We all secretly wish our pets could stay cute and chubby forever, but sadly, puppyhood is short-lived. In just a few months, most dogs evolve from adorable, silly pups to fully grown, beautiful adults.
And while German Shepherds are known for maturing into huge, magnificent working dogs, one unique puppy named Ranger will stay little for the remainder of his life.
The almost 3-year-old purebred German Shepherd has a rare disease called Pituitary Dwarfism, which means he’ll never grow out of puppyhood, despite his age. After contracting Giardia, a parasitic illness, he was diagnosed with dwarfism.
Ranger is charming, but his condition has some negative consequences. Pituitary dwarfism may be inherited recessively in some breeds, like as German Shepherds, and Ranger’s owner revealed to SWNS that he believes Ranger’s condition is linked to his parents’ genetics:
Ranger’s human, Shelby Mayo, explains, “When we first got Ranger from the breeder, he was smaller than all his other littermates, but we thought it was because he had a parasite called Coccidia.”
“We sent him home in the weeks after that and he was parasite-free, but he subsequently with Giardia. Ranger also had a big infection on his neck, which we found at the same time. We were gradually able to manage the illness, and a few months later, we were finally able to rid ourselves of Giardia.”
Ranger recovered from his original health problems, but his humans observed that he wasn’t developing as fast as he should have been. They took him back to the vet, who diagnosed him with Pituitary Dwarfism.
The disease is usually associated with hypothyroidism, a thyroid illness in which the thyroid gland does not generate enough hormones. Ranger had dry skin and hair loss as a result of this, but he is now receiving medicine to control his problem.
Ranger is the younger of two sisters. Jessie, the German Shepherd, and Hazel, the Labrador. Despite the fact that his sisters are taller than him, Ranger does not allow his little height stop him back. Ranger is now happy and healthier than he has ever been. Despite his small size, he is an important member of the Mayo family and has won the hearts of many online.
