Poleng was saved during another dog rescue. His appearance immediately struck the rescuers. Nicknamed the “stone dog” because of the mange that had invaded his coat, he was covered in scabs. A member of Little Steps Matter explain : “By the time we saw Poleng, it was clear he had suffered enormously.”
“He almost seemed to have turned to stone”
Poleng required emergency hospitalization. A rescuer reports the situation and confides to The Dodo : “His body was ravaged by severe scabies, with painfully inflamed skin and thick layers of scabs covering his entire body, he almost seemed to have turned to stone”.
The team had never encountered such a case before. Entrusted to a veterinarian, Poleng began a long journey of care.
Contact made possible
Previously, the slightest physical contact caused pain to the dog, who kept his distance from the caresses of his caregivers. After receiving care, he came to appreciate contact with humans. Taken in by a family at first, he was redirected to another foster home. 4 months later, adopters positioned themselves to welcome Poleng forever. Her new family spotted the dog on social media and fell in love with her. “He is living a dream life with his family now”concludes the shelter manager.
What are the symptoms of mange in dogs?
A parasitic skin disease, scabies is caused by microscopic mites which lay eggs under the canine's skin, causing very debilitating inflammatory reactions. The symptoms of scabies are:
- An intense itch that leads the dog to scratch
- Loss of hair and the appearance of plaques on the epidermis
- Lesions and scabs that are red, then yellow
- Thickening of the skin
Treatment for scabies must be medical. The veterinarian makes the diagnosis and sets up the treatment protocol.