When rescuers brought in a litter of puppies from Texas, the little group was full of life — tails wagging, paws tumbling, tiny barks echoing through the shelter.
All except one.
A tiny pup named Tyler wasn’t quite keeping up with his siblings. While they bounded around with endless energy, Tyler seemed tired and uninterested in food. The team at Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) knew something wasn’t right and began monitoring him closely.
Then Tyler started having trouble going to the bathroom — and that’s when everyone knew this little guy needed extra help.
The staff wanted to take an X-ray to find out what was wrong, but there was one small challenge: Tyler was unbelievably tiny.
“Tyler was about the size of a large guac from Chipotle,” said Luis Sanchez, APA!’s director of public relations and communications.
Despite his miniature size, the team managed to carefully position him for what may have been the world’s smallest X-ray.
It took patience, precision, and a lot of steady hands — but the medical staff at APA! are experts at helping animals of every shape and size.
When the results came in, the problem became clear: Tyler wasn’t sick — he was just extremely constipated.
The team quickly started him on a gentle treatment plan and watched closely as the tiny pup began to feel better day by day.
“Tyler, a Chihuahua mix, is still significantly smaller than his siblings and has had trouble gaining weight,” Sanchez told The Dodo. “APA! will be keeping a close eye on him and doing all we can to help him recover and grow strong.”
Now, Tyler is resting comfortably in a loving foster home with his mom and four siblings — getting plenty of cuddles, care, and time to grow.
In a few more weeks, once he’s gained enough strength and gets a clean bill of health, this brave little fighter will be ready to find a forever family of his own.
He may have started life the size of a takeout container, but his heart — and his spirit — are already larger than life.
