You might say that little Oakley’s life is particularly special.
In her litter of Labrador mix puppies, three were born with severe birth defects — including Oakley. Two of the puppies were born with their intestines completely on the outside of their bodies. Those puppies died shortly after birth. Oakley has her own similar defects, but she has survived. The struggle, however, is far from over.
In her short 26 days of life, Oakley has seen numerous veterinarian specialists and traveled across the country from Connecticut to Texas. Oakley was rushed to Elizabeth Hart, the woman who helped get Emma the Chihuahua’s cleft palate corrected. The vets have never seen deformities like the ones Oakley struggles with.
The little dog doesn’t have a tail and expels waste and urine from the same opening, causing her to yelp in pain. At first glance it looked like atresia ani, but new discoveries point to something else. The pup is also bowlegged, though that doesn’t seem to impede her movement.
Right now treatment is at a standstill as everyone waits to see how Oakley will progress. If and when Oakley gains at least 14 pounds, doctors will proceed with more diagnostics to figure out what exactly this puppy has going on and if it is treatable.
For more information on Oakley’s condition and how you can help her, check out Hart’s page here.
Photos via Elizabeth Hart
