Abandoned Dog with 6 Legs Has Surgery to Remove Extra Limbs: ‘Procedure Went Very Well’

A six-legged puppy that was found abandoned in a UK car park has now undergone surgery to remove its extra limbs.

A cocker spaniel puppy named Ariel, who, as previously reported, was discovered in the parking lot of a home and garden store in September 2023 has had her “extra legs” removed after successful surgery, Langford Vets Small Animal Hospital has announced. on Facebook on Friday.

Ariel, who was born with “multiple birth defects” including extra limbs and two vulvas, was eventually “referred to specialists at Langford Vets in Bristol for tests and definitive surgery”, according to the hospital.

“The operation went very well, and Ariel tolerated everything without problems,” said the hospital. “She is pictured here after surgery with surgeons Aaron Lutchman and Ed Friend.”

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Speaking to the BBC, Lutchman said Ariel was “doing very well” after the operation, for which people around the world raised roughly £15,000 – or about $19,000.

“She has recovered and is a happy little dog and we hope she goes on to lead a fantastic little life,” he said. “She’s got her own little character and even though she’s had a rough start in life, she’s come through this really well as it is… if we can do what we can to help, then that’s absolutely brilliant.”

As previously reported, Greenacres Rescue at Ebbs Acres Farm in Pembrokeshire shared on Facebook that the puppy was “surrendered to a local veterinary practice” on September 27 after being found at the Pembroke Dock location of the B&M store.

Greenacres’ Mikey Lawlor said at the time Newsweek after which Ariel was named Little Mermaid character because her “extra legs look like a tail”. Greenacres added on Facebook that the dog is “normal” inside and that “all her organs are as they should be”.

the dog Ariel.

Greenacres Rescue/Facebook

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Lawlor told the BBC that Ariel’s “pelvis never formed properly” and that “her normal back right leg had virtually no muscle tone, so there was a possibility that it had to be detached as well.”

“Fortunately, that was not the case, as he showed signs of getting a lot stronger in recent months,” he added.

The procedures took about two hours this week, and the puppy was “walking around and eating and drinking” the next day, according to Lutchman.

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Ariel now has a foster family in West Wales, with the potential for a forever home after “a few weeks of physiotherapy and recovery”, Lutchman added.

“The reaction we’ve had so far to Ariel’s story, including calls and emails from as far away as New York and Australia, has been incredible – so I have no doubt she will be caught,” he told the BBC. “I just can’t say thank you enough to everyone who contributed to helping her.”

Langford Vets hospital director Vicki Black also called Ariel a “complicated little dog” requiring multi-specialty teams, including orthopedics, soft tissue surgery, anesthesia and radiology.

“We are delighted that such a beautiful animal has recovered well from the operation,” Black told the BBC.

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Source: HIS Education