Two-Year-Old German Shepherd Will Remain Puppy-Sized Due To Pituitary Dwarfism

Ranger may look like your average puppy, but he's actually two years old.

Looks can be deceiving, as they always say, and Ranger can only bark in agreement. The purebred German Shepherd has pituitary dwarfism, an autosomal disorder commonly inherited in breeds like Ranger's, as well as Dachshunds, Corgis, Basset Hounds and Saarloos Wolfdogs, among others.

Ranger's owner, Shelby Mayo knew that the canine was quite small when she first saw him. Still, the Phoenix native picked him from the breeder and took him home.

“He was smaller than all his littermates, but we figured that was because he had a parasite, Mayo told the South Wales News Service (SWNS).

Ranger was treated for Coccidia, the “parasite” Mayo had first thought, but she also found out that the dog had giardia, a microscopic parasite that infects the gastrointestinal tract of animal, and an “infection on his neck,” according to Fox News.

At that point, Mayo decided to take Ranger to a veterinarian to find out, once and for all, the condition of his dog.

Animal doctors pointed to pituitary dwarfism.

Ranger remained very small during that time, and it wasn't until he got neutered that they started they started to notice “big changes” in their pet.

“He lost his appetite, started to lose weight, lost almost all of his fur and had extremely dry and flaky skin,” Mayo told People.

One of Ranger's Instagram followers warned his guardian that dogs with pituitary dwarfism are prone to health issues, including thyroid problems. After confirming with the vet, Ranger was placed on levothyroxine to treat his thyroid hormone deficiency, while one of his 75,000 followers sent him some of their products.

“Guardians Farm, a small company that makes handmade soaps [and] lotions... sent us goat soap milk, which ended up helping Ranger's skin immensely,” she said.

While Wag Walking revealed that untreated dogs with pituitary dwarfism will not usually live past the age of four and will have “poor quality life,” Mayo said that Ranger is living his life. “He is healthy and happy as can be as of now and loves jumping around and playing with his ball and squeaky toys with his two sisters Hazel and Jessie.”