Hope for Six Pawed Puppy
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This 6 week old precious pooch nicknamed Octopus was born with 6 paws. The tiger-striped mongrel was part of a litter of 6 puppies abandoned and due to be destroyed in government kennels before his life was saved by a veterinarian and Hong Kong Dog Rescue November 26th.
Photo Metro / Barcroft Media
Octopus is barely able to stand and unable to walk, due to a rare deformity in which the two bones of his forelegs have grown apart. A separate paw has grown on the end of each bone as a result, giving him 4 front paws.
His condition is worsened by the fact that he has a severe case of tick fever, which vets say must be cured before any surgery can be performed.
Australian vet Stephan Lehner consulted overseas experts to determine the best way of treating Octopus, and plans to operate once he’s well enough. “I have only ever seen anything like this 2 or 3 times in 15 years as a vet.” he said.
X-rays suggest that Octopus’s right front leg is so dreadfully deformed that it may require amputation. Hong Kong Dog Rescue is searching for someone to adopt the puppy once his surgery has been performed.
“He has a long, long road ahead of him.” Dr. Stephan Lehner said. “Whoever takes him in has to be strong enough mentally to endure seeing a dog they love suffer, but they will be giving him a life he certainly wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
Limb amputation is a commonly performed surgical procedure in dogs and cats that only minimally impacts their comfort and quality of life.
Pets function exceptionally well on three legs and are able to run, walk, and play without pain or discomfort. They don’t suffer the psychological distress of losing a limb the same manner as a human, so it may be difficult for owners to understand how their pet will feel or behave. Vets have found amputations don’t seem to slow animals down or even bother them very much.
Most animals will tolerate an amputation extremely well and live a high quality of life afterwards. The principal purpose of the limb is in movement. Because pets don’t need to perform fine motor skills they easily adapt to having only 3 legs.
Often, the pet may be relieved to have the painful leg removed and may feel even better after the amputation than it did prior to surgery.
An early amputation may be more beneficial for your pet than to have it to go through multiple painful surgeries to save the leg. Vets claim that most dogs are up and around the day following the amputation.
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Oh my god is this cute!! Just 6 weeks old but so good and nice looking, I love her/him (?)
Thanks for this picture and the description!
he is so cute.
Glad you enjoyed it Wiebke!
He certainly is a heart stealer, Netguard
omg, this is sad but so cute, hope he’s doing well!
I haven’t heard anything since this was released, but there were very positive possibilities for him at the time, Don.
it is soooooo cute
Indeed he is, Ashley
OMG what breed??
A mogrel… Id say German Shepherd and something else, definately
OMG THAT IS THE CUTEST DOG I HAVE EVER SEEN I WANT HIM!!!
aww he is so cute hope everything went well for the little guy
pure acai berry’s last blog post..Benefits of Acai Berries
thats soo cute
i hope he has found a good home,little smooch kisses for you
he/she is so cute i cant beleive he/she was born with six paws i think he/she was the first one to get born it hink that im neighbor should have gave the dog to me insteed of my friend that lives behind me boo hoo
