertebrae and spinal cord, according to the Canine Inherited Disorders Database.

In the meantime, though, little Skipper is doing well.

“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,” the hospital said on Facebook.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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