A dog with six legs has had his extra limbs successfully amputated.
In UK veterinarians performed a successful operation to amputate the extra limbs of a spaniel named Ariel, who had a congenital defect of six legs.
BBC writes about this.
Ariel was found abandoned in a supermarket car park in Pembrokeshire in September 2023 – the 11-week-old dog immediately hit the front pages of the British media. Caring people from all over the world raised 15,000 pounds (about $19 thousand), which allowed her to undergo the operation that changed her life.
Surgeons also managed to save all four of the dog's “normal” limbs. After all, there were fears that one of them would also have to be amputated.
Mikey Lawlor, founder and director of animal welfare organization Greenacres Rescue near Haverfordwest, who took in Ariel after she was found alone, thin and scared on the street, said a CT scan showed Ariel only had one kidney, which increased the difficulty of treatment.
“Due to having two hip joints on one side, Ariel's pelvis never formed properly. As a result, her normal back right leg had virtually no muscle tone, so there was a possibility that it too would have to be amputated.” , explained Mikey Lawlor.
According to him, fortunately, the amputation of the necessary limb was not needed, it has recently strengthened.
Ariel was named after the character from Disney's “The Little Mermaid” because her partially fused extra legs resembled a mermaid's tail.
“There were two procedures that lasted about two hours, but both went well. The next day she was up, walking, eating and drinking. Now we just have to keep our fingers crossed that she doesn't get any infections, but she really is in the best hands,” said Mr. Lawlor.
Mr Lawlor said he hoped Ariel would be released from the hospital this weekend and return home to her foster family in west Wales.
Remember, an unprecedented strain of influenza is affecting hundreds of animal species – humans could be next.
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