ranger_thegshepherd / Instagram
Ranger will always look like a puppy, despite being an adult dog. Blame it on a genetic anomaly. However, this does not prevent him from leading a happy life with his family.
Although he is 3 years old, Ranger , a German Shepherd , weighs less than 8 kg and looks like a puppy . Well below the thirty kilograms that an adult dog of this breed should weigh. The cause of this peculiarity is a rare genetic disease linked to hypoplasia of the pituitary gland; it is called congenital pituitary dwarfism or hyposomatotropism .
Shelby Mayo , his owner, knew he was smaller than her siblings when she picked him out of the litter, but she had no idea he was a dwarf puppy. She discovered it when he began to suffer from health problems, including intestinal parasitosis : coccidiosis, then giardiasis.
Thanks to the appropriate treatments, the young quadruped survived . Nonetheless, realizing that he was not growing , Shelby Mayo took him to the vet again , who told him of the hereditary disease he was suffering from, reports The Dodo .
After sterilization , Ranger began to have dry skin and hair loss. There again, it was necessary to bring him specific care. A thyroid treatment and goat’s milk soap hydrating baths, provided by one of her Instagram followers, made her feel much better.
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Even though he’s much smaller than Shelby Mayo’s other dogs, 2 Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd females, he gets along with them perfectly and the trio spend their time playing together. Ranger does not lack character and also knows how to be respected.
