Mangy Mutt



Jokingly, I've referred to many dogs as "mangy". Now, I have the distinct displeasure of being able to call my dog mangy and being accurate.

I've been wondering for a while if his coat condition wasn't something like mange. The vet had previously done a skin scrape and didn't find any, but this trip to the vet on Thursday was a different story.

When I got back home from Montreal last week, it looked like the hair around Cassady's eyes was almost totally gone. I made yet another appointment in the effort to get him to stop scratching so damn much and he needed his shots anyway. When I pointed out the eye thing to the vet, he said it was a classic symptom of mange, which is basically scabies, which is basically a mite that burrows into the skin - yay!

If you've been to my house or been in contact with me or Cassady for the last year, you better go take a bath. You could have the dreaded SCABIES!!! Actually, that is highly unlikely and you would definitely know if you had it. Itchy, red rashes and panting like a dog are the symptoms.

The good news in all of this is that maybe, hopefully, please-let-it-bet we have a treatable diagnosis and after six weeks of squirting liquid cow wormer down his throat (yes, that's the treatment), he should have all of his fur back and not be itching continuously for the rest of his life.

And just in case you have been to my house or been in contact with Cassady, you really don't have to worry. Your immune system can repel them as mine has done. The only thing I will watch out for is any geriatric or compromised immune systems coming into contact with him. Like Jasmine, the triplets and my grand father - they might want to stay away for the next 6 weeks.

Comments

JackIrons009 said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
JackIrons009 said…
Finally!!!
I hope poor cassidy gets his problem sorted out. Im sure its been like torture!!!
Saturday, May 27, 2006
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