Looking at these two photos of BELLE, you’d be forgiven for thinking it is a happy young dog who turns into an elderly lady with a nasty skin condition, but no, it’s the other way around. BELLE, a labrite or Pyrenean sheepdog, was handed into the refuge by an owner who couldn’t cope with her. She was in a terrible state. Her first foster mum did a great job at stabilising her, but the skin condition never quite went away. When she started scratching 24/7, she went to the École Nationale Vétérinaire at Toulouse, where she came under the care of the dermatologists. They were fantastic, and BELLE certainly thought so after three of them enthusiastically scratched her back for several minutes, to collect skin cells. She didn’t want them to stop!
They concluded that BELLE is allergic to aoûtats, harvest mites to us Brits. They used to be a summer problem, hence août or August, but now they are around from April to October, and allergies are common. Don’t read on if you are eating…the mites spit on the skin to soften it, then lay their eggs under the top layer. When they hatch, the itching is intense and the skin inflamed. No wonder poor Belle was scratching. She was treated with various drugs and it took six months to clear up her skin and ear infection. Now she has a monthly anti-flea chew, rather than a back-of-the neck treatment which the dermatologist said is rarely effective. The other animals in the household all have to be treated on the same day each month, so there is no contamination. Definitely worth it as BELLE is now living up to her name. In fact a chance encounter with a retired breeder of labrites, revealed she was a very good specimen and undoubtedly had an excellent pedigree. He was surprised to learn she had been abandoned.
As an older dog, BELLE is a lifetime foster with Les Amis. They paid for her initial consultation at the ENVT while her fosterer covers any follow up appointments and the flea treatments. Because the school is government run, the fees are capped, and less than the average vet.
If you would like to consider fostering an older dog with Les Amis, please visit the website to read more about the scheme. There are no adoption fees – les Amis ask you to pay for normal vaccines, wormers etc. but will help with more serious or unusual conditions that require extra treatments or operations.
www.lesamisdesanimaux.com or send an email to enquiries@lesamisdesanimaux.com
