Abandoned Dog With Severe Case Of Mange Recovering, Needs Home

JAMAICA PLAIN, MA — According to experts at MSPCA-Angell, a puppy that came to them recently, rescued from the streets, has the worst case of mange that had ever seen.

The MSPCA is determined to do everything possible to cure the four-month-old bulldog mix before finding her a loving home. Fortunately, the pup, now named Sheba, is benefitting from a revolutionary treatment administered by Dr. Klaus Loft of the dermatology service at the MSPCA's Angell Animal Medical Center. According to the announcement, this treatment harnesses the power of her own immune system to heal her disease.

Sheba was found outside in a Dorchester neighborhood on Feb. 22 and transferred to the MSPCA after a veterinarian at Boston's Animal Care and Control facility performed an initial assessment. Andrea Bessler, a veterinary technician in the clinic that abuts the adoption center, said she was shocked at her appearance.

"In my nearly 11 years of practice I've never seen a case of mange this severe-she literally had no fur and was covered in oozing, open wounds," she said in a statement.

Sheba is suffering from Demodectic Mange, an infection caused by tiny, cigar-shaped egg-laying mites. The mites reside and feed on the hair follicles and oil glands of the skin causing hair loss, severe pain and itching and-when left untreated-open, infected wounds. The disease is not contagious and no other animals at the adoption center are at risk.

Loft has been treating Sheba for several weeks with a medication called Cytopoint, which he describes as the "holy grail" for the treatment of severe skin infections. "Essentially, the drug creates an artificial antibody that turns off the intense 'itch signal,' preventing Sheba from further injuring herself through constant scratching."

Sheba is also receiving antibiotics, medicated baths and pain medicine and, according to Bessler, is beginning to turn the corner.

"The worst of her disease is behind her but she will likely require treatment for the next several weeks," Loft said in a statement.

Sheba is not microchipped and had no identification tags when she was rescued, and adoption staff thinks she was likely abandoned.

"It's possible that she was born in a home-or bought somewhere-and then abandoned when her condition worsened," said adoption center manager Alyssa Krieger in a statement. "We'll likely never know for sure, but we do know is that her future is much brighter than her past." Sheba is expected to be available for adoption in several weeks.

Interested adopters can email adoption@mspca.org for more info.

Photo Credit: MSPCA