SPOKANE — Fanciful descriptions of “Narwhal the Little Magical Furry Unicorn” — the puppy who appears to have a tail growing from his forehead — are all over social media. But a University of Idaho professor is here to set the record straight: that’s not a tusk, horn or tail.
“I did look at one article and the picture of that puppy and the picture of the X-ray of that puppy and so not to be kind of a downer, but it’s really not a tail per se,” said Matt Powell, University of Idaho Animal and Veterinary Science associate professor. “A tail specifically is an appendage that has both bone and muscle in it and extends past the bottom end of the spine.”
On Tuesday, Narwhal was brought into Mac’s Mission — a Jackson, Mo., animal rescue specializing in special needs dogs — and his pictures have gone viral, People Magazine reported.
Powell said Narwhal’s abnormality is almost certainly a skin tag, albeit an unusual one. Skin tags, which are benign growths, are fairly common for dogs — especially older dogs, but they don’t normally have hair. The skin tag being directly in the middle also is bizarre, as well as its larger size.
