An adult dog has become an internet celebrity after it stopped growing and remained looking like a pup due to a rare medical condition.
Ranger is a 2-year-old dog that looks nothing like other canines of his species and age. His owners first realized something was odd about him after he was diagnosed with the Giardia parasite.
Following successful treatment, the pup stopped growing, prompting the owners to take him to the vet for a second look.
That’s when Shelby Mayo, Ranger’s guardian, found out that the pooch has pituitary dwarfism, a condition that results in delayed development, meaning that the pooch will remain a puppy for years.
Sadly, however, the condition is accompanied by several health issues including flaky skin and hair loss. On the good side, Ranger’s owners have made sure to provide the dog with all the necessary treatment needed for him to recover fully.
Not only did Ranger recover but he also became an Instagram celebrity thanks to his innocent puppy looks.
“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,” Shelby said.
“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. During this time Ranger remained very small, the vet had suspected that he may have Pituitary Dwarfism, a genetic mutation.
“But we were still skeptical as this condition is very rare. Over time Ranger still did not get much bigger, and at this point, we are certain he does have this condition.”
Fortunately, the owners received a lot of help and professional advice from the online community after Ranger began experiencing health problems. Now, the dog is healthy and appears happier than ever as he plays with his furry sisters Jessie and Hazel.
“He [is as] healthy and happy as [he] can be as of now and loves jumping around and playing with his ball and squeaky toys with his two sisters Hazel and Jessie,” Shelby added.
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Replaced!