Unfortunately, we know how many stray animals face daily challenges to survive. Their entire time on the street is a constant attempt to survive. Abandoned dogs search for food and warm shelter, but they can never stop the onset and development of disease. No one takes them to the vet, no one treats them. It all depends on luck, you might say, because no one cares for them. And that’s what happened to this dog who was on the verge of dying from mange before rescuers found and saved him.
We are in India, an association that deals with the rescue of stray animals, Animali Aid Unlimited, receives a call for an urgent intervention for a stray dog reduced to terrible conditions inside a shed.
When the association’s workers arrived to rescue the animal, they found him on the ground, riddled with infections and weakened. Despite his limited strength, as soon as he heard the rescuers’ voices, he began to timidly wag his tail.
The poor stray dog had mange and was very sick. It’s a parasitic disease transmitted by mites. These feed on blood and cause severe damage to the skin, often causing serious and problematic infections. The infection had reached a truly severe stage; in fact, the dog was completely hairless and covered in scabs.
Animal Aid rescuers picked him up and immediately took him to the veterinary clinic. There, he was started on urgent support therapy with fluids and electrolytes. Targeted therapy against the parasite responsible for the disease was also necessary.
Cotton, that’s the dog’s name today. The next day he seemed better, but recovery is long and requires patience. Luckily, help arrived in time for this sweet stray.