A four year old German Shepherd will remain the size of a puppy his whole life due to a rare genetic condition that affects his development.
Fury, who lives with his owner in Arizona, has a condition called pituitary dwarfism. This affects his pituitary gland and means that he is deficient in growth hormones.
According to The Kennel Club, pituitary dwarfism is inherited when both parents carry the abnormal gene for the condition, which is more likely to occur from inbreeding. It is most common in German Shepherds.
Explaining Ranger’s condition on Instagram, his owners said they initially suspected his stunted growth was the result of a parasite infection called Giardia when they first brought him home.
They explained that «after further investigation and consultation with our vet, we discovered that he did indeed suffer from pituitary dwarfism caused by purebred inbreeding.»
Although vets told Ranger owners that he would have a shorter life expectancy due to the condition, he actually lived longer than they expected.
“It is currently in its absolute best condition,” his owners said, adding that he had previously lost his fur to hypothyroidism as a result of dwarfism.
To combat this, he is currently on medication for hypothyroidism which he will likely take for the rest of his life.
According to a Q&A on Ranger’s Instagram, where he has more than 138,000 followers, the condition is only affecting his physical development.
«He’s a mentally mature German Shepherd,» his owners said, «the only thing different is his size.»
And under photos of Ranger posted on his Instagram, he receives dozens of comments from followers who express how beautiful they are and wish him good health.
Despite his cute appearance, his owners have been warned that his condition comes with a number of potential health issues.
«We neither encourage nor condone breeding to obtain dwarves,» they said.
«Lector profesional. Jugador galardonado. Aficionado a los zombis. Adicto a las redes sociales. Experto en tocino. Erudito en Internet»