A four-year-old German Shepherd named Quasimodo (Quasi) looks like he is shrinking because of a very rare condition called Short Spine syndrome. Because of its condition, the dog has a short spine giving him a hunched back and a shorter stature than other dogs of its breed.
Living as a stray, it was taken in by Secondhand Hounds, a non-profit group that serves as an animal shelter in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The Facebook Page called Quasi The Great, details how the dog ended up in its foster home. A lot of people are asking if they could adopt Quasi, but according to the Facebook page, he needs to regain strength and recover first.
"Hi Everyone! Lots of people are asking about adopting Mr. Quasi but at this point, adoption is the furthest thing on our minds. Our plan right now is to get Quasi completely healthy and then we will revisit adoption," Secondhand Hounds posted in Quasi's official Facebook page.
His story captured the hearts of many individuals across the country. While recovering, Quasi will stay with his foster owners until he hopefully finds his forever home.
Quasi is one among only 13 dogs around the world diagnosed with the Short Spine syndrome. In this condition, the vertebrae of the spine remain in its cartilage form instead of hardening to form bones. As a result, the vertebrae will be compressed causing severe shortening of the whole column.
Though his condition might seem painful and veterinarians are still running a battery of tests, Quasi doesn't appear to suffer much pain. Dr. Susan Miller examined Quasi through X-rays and found that the hound has a full-sized head and legs. Aside from that, she found a lot of abnormalities like missing vertebrae, only one testicle, a shrunken stomach and compressed organs inside his body.
"I have never seen anything like this. It's very rare. Not a lot of research is out there," Dr. Miller said.
Secondhand Hounds oversees Quasi's condition and care. It is in the process of selecting a new owner for the dog but says it needs to be extra careful in choosing. Though the condition might sound alarming, nothing about the genetic abnormality is life-threatening. There are, however, complications that might arise in the future.
