About Dottie
*** PLEASE NOTE: Dottie was NOT intentionally bred to be small as a "dwarf griffon" is not a special breed or purposeful adaption. We share information regarding the extensive health issues Dottie faces as we do not promote the breeding of dogs specifically engineered to have dwarfism, or any other medical condition.
What is Dottie's story?
Described as a "beacon of hope," Dottie continues to inspire, with her compassionate supporters often sharing how her updates bring them a much-needed boost of serotonin! Dottie has gained a global following of people who enjoy her videos, photos, stories and sassy, charming little personality.
Dottie is a Brussels Griffon born in May 2019 with canine dwarfism and several other medical conditions (noted below). Dottie lives in New Zealand. Dot was born as one of three puppies. Sadly, her smaller brother died within his first few weeks of life, but litter-sister is average-sized, as are her Griffon parents. Dottie’s followers enjoy watching her thrive despite her challenges. With her sassy attitude, Dottie is a great example of how well special needs pets can live despite any limitations.
Since being adopted at 5-6 months old, Dottie has lived with her humans, as well as her biological mum (Emily), and several Chihuahua “siblings,” in addition to a rotating crew of foster dogs from New Zealand Chihuahua Rescue Trust. In 2017, Dottie's humans founded a registered New Zealand charity dedicated to helping toy breed dogs. Dottie quickly became a friendly little ambassador for the rescue and began to feature on their social media.
Dottie began her online journey with a "just for fun" Instagram page on 30th March 2020. The goal was to share her unique little life and medical updates with those interested. What started as a small way to keep family and friends updated, quickly grew into a global community of dog-lovers that adore her resilience, personality, and unique charm.
Medical Conditions:
Although she leads a wonderful life, Dottie has a complex medical history which requires a unique level of care. Dottie has a team of medical professionals involved to assist her. Following advice and other diagnostics, Dottie has been diagnosed with the following:
- Achondroplasia (referred to as "Extreme Dwarfism diagnosed in 2020)
- Eyes - ectopic cilia in the left eye (surgically removed in November 2021)
- Both knees - luxating patellas, this is managed with physio and controlling her weight.
- Hip dysplasia - Dottie has deformed bones within her hips mean it is not fused together correctly
- Her pelvis hasn’t formed correctly (some made of cartilage not bone) and it’s not fused together.
- Forearms - Shortened ulna syndrome (the reason why her "arms" appear different, in conjunction with the below).
- Forearms - Carpal vulgus (which affects the “wrists".)
- Elbows - Incongruent elbows (ie. they don’t align properly - she had surgery for this in 2020).
- Brain - pain condition - Chiari-like malformation (“CM”) confirmed by MRI in May 2022.Eyes -
- Brain - Ventriculomegaly (a condition in which the ventricles - fluid-filled spaces in the brain, are larger than usual);
- Brain - Intracranial arachnoid cyst (IAC), also called intracranial intra-arachnoid cyst and quadrigeminal cyst (”Brain Cyst”) developmental brain disorder in which cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is thought to accumulate within a split of the arachnoid membrane.
- Spine - Scoliosis (a curved spine)
- Spine - The most significant concern for Dottie is an issue with her spinal cord - An abnormal growth in her skull Dorsal compression at the AA joint ("AA-band") The growth could be bone or tissue and essentially is compressing her spinal cord. From the 2023 report, "Atlanto-axial band is a condition resulting in compression of the spinal cord between C1-C2 caused by hypertrophy ("overgrowth") of a normal ligament of the atlantoaxial (C1-C2) joint or in some cases due to abnormal bone orientation. In Dottie, it is likely the result of the abnormal shape and rotation of C1. Instability at C1-C2 may also be present, however not definitive in the provided study. The bone of the dorsal lamina ("roof") of the first cervical bone is rotated and creating this indentation. There is often a soft tissue/ligament component that also participates in creating this compression."
For more details and answers to frequently asked questions—such as how we treat Dottie’s conditions, what medications she takes, or anything else about her life—please explore this website. We've compiled information from her Instagram to create an easier resource for pet owners. To learn more about Dottie and find answers to the most commonly asked questions about her life and medical journey, click the Q&A below!