Just one month ago, Good Samaritans in St. Louis, Missouri came upon a shockingly neglected dog and brought him to
Stray Rescue of St. Louis. The dog, dubbed Lycan had lost every hair on his body; his skin was so irritated and raw it looked as if it had turned to stone.
Rescuers immediately began to care for Lycan, who cried out in pain every time he was touched. He had been diagnosed as suffering from scabies, also known as sarcoptic mange which is a highly contagious skin disease caused by the mite “Sarcoptes scabiei var.canis”. The mites burrow into the dog’s skin causing intense itching and pain. Scabies can be transmitted to humans and other animals through bedding or grooming equipment.
During his first medicated bath, he “wailed out in pain” as the mites had caused terrible open sores that must have felt as if they were burns. He shook in fright, but soon began to feel a little bit better and enjoyed the feeling of a soft towel gently patting him dry.
Although his guessing his breed by looking at him was difficult, veterinarians guessed him to be a Husky. How long had this dog with a once beautiful and thick coat been neglected and deprived of even the minimal of care? It had to have been months, but to Lycan, it must have felt like a lifetime of excruciating pain and itching.
Just weeks later, as July rolled closer to August, Lycan was no longer contagious, and he was officially ready to move to a medical foster home. The friendly pup even attended the Poochella Event where he appeared in front of the camera looking so handsome – not to mention how much better he felt.
What an absolute sweetheart. His miserable constant pain and itching is over, thank god. Watching him be so sad and painful was hard, but we knew he’d get through it.
If you are interested in being his medical foster home, you’ll give him two medicated baths a week and bring him in for his check-ups. He’s still on antibiotics but takes his meds like a champ; he LOVES food. He loves baths and is a very well-mannered boy, so he is going to be a joy to have!
He has so much severe scarring and had such a severe case of sarcoptic mange that he might not grow back his big, fluffy husky coat that he lost. We’re not sure how much hair he will actually grow back, but we know that he is so beautiful on the inside and the outside, that it doesn’t even matter. He’s perfect the way he is.
If you’ve been waiting for Lycan, fill out a foster form here:
Follow the National Pet Rescue on Facebook for the latest animal related news.
