Stray dog with Mange in Linkou

Life Pets & Domestic Animals
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1

A few years ago, there was a herd of black Taiwanese dogs lingering around the company in Linkou.
Initially, they were (like typical Taiwanese stray dogs) not-so-friendly and often threaten people passing by.
After a period of “making-friends” with the alpha dog (we call him Xiao Hei), the herd starts to become more normal towards people.
Two years ago, one dog was missing (I assume he/she was dead), and we have three left. Xiao Hei, the alpha-male and two other black dogs.

I even start to have an emotional connection to him (especially) and the other dogs.
Like all good story, something must happen to ruin it.

Sadly about this summer, Xiao Hei starting to show the tendency to scratch his neck and nose to anything sharp. I notice this but think as normal summer jitter for him.
This September, after difficulties bringing him to a vet, we finally did (I don’t drive car/motorcycle). This vet (call it Vet #1) did have decent practice room and give a verdict that he got Scabies.
He gave a few medicine (once daily) and a shampoo called Malase, which basically Chlorhexidine.

After a week, the wife of the company boss, who happens to like Xiao Hei as well, ask us to take him to Vet # 2, with glittering practice room and he gave Xiao Hei a new medicine called Bravecto.
Vet # 2 actually three different Vet with same office (a newbie vet, a girl vet and a male vet) gave him the verdict of mange caused by Demodex mites. (After microscope observation)

Vet # 2 kept repeating the same medicine to be taken twice daily.
By this time, Xiao Hei fur already damaged badly by the mites and develop a distinctively foul odor.
The boss, thinking that he didn’t like for the company having a bad image of having an ill dog stray around/in the company decided to call a shelter in Wugu to take him over there.
The boss’ wife, didn’t like his husband decision, try to take Xiao Hei out from the shelter.
There is a cold war happening, I know.
We start to put him inside a mock greenhouse in our company backyard, due to a few times he runs away and skipping medication and return in even worse condition than before. (with flies surrounding him)
After that, we keep bringing him to the Vet # 2 with the male vet, and about last week the shampoo runs out, he gave a new shampoo (forget the name but basically Benzoyl peroxide).
The dog, which normally taking shower peacefully, running crazy after showering with this shampoo. He starts to bite his own legs and body. The worst parts are both front hock joints and his butt. Front hock joints wounds are basically like a knife stab (as of today).
Add another problem of a possible dry eye/eye infection with him oozing out white mucus every now and then.

By this time, we changed to the Vet # 3, who was said to be the most veteran vet in Linkou but currently mostly doing government jobs and not actually opening a practice. Hence his “office” is his home sidewalk. Vet # 3 said to stop his daily medication and gave him a monthly (but he said Xiao Hei must took it every two weeks) dose of NexGard.
After the second meeting, outlining that his hock joints also need attention, he gave us a algae-based ointment and antibiotics for 2x daily for the wound.

So, we start with a mange and now we have a dog with still-yet-to-be-cured (demodectic?) mange, open wounds in hock joints/butt and possible eye infection.

I just want to share the story, due to how devastating it took my emotion and feeling taking care of him. There are few other people also helping hands on feeding him, but primary care is still my responsibility.

PS: I don’t have the hearts to show his pictures btw. So pls, don’t ask.
PPS: Xiao Hei still have the spirit to run like the wind whenever I bring him out from the mock greenhouse when the weather permit me to do so.

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Sad to hear Xiao hei’s -and yours- predicament. Yes, it is a painful condition. Like all skin diseases, hard to treat.

Malaseb is usually right on spot. So most treatments quoted.

How about his diet? If you can, keep him away from rice and bientang boxes, they aggravate his condition.

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I’ve always been told the same about food. I often bring food to the rice field dogs who live near my house, and some of them were showing sign of poor skin condition. I was suggested to focus on raw meat and bones, avoiding rice at all costs. I kept bringing them raw chicken for a few weeks and they looked like completely different dogs in no time.

4

I strictly ask people giving him only meat.
Even before illness, he (and the others) won’t eat dry dog food or rice.

The boss’ wife insists on giving him rice though. Tried several times to tell her, but she still try to bring this up. But, I believe Xiao Hei won’t eat rice.

Recently it’s more difficult giving him food (I guess medicine made him lose his smelling sense), I need to put canned dog food, chicken or meat inside his mouth and “force” him to eat.

5

Raw diet mixes veggies, algae and meat, all good things for doggie. Too much protein is bad for their kidneys

Vegan diet is no good for cats and doggies. White rice is not good for any of us.

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The Vet # 2 said raw chicken (if not fresh) could backfire.
I try raw chicken wings when Xiao Hei stay in my 4 ping apartment early October, but recently I cooked the chicken after this warning. (most of our chicken legs are American leftovers, imported frozen, hence not fresh!)
Have you had personal experiences with mange dog and raw chicken?

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Well vets in general here are against raw diet because of training and I guess they may fear parasites in morning market meat. What we usually do is freeze the meat if fresh -but I buy organic, so it is already frozen. Bones can be given raw, never cooked. Meat cooked is OK, no salt nothing else. Skin condition, along with general condition, improves a lot with raw diet. Can add a few capsules of fish oil to assist in healing.

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8

First thing I was going to recommend. It worked wonders for a dog I used to care for. Her mange was pretty serious and I always credit fish oil with how rapid and complete her recovery was.

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9

I feel the consensus are:
No rice.
Meat/Chicken/Bone.
Fish oil.

