Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Chihuahua puppy born with missing part of right front leg and spine
By Schultz, V A & Watson, A G·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·1995·Department of Physiological Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Lumbosacral transitional vertebra and thoracic limb malformations in a Chihuahua puppy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A three-month-old male Chihuahua puppy was brought to the vet because he was missing most of his right front leg, which ended in a small rounded stump. X-rays showed that the bone in that leg was also much shorter than normal. The vet found that the left front leg had an elbow joint that was out of place and some unusual toe formations. Additionally, the puppy had an extra vertebra in his lower back that was not formed correctly. Unfortunately, these congenital issues are serious and may require ongoing care and management.
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Abstract
A three-month-old, male Chihuahua puppy with congenital absence of the distal 40% of the right thoracic limb was examined. The limb ended as a short, rounded, skin-covered stump. Radiography revealed a 40% shortened humerus tapered to a blunt end without its distal extremity. Dissection of the left thoracic limb identified luxation of the elbow joint and absence of the fourth digital pad. Alizarin-red staining and clearing demonstrated syndactylous fourth and fifth digits in the left thoracic limb and an anomalous eighth lumbar vertebra. This additional vertebra was unilaterally sacralized and constituted a lumbosacral transitional vertebra.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7773755/