Here's a look at the first-ever set of identical twin puppies

Two puppies were confirmed identical twins.
(Image credit: iStock)

An Irish Wolfhound made history recently when she delivered a litter of puppies that contained the first-ever confirmed set of identical twins. The puppies, both attached by individual umbilical cords to the same placenta, were delivered via a Caesarean section in South Africa's Rant en Dal Animal Hospital in Mogale City by veterinarian Kurt de Cramer.

While this is the first time a pair of canine identical twins has been confirmed, identical twin puppies isn't necessarily a rare occurrence, researchers say: "There have been rumors about twins in dogs before," Carolynne Joone, one of the reproductive specialists working on the case, told BBC. "We just happened to be lucky enough to be able to confirm it genetically."

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What does appear to be rare, however, is that both puppies survived and are healthy; cases of identical twins have been reported in horses, for example, but none of those fetuses have survived.

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