NEED TO KNOW
- A dog was discovered to be intersex after they were found tied up on train tracks in St. Louis on May 19
- Veterinarians found two ovaries and two testicles when doing surgery on the canine, named Caboose
- Gateway Pet Guardians’ Dr. Kelsey Battelle said the animal is “the rarest of the rare”
Veterinarians made a shocking — and rare — discovery when providing aid to a dog in need.
On Monday, May 19, the canine, named Caboose, was found tied up on train tracks in St. Louis. A community member brought the dog to Gateway Pet Guardians, where staff members found that Caboose was skinny, wasn’t spayed and had what they thought was an inguinal hernia during the intake exam.
After staying at the shelter, Caboose eventually underwent surgery to get spayed and get their hernia repaired, but that’s when doctors found something that left them bewildered.
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Anthony Mattson
Instead of a hernia, Gateway Pet Guardians’ Dr. Kelsey Battelle initially found a testicle. Then, after an exploratory surgery, she found another testicle deep in the inguinal tissue on the opposite side, as well as two ovaries.
Caboose, veterinarians discovered, is intersex, meaning they “have genitals, chromosomes or reproductive organs that don’t fit into a male/female sex binary,” according to the Cleveland Clinic.
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Speaking about the discovery, which Gateway Pet Guardians described as “extremely rare,” Dr. Battelle said, “In the literature, there have been about 15–20 cases published total, making Caboose the rarest of the rare!”
“I have been working in high volume spay/neuter facilities since 2016 and have never seen this until now,” she added. “Most veterinarians working in these types of facilities never get the chance to see [this].”
Though the Cleveland Clinic states that “experts don’t know what causes being intersex,” Dr. Battelle spoke about care options, stating, “Treatment is usually just surgery to remove the reproductive organs and continuing to monitor for other health concerns, with increased risk of urinary tract infections being the most commonly noted secondary to abnormalities in the genital regions.”
Anthony Mattson
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Currently, Gateway Pet Guardians said Caboose “is healing nicely from the surgery, and their future is looking bright.”
The shelter added: “While Caboose might be one of the most unlikely dogs seen at Gateway’s clinic, they are just like any other dog — one that is looking for a forever home.”
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