Having a puppy is one of the best things that can happen in life, we all realise though that they do not remain puppies for long and eventually become magnificent adult dogs.
This isn't the case for Ranger, a German Shepherd who has the rare genetic condition 'dwarfism', which means that he will remain puppy-sized for the rest of his life.
When Ranger's owner, Shelby Mayo adopted him, he was only somewhat smaller in size compared to his siblings, and for some time didn't realise anything was different about him. Not long after his adoption, he developed an infection on his neck and took him to the vet. While cured of the infection Ranger's owner realised that he still wasn't growing properly and upon returning to the vet, he was diagnosed with pituitary dwarfism.
Shelby told Bored Panda:
"When we originally got Ranger from the breeder, he was smaller than all his other littermates, but we figured that was because he had a parasite called Coccidia. In the weeks following, we took him home and he was parasite free but later on ended up getting a parasite called Giardia. At the same time, we also discovered that Ranger had a large infection on his neck. We were eventually able to get the infection under control, fast forward a few months later we were finally able to get rid of Giardia."
Pituitary dwarfism is a rare genetic condition which results in smaller than expected adult individuals and can be found in a range of species, including humans. Unfortunately for Ranger, the condition also causes other issues, mostly related to his thyroid, that results in hypothyroidism. This in turn, can lead to flaky skin. Ranger is now on medication and is leading a very happy life despite his unexpectedly small size.
Not only is Ranger leading a fantastic life, he also has a host of online fans thanks to an Instagram account set up his owner. The little dog has even garnered over 130,000 followers.
A post shared by Ranger (@ranger_thegshepherd)
A post shared by Ranger (@ranger_thegshepherd)
A post shared by Ranger (@ranger_thegshepherd)
A post shared by Ranger (@ranger_thegshepherd)
A post shared by Ranger (@ranger_thegshepherd)
A post shared by Ranger (@ranger_thegshepherd)
A post shared by Ranger (@ranger_thegshepherd)
A post shared by Ranger (@ranger_thegshepherd)
h/t: Earth Wonders
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