Ranger is a purebred German Shepherd living in Phoenix, Arizona. This cute doggie has a very unusual appearance due to which he has won the hearts of thousands of internet users all over the world.
Ranger is already four years old, but he does not look like an adult dog at all. His size is about three times smaller than of an ordinary German Shepherd. And the reason for this is that the doggie has a rare congenital disorder.
Shelby Mayo, Ranger's owner, told that her pet has been diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder – pituitary dwarfism. This condition develops in offspring if both parents have the "broken" gene. In the case of Ranger inbreeding is to blame for his dwarfism, that is, his mom and dad might have been brothers and sisters from the same litter.
According to the veterinarian Lynn Janes, dwarf dogs grow very slowly, and at about 2-3 months of age, their growth stops completely. That's why Ranger doesn't look like an adult dog, but like a puppy.
Small size is not the only symptom. Ranger also has a very fluffy coat that is much softer than that of adult dogs. Unfortunately, dwarf dogs live much shorter lives than healthy pets. Although Ranger was given only 3 years to live, his loving owner's care, proper medical assistance, and a happy life allowed to prolong his life and to give him a chance to live many more years.
A few years ago Shelby decided to create an Instagram account for her pet. There, Mayo periodically shares photos of the funny Ranger, as well as of his little sister Jessie, who is healthy and of normal size. By creating this page, the dog's owner wanted to raise awareness of the inbreeding problem. And Ranger has become an Instagram star! Absolutely all his subscribers think he is incredibly cute and funny.
But many followers don't realize that Ranger has serious health issues. They even suggest that his owner Shelby take up breeding dwarf dogs. Right now, Ranger has about 135,000 followers. And his owner keeps reminding people that when you breed animals, you have to think about their health first and foremost.
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Source: lemurov.net
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