​BEAUFORT, SC……During the coldest time of the year, 3 month old Bonnie and Clyde were picked up as strays by Beaufort County Animal Control. These two adorable pups are hound mixes that have had a very rough start at life. They have had Demodex since they were very young and it has gotten so bad they are one big infection. On top of that, they are loaded with intestinal parasites that have caused them to both be anemic. We have had these two adorable pups since Christmas and they are still in rough shape. All the infection has to be cleared up first and then we can tackle the Demodex. This is the second set of Demodex puppies we have helped over the last month. Gertie and Gingersnap were the first and they are now finally beginning to get some of their fur back.
The problems with puppies this size is that their immune system can't fight off all the issues that come up from having Demodex which is why they get the infections and become so anemic. One event snowballs into another. It keeps on going until either the puppy dies or they are found and get proper medical care. Puppies that do not get proper nourishment as babies are the ones that are more prone to getting this because they have immature immune systems. Older dogs that have compromised immune systems are also not able to control the amount of mites on the body. A dog with a normally functioning immune system is able to control the number of mites present on their body. When the immune system malfunctions or is still immature the animal is not able to regulate the number of mites on the skin and within their hair follicles. This inability to regulate mite numbers allows for the population of mites to explode and causes the clinical symptoms associated with demodectic mange.
Bonnie and Clyde will be in the hospital for the next month building up their immune system so they can fight the mites and the infections. They are the cutest little munchkins and are stealing the hearts of everyone that works on them daily. Even though they are sick, they are still puppies and love to get out and play and chew on everything in sight. They will make wonderful pets once they are well enough to be placed. If you are interested in adopting one or both of these Sweethearts, please, fill out our Adoption Application below.
