World’s first case of identical twin puppies

What’s better than one puppy?  Two puppies of course!  What’s better than two puppies?  Two puppies that are identical!

Scientist have found the first documented case of identical dog twins.  The puppies named Cullen and Romulus were discovered in South Africa by the vet that had to deliver them via caesarian section.  While it’s not strange for a dog to have several puppies in one pregnancy it is unlikely for two puppies to share a single placenta, and even when it does happen those puppies rarely survive.

The vet, Kurt De Cramer, told the BBC “It is even less likely for placenta-sharing puppies to survive, because of several complications relating to nutrient and oxygen supply from a single placenta having to do the job that is normally done by two placentas”. He added, “When I realised that the puppies were of the same gender and that they had very similar markings, I also immediately suspected that they might be identical twins having originated from the splitting of an embryo”.

These two lucky puppies not only survived but thrived.  De Cramer had the puppies’ DNA tested after their birth to confirm that they were identical and his findings were published in a veterinary journal.  While this doesn’t mean that it hasn’t happened before this is the first documented case of identical twins in dogs. Add another Cullen and Romulus to the history pages.

Would you welcome these fuzzy little twins into your life? What type of pet would you like twins of? What is your favourite breed of dog?