Published 17:07 IST, November 23rd 2019
Adult German Shepherd retains puppy-like features, diagnosed with Giardia
A two-year-old German Shepherd breed from Phoenix, Arizona has retained his puppy-like features despite reaching adulthood due to a rare disease
A two-year-old German Shepherd breed from Phoenix, Arizona has retained his puppy-like features despite reaching adulthood. It has been revealed that he has never grown out of his puppy-hood. The canine, Ranger has pituitary dwarfism due to which he has retained puppy-like features despite reaching adulthood. According to reports, Ranger was diagnosed with the rare condition after he was contracted by a parasite called Giardia. However, the dog recovered from the infection but his owners said that they did not find him growing like a normal breed, as per the reports. The owners took him to the veterinary and diagnosed that the puppy may have the dwarfism mutation, a condition where the bones do not grow to the normal size, based on what is expected of the breed.
Rangers dealt with several health-related issues
The dog dealt with several health-related issues including flaky skin and loss of fur due to hypothyroidism, which is a side effect of his dwarfism, according to the reports. His owners and online followers had made all efforts for his speedy recovery. The Instagram profile is flooded with messages from fans and followers, wishing him good health and recovery. Shelby Mayo, Ranger's guardian who brought the puppy home said that he was smaller than his mates and soon realized that he was suffering from a rare-health condition called Coccidia.
Owners put full efforts to fully recover the dog
The owners had put all efforts to help the dog recover completely, but the dog showed little improvemnet. Once the owner realized that the dog would not grow much they had him neutered and it had an adverse effect on him. The dog started losing weight, fur and developed flaky skins. A follower who had a dog with similar condition advised them to get Ranger checked for hypothyroidism and the diagnosis revealed that he had a rare health condition.
Updated 17:53 IST, November 23rd 2019