Introducing Ranger — Three-Year-Old German Shepherd With Dwarfism That Will Always Look Like A Small Pup

Jul 31, 2020 by apost team

Ranger the German shepherd, who lives in Phoenix, Arizona, loves to play with his animal friends and cuddle with his human family, but he has a health condition that makes him very special. The condition is called pituitary dwarfism and causes him to look younger than dogs his age. While Ranger is 3 years old, his condition still makes him look like a puppy. 

As reported by The Mirror, Ranger developed pituitary dwarfism after contracting Giardia, a type of parasite that attacks the small intestines. As a breed, German shepherds are genetically predisposed to developing pituitary dwarfism.

In addition to being smaller than most dogs his age, Ranger had several other problems because of his condition, notably hypothyroidism. Ranger’s hypothyroidism caused him to have flaky skin and start losing his fur, two problems that were corrected by treatments he was able to receive thanks to his owners and the support of his fans on social media. Ranger’s owner, Shelby Mayo, has posted updates on Ranger's progress and his many adventures to her Instagram page since she welcomed the sweet pup into her home. Since being given a clean bill of health, Ranger lolls around Shelby’s home with his fellow four-legged friends Hazel and Jessie.

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As quoted by The Mirror, Shelby told British news agency SWNS of Ranger’s lengthy health history. "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."

When his vet was able to get the Coccidia infection under control, Ranger developed Giardia, which led to his pituitary dwarfism. Prior to the vet’s diagnosis, Shelby and her family didn’t believe that the little guy had pituitary dwarfism owing to the fact that it is an extremely rare condition.

After Ranger was neutered, he began having even more health problems. Ranger’s skin became incredibly dry and flaky and he lost almost all of his fur. Even worse, Ranger didn’t want to eat and was rapidly losing weight.

Shelby credits users on social media for helping her get Ranger the treatment he needed to fight his condition. First, Guardians Farm, a company that makes soaps and lotions, sent Shelby a bottle of goat milk soap, which solved Ranger’s skin and fur issues, according to News 24. Another Instagram user who also owns a German shepherd with pituitary dwarfism then advised Shelby to have her vet check for hypothyroidism. Furthermore, News 24 reports that in response to the commentator’s suggestion, Shelby’s vet gave Ranger a prescription for Levothyroxine, which took care of his weight loss problem and any remaining issues he had with his skin.

What do you think of Ranger and how he and Shelby manage his pituitary dwarfism? Let us know and be sure to pass this incredible story on to fellow animal lovers.