Day 1: Mange Puppy Comes Home

July 26, 2011.

I was walking through the lobby of the shelter where I volunteer (ACCT, Philly's only public intake shelter which takes in over 33,000 animals a year) and saw a pathetic looking thing sitting in a towel on a chair. The more pathetic they look, the harder it is to walk away. So, naturally, I stopped. Her paws are swollen from infection. Her nails are white from malnourishment. Her eyes are wide open because she is a cutie.

I talked with "Chloe's" owner, a young man and he said he brought her to a vet (on two different occasions after it didn't get better) and was able to describe what the meds looked like but didn't remember the names. He has two other dogs, he said neither of which have mange. He was slightly open to the offer for free spay surgeries for his two other resident dogs. Not sure why she is so skinny, although the owner seemed like he genuinely cared and said "I didn't know what else to do for her". So while he never should have let it get this far, I think it is, in this case, a lack of education about pet care/needs, rather than a case of deliberate animal cruelty. PS. The shelter is following up with him.

I stood by like an anxious mother waiting/hoping/fingers crossing that her skin scrape came back positive for Demodex mange (known, in the shelter world, as the "good kind") and not Sarcoptic mange (the kind that is contagious to other animals and people). I stood. I paced. I watched 4 other dogs be checked in that came in as strays. Every time the office door opened, I was hopeful it would be D with the results. FINALLY D came out and gave a thumbs up. It was the "good kind". I could take her home. 

D gave me a medicated shampoo for her and it was off to the the bath room. She was not overjoyed about being bathed but I imagine the cool water felt good on her hot, infected body. If you have ever fostered a mange puppy before, you know the first bath is usually the worst. They come out bleeding everywhere because all of the scabs that were washed off. Mange Puppy (whom I wanted to call Jellybean, but now I'm not sure) happily stood while I dried her off, the towel probably relieving the itch caused by mange. This is a picture of puppy after her bath. 

After "borrowing" lots of dye-free linens for her, waiting for her meds to be filled (she is taking LOTS of medications), and carrying her out to my car, I drove to the back of the parking lot where J was giving me free, donated dog food for foster parents and low-income residents. She made sure to give me food of the highest quality to ensure that this pup was getting THE BEST THERE WAS. No more crappy life for this little girl =)

She slept on the ride home and then we hung out in the backyard with my dog, Maya. Puppy flopped her inflamed paws around and tried to chase a tennis ball. Then she just sat, looked at me, and wagged her tail. You can see in this picture how excruciatingly underweight she is.

Puppy ate her dinner (Petra, you'll notice that is your dog bowl you gave me when I took Fuller and never gave you back), got her meds, and then I placed her on the dog bed for a nap…likely the first time this dog had been on a dog bed engulfed by a stuffed panda bear. After scratching (or itching?) her face, shaking, getting blood everywhere, she fell asleep, puppy twitches and sleep-barking included. 

After another bathroom break, she quietly went into her crate for bedtime. She has yet to bark. Fingers crossed it stays this way.

Although I know fostering older dogs is much easier than puppies, there is something so special about watching the transformation of a mange dog into a healthy dog. I hope to share this transformation with you. Enjoy.