Actually done that since (at least) October.

Xiao Hei is using Elizabethan collar now, due to his tendency biting his legs/behind.

10

OK. Big guns now. Can you take doggie to Taida Veterinary Hospital?

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That was my consideration yesterday, but the boss’ wife said that she was once brought her dog there, while the instruments are the best in Taiwan, the staff are not. Most of them are newly residents from Vet School.
Since, I can’t bring the dog to anywhere alone (no car/scooter/can’t drive/foul odor/me no speak no Chinese), I must take her word for it.

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I wonder if I can do the same diet for my own hair loss problem…

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Only if your hair loss is caused by mange…

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I may have missed it in your post, but where is Xiao Hei sleeping? He’s staying in the greenhouse? Because without cleaning and/or fixing his living conditions you may not be able to heal him successfully. At least that could explain how slow the progress is going.

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Do not use bleach for cleaning. Use hot water and vinegar, or vinegar and baking soda, then hot water. Organic stuff.

Fleas and acarids all hide in teh dust, their eggs have hard shells hard to crack. Hot steam will kill them all though. But first get rid of the dust.

Really tough case you have there.

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Basically, an abandoned project (by company) made to be a greenhouse.
It is damp (I know it’s bad!) but I try to make it less damp.
His sleeping place is dry though.

Initially, we left him as normal, stray on the street.
But, everytime when he feel like it (itchy become worse), he would enter company office/factory.
So, leash him on/in other places were tried.
Trashed my room and tried to jump out of the window. (11th floor)
Finally, we find a kinda protected place in the form of the greenhouse.
I try everything possible. In this weather, damp is more the problem.
The greenhouse floor is wood. While it is covered with (kind-of) mosquito nets on all sides.

He was in my apartment early October.
He was locked in Wugu shelter in middle-late October.
He was straying (like normal) after that for a few days.
After that start to lock him.
Initially in daytime, so that he won’t barging in the office in daytime.
FYI: normally he won’t barging in office, even though some office people are friendly to him. He starts barging when he started to develop this skin problem.

Then he left and we can’t found him for a few days and return with very foul odor and flies hovering his body.
Then, it was decided to lock him, so that he can’t got away and make things worse.
Ironically, it seems that WE ARE THE ONE who made things worse.

17

Not really.

You care for him and try your best. He won’t get a deadly infection in his shelter.

18

hope he gets better. depressing shit. T.I.T.(this is taiwan)

19

Chronology.

Sep. 19, Vet #1, said SCABIES (without microscope), give a packet of medicine 1x/day and MALASEB shampoo (Chlorhexidine used 1-2x/week)
WT = 24 kg

Sep. 26, Vet #2A, said DEMODEX (with microscope), give a packet of medicine 2x/day and eat BRAVECTO 1000 mg.
WT = 22.5 kg

Oct. 4, Vet #2B, give a packet of medicine 2x/day and recommend shampoo 1-2x/week.
WT = 21.5 kg

Oct. 11, Caught by WUGU animal shelter.

Oct. 21, Released by WUGU animal shelter.
Also seeing Vet #2C, said DEMODEX, give a packet of medicine 2x/day and recommend shampoo 1-2x/week.
WT = 20.5 kg

Oct. 27, Vet #2C, said DEMODEX, give a packet of medicine 2x/day and recommend shampoo 1-2x/week.

Nov. 4, Vet #2C, give a packet of medicine 2x/day and recommend shampoo 1-2x/week.
WT = 21.9 kg

Nov. 11, Vet #2C, give a packet of medicine 2x/day and recommend shampoo 1-2x/week. Also give a new shampoo DermaPyo (Benzoyl Peroxide).
WT = 19.5 kg

Nov. 15, Start using new shampoo. Dog start acting crazy destroy his bed and bite his legs & behind. Wound started.

Nov. 18, Leg swollen, Vet #2C on holiday, find Vet #3, give NEXGARD 68 mg. Vet #3 said to stop previous daily medicine. Start using Victorian collar.

Nov. 21, Leg wound larger, Vet #3 give antibiotics (2x/day) and Algae-based ointment for the large open wound. He also said no need bandage.

In all cases, injection given when seeing a VET.

Today’s plan try to bring him home (I rent a taofang in the same room/landlord)
Clean and dry environment in wet and damp Linkou weather.

Tomorrow, try to persuade the Boss’ wife to bring Xiao Hei to NTU Animal Hospital to clean his wound.
(All clinics/local vet basically not doing any action other than injection, consultation and give medicine)

Friday is his last chance to visit NTU Animal Hospital, due to me visit Hsinchu on Monday and likely the boss returned to office after that.

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Update,

Nov. 23, bring him to see Vet #2C who is willing to clean his wound and change the bandage. Also successfully bringing him back to my apartment. Vet #2C giving him a pack of medicine contain 2 antibiotics, an anti-depressant, an anti-histamine and 2 others that I can’t remember. The vet said that the leg cuts are more threatening than the skin disease. (I hate when I am right!)

Nov. 24, early morning jog/walk for 3.5 km. He shows excellent appetite after the doctor visit. Half chicken, lots of Pedigree kibble (which he normally didn’t like it). Later, need to bring him back to Vet #2C because I am unable to apply iodine by myself to his deep cut (horrifying scene!). If only I could only clean the wound and spray/splash the iodine, for every bandage replacement, I could still do it.

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