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By Liz O'Connell
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Far too often animals with health issues get overlooked by potential adopters, but one family decided to take a chance on a dog with a disorder known as "fainting goat syndrome."
Myotonia congenita, or fainting goat syndrome, is a rare and painful muscle disorder. Dogs with this condition often experience abnormal muscle stiffness and have difficulty getting up. Treatment options include medications to stabilize the membrane, which has been found to reduce the symptoms of dogs with this condition.
A German shepherd named Indy has been living a normal life despite suffering from the disorder, her owners told Newsweek. Indy was brought into the shelter as a stray when she was 10 months old and at that time, her symptoms were present.
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Her owners shared a little glimpse of Indy's life in a February 23 TikTok video posted to the account @indy_thefaintingdog. Indy is the definition of walking to the beat of her own drum and it has made viewers fall in love with the pup.
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The caption on @indy_thefaintingdog's viral video of Indy is captioned: "We sure do love our special girl!"
This German shepherd still enjoys playing fetch, getting attention from her two humans, and, of course, eating—all things a typical dog enjoys.
The only difference with Indy is that sometimes her face and eyes lock up. Her mouth muscles don't work so well so she can be a "bit slobbery," her owners say.
She'll run and hop to fetch her ball, and she even rocks special shoes to keep her from slipping and sliding.
Indy quickly gathered the internet's heart. Within a week since being posted, the TikTok clip gained over 2 million views, 357,000 likes and 1,350 comments.
"It's as if somebody brought a stuffy to life and she's learning how to do real-doggy things," wrote a TikTok user, while another commented, "No, because I absolutely love her and her little hops."
Another person wrote in the comments: "I'd just tell people she's just lagging."
One commenter expressed their admiration for Indy, writing: "The sheer determination, legs shutting down but has to get the ball."
It's clear that nothing is going to stop Indy from living her best life. She's just taking her time and enjoying the ride.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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