German Shepherd Raga - born with SIX legs, an extra colon, four testicles and two penises - has rare surgery to remove his unnecessary limbs and organs
- German Shepherd named Raga was born in fall of 2021 with six legs, four testicles, two colons, bladders, penises and urinary tracts
- When he was brought to VCA Advanced Veterinary Care Center in Fishers, Indiana, he was not expected to live for more than a few days
- Raga was prone to severe bladder infections caused by fecal matter being sent by one of his colons into one of his penises, but antibiotics saved him
- In December 2021, he underwent first surgery to remove his two extra legs and extra pelvis
- in February 2022, surgeons removed most of Raga's uncecessary organs, including one of his two penises
PUBLISHED: 06:37 AEST, 8 April 2022 | UPDATED: 06:55 AEST, 8 April 2022
A German Shepherd born with six legs, four testicles, two colons and bladders, as well as an extra penis, was not expected to live past his young puppyhood. But after undergoing a series of complicated surgeries to remove his various ancillary organs and appendages, Raga is now a healthy seven-month-old dog.
'He probably shouldn’t be alive, he was such a mess,' Anita Horne, hospital manager at VCA Advanced Veterinary Care Center in Fishers, Indiana, told Indianapolis Star, which first reported on the story.
Raga, a rescue, was brought to the clinic for the first time in the fall of 2021, not long after his birth.
Gina Elliott, a technician supervisor, agreed to foster Raga, expecting that he would soon die, which is usually the fate of small animals born with additional organs and limbs.
Raga was born in the fall of 2021 with six legs, four testicles, two colons, bladders, penises and urinary tracts. Pictured, nurse at VCA Advanced Veterinary Care Center in Fishers, Indiana, holds puppy before surgery to remove extra legs
In December 2021, surgeons performed an operation to remove Raga's extra legs, which were lighter in color and non-functioning
A radiograph shows Raga's two extra partially joined legs protruding from the center backside
Raga was prone to serious infections caused by one of his colons sending bacteria-laden fecal matter into one of his two penises and bladders, requiring the use of powerful antibiotics to save him.
But each time, the resilient pup bounced back and carried on living, running around in his foster owner's yard, with his partially conjoined extra legs dragging behind him.
Last December, two surgeons at the animal hospital, Drs Jae Tobias and Nicolas Vecchio, performed the first surgery on Raga to remove his useless extra legs and pelvis.
After his successful recovery, in February Raga was back on the operating table, this time to extract most of his unnecessary organs, including his second penis and urinary tract.
Dr Tobias said she has never encountered an animal with two penises before, and that condition presented challenges to her and her colleague 'because we had to get rid of one of them,' she said.
Raga's two penises are seen while a veterinary technician is shaving Raga's abdomen in preparation for surgery on December 3, 2021
Surgeons also removed a small extra pelvis during the December surgery, pictured above
Raga looks robust after the removal of his extra legs (pictured on March 30 near fishers, Indiana)
Once again, Raga survived, after having his bonus retrodictive organ and ureter removed.
Raga is expected to undergo a third surgery sometime in the future to rid him of his two additional testicles that are currently embedded in his abdomen.
Throughout his medical saga, Raga continued living with Elliot on a temporary basis. But the two eventually bonded, and Elliot, who said that she previously did not see herself a 'German Shepherd gal,' decided to adopt the playful pooch.
Gina Elliott, a veterinary technician supervisor, has adopted Raga after initially fostering him
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