My poor mangy current foster

[Adrienne]

I have never dealt with mange before and when this girl was surrendered my heart nearly broke. Luckily it is demodex so I was able to have her treated, we wouldn't have been able to treat her if it was sarcoptic. She came with the name Coco but I renamed her Justice. She is a three-month-old APBT, product of incest with a daddy that also suffers from mange. She started her ivermectim yesterday but it will take us a while to get her up to a maintenance dose. I am looking for a permanent foster for her but until one can be found she comes home with me when I'm not at the shelter and stays with me while I am there (Kira too). That is a definite bonus to being the shelter manager!

The only spot on her that is intact is her tail and inside her ears. She LOVES people food and is enjoying my house. Her, Layla, and Kira get along well together which is great. She is playful on occasion but I can't imagine that this doesn't hurt something terrible. Does anyone know if it is painful or is it just itchy? I feel so bad picking her up to transport her places but even the pads of her feet are sore. Please send 'heal quick' vibes for Justice and also 'permanent foster home vibes'!

 

[Barb04]

Thank you for helping this girl. Sending healing vibes.

 

[CaliTerp07]

Oh my gosh...what a poor little girl. Bless you for helping her! I can't wait to see what she looks like when she starts feeling better!

Does the fur eventually grow back when mange is treated?

 

[smkie]

Nasty business that mite is. I am glad she is getting treatment. Vibes for no more sore itchy swollen skin. (((((HUGS)))) to you for helping her.

 

[Chewbecca]

awww, poor girly!!!
Thank you for helping her!!!

Honestly, I would look into a topical treatment called ProMeris. You can look it up online.

Ophie had pretty bad demodex before we adopted her, and the vet in Chicago was treating her with ProMeris. It's a relatively new treatment for mange, and my vet had NEVER heard of it before, but he looked it up and suggested that we continue using it to treat her.

I swear by the stuff. Ophie was spayed very shortly after she tested clear for mange, and it did not come back. I, personally, think it HAS TO BE safer than ivormectin treatments because it's not ingested. You apply it like you would frontline, but you'd have to walk her for 10 minutes after application so that it can work its way down her coat.

We applied it once every two weeks on Ophie and 1 1/2 months worth of treatments cost us $30 shipped.

And Ophie was probably younger than your foster when they started her on it. It's safe for puppies.

It smells eucalyptus-y, so it's not a horrid smell. I swear by the stuff.
AND! to top that, it works as a flea, mosquito, biting fly, tick, any-bothersome-bug repellent.

She may be a little groggy the day you apply it, but that's the worst we saw from Ophie while she was on it.


Good luck! And seriously, look into Pro Meris.

 

[MaloreyAnimal]

It's great to see you got her! Poor little girl, hope she heals up nicely! She has the face of a "foster ..... not". Lol!

 

[bjolly]

aw, poor little thing! she has such a sweet face. I hope she feels better soon.

 

[Maxy24]

Oh poor baby, I can't wait to see what he looks like when all her fur grows back.

Why wouldn't you be able to treat the sarcoptic? I thought that was easier to treat? Or is it because Sarcoptic is contagious?

 

[Maura]

Mix 1 cup distilled water, 2 tablespoons witch hazel, and 1/4 teaspoon Lavender essential oil. Dab on. This will take care of the surface sores.

I would also give her vitamin C supplement. Not a lot, a dried cherry every day might even be enough. I found the Ivermectin did not do the trick, nor did the shampoo.

 

[HayleyMarie]

Oh My bless her little heart. She looks like a widdle pig. And Cudos to you for taking her in.

 

[smkie]

Mix 1 cup distilled water, 2 tablespoons witch hazel, and 1/4 teaspoon Lavender essential oil. Dab on. This will take care of the surface sores.

I would also give her vitamin C supplement. Not a lot, a dried cherry every day might even be enough. I found the Ivermectin did not do the trick, nor did the shampoo.

THanks for the info...saving in my files, good to know.

 

[Sweet72947]

Why wouldn't you be able to treat the sarcoptic? I thought that was easier to treat? Or is it because Sarcoptic is contagious?

I'm curious about this too. Some years ago FOHA, the rescue I volunteer for, took in a dog with pretty bad sarcoptic mange (she had no hair at all, not one tiny bit). She was kept in a run with a big sign on it saying "DON'T TOUCH ME, I'M CONTAGIOUS." she was successfully treated, and once her hair grew back in, we discovered she was a chocolate lab! With proper handwashing and quarantine protocols, it was never spread to anyone else.

 

[crazy_paws]

Poor baby! Sending her good vibes.

 

[smkie]

Bronki had sarcoptic when he was a puppy, two little spots on his head. The vet explained to me that some dog's immune systems can make them able to fight it off where other's can not. One treatment and they were gone for good. SInce he developed cancer at 7 it made me wonder if that was related to the same weaker immune system.

 

[ravennr]

Good vibes on their way!

 

[Adrienne]

Sorry guys, let me clarify. Our shelter is no where near ideal in set up. We are also very tightly budgeted. The animal hospital that sees our shelter animals indicated that she could not be at the shelter as it would not help facilitate her healing because of the high stress associated with a shelter situation. (physiological stress is very bad in mange situations) If it had been sarcoptic I would not be able to foster her because I have multiple animals at my home already. I have zero fosters that would be willing to take on a dog with sarcoptic mange. I would not be able to keep her in our shelter and it would have not been feasible to treat her due to this. Our shelter would not be able to afford to board her a fancy, less stressful boarding kennel. She would have been euthed. This is the crappy reality of my job as the director. Limited funding, limited public support, limited resources = very tough choices that I have to make. Luckily in her case I didn't have to make a tough choice!

Thanks for the info Chew and Maura. I will look into both further.

Poor Justice also is now running a fever and has a secondary skin infection. She is still eating well though and seems to be tolerating the ivermectin well. I feel so bad for her. The people who did this too her (let her get this bad) suck.

 

[Lossalfling]

*sending healing none ichy thoughts you way* and big hugs for taking her and her poor skin into your home.
I completely understand what you said about the shelter hard choices. The shelter I volunteer for doesnt have a vet on board, and only is given 200 a year for vet expensise:/ Lots of hard choices have to be made. Im very glad in this case you are able to help this little girl!

 

[Renee750il]

Glad you are able to help her. She will be a stellar spokesdog for the shelter when she's healed Bet she helps raise lots of awareness -- and funds.

 

[Zoom]

Bless you for treating this poor girl! I hope she makes a full and speedy recovery and goes on to enrich someone's life in the way that only a little pitty can do.

 

[Hillside]

Adrienne, of COURSE you are tightly budgeted, you are in Souptown. ( I do believe I am the only one on this forum that can properly grasp that one. )

Adrienne and I went to high school together for a bit. ( I switched schools) I am super surprised that her rescue even EXISTS, the city it is in is far more known for its bar to people ratio than anything else and is EXTREMELY working class, not exactly a place that you would expect ANY rescue, even a bad one. ARF does a lot of good stuff, but is severely under supported.