This 4-year-old German Shepard's rare condition makes him look like a puppy

When it comes to adopting a puppy, prospective owners often spend hours staring at them, trying to remember the size of their little paws. But this dog will remain a puppy forever. Rambo, a four-year-old puppy with pituitary dwarfism, has remained the same height since he was a puppy and needs daily medicine to keep healthy.

Life is dwarf

Due to his autosomal condition, Rambo has short legs, a large body, a small jaw, bulging eyes, and skin issues like baldness and bacterial skin infections. Even though he is now four years old, he is still the same height as when he was a puppy. Rambo is not in agony, but his condition has resulted in a secondary health problem for which he requires daily medication to keep healthy. Jennifer Littleton, owner, from Louisiana, said:

Rambo is only about the height of a cocker spaniel. He also has hypothyroidism which is caused by pituitary dwarfism. He takes thyroid medication daily. He also doesn't have a lot of hair because of hypothyroidism.

Strangers frequently approach Jennifer and Rambo on the street to inquire about his condition; many people have never seen a dog with pituitary dwarfism. About one out of every 500 purebred German shepherds suffers from a rare genetic ailment. The average lifespan of a German shepherd is nine to thirteen years, however, those with pituitary dwarfism have a lower lifespan of three to seven years.

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What is pituitary dwarfism?

Pituitary dwarfism is characterised by pituitary gland underdevelopment and combined pituitary hormone deficit, which includes growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, prolactin, and gonadotropin deficiency. It is a severe condition with symptoms that go beyond physical appearance. In fact, the dwarfs have a broad spectrum of clinical symptoms. The long-term prognosis is bad without effective therapy. Many dwarfs do not live more than 4 to 5 years, and while their prognosis improves dramatically when they are treated, there is still a lot of uncertainty.

Pituitary dwarfism is most common in German Shepherds, but it has also been observed in Spitz, Miniature Pinscher, and Karelian Bear Dog breeds. It's a forthright autosomal recessive trait that's passed down through the generations. Jennifer created Rambo's own Facebook profile—Rambo, the German Shepherd with Pituitary Dwarfism—to raise awareness of her dog's condition and to provide updates about his day-to-day life.