A rare puppy has caught the attention of animal lovers in Wisconsin. Bella, a 6-month-old female pup with an unusual medical condition, is currently up for adoption at the Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) in Kenosha. Bella’s condition, known as dimelia, results in the duplication of bones, giving her an extra leg and a total of nine toes on one of her paws.
Puppy with ‘exceptionally rare’ condition ready for adoption
As she has been diagnosed with an extraordinarily rare condition, Bella’s case has fascinated both the public and medical professionals. “It’s basically like an extra leg inside her right hind leg,” the WHS explained on Facebook. X-rays showed that Bella has an extra femur, two tibias, two fibulas, and nine toes on her affected paw, a configuration far from the norm for canines.
Dimelia is such a rare congenital anomaly that the shelter, in its 145-year history, had never encountered a dog afflicted by it — according to PEOPLE. Nancy Weiss, DVM and the WHS’s medical director, said “I’ve never seen anything like this in a dog.” Continuing, she added, “Her radiographs are quite extraordinary.” This condition is so rare that WHS vice president Angela Speed acknowledged the veterinary community’s lack of experience with it, emphasizing Bella’s otherwise healthy and pain-free state.
Despite her unusual anatomy, Bella is active and playful. Vets initially pondered surgical options to enhance her quality of life but have observed that Bella manages well, engaging in typical canine behaviors with little to no difficulty. Her condition, which gives Bella an atypical gait, does not hinder her ability to enjoy life.
The search for precedents unearthed only one similar case — a Cocker Spaniel in 2006, albeit with the condition limited to the dog’s paw. This shows the rarity of Bella’s situation, described by Speed as a “unicorn of a dog.”
Bella went up for adoption on Friday, April 26, from the WHS Kenosha Campus. For those interested in adding this extraordinary puppy to their family, further details are available on the Wisconsin Humane Society’s adoption page.
