The third animal that was examined by Dr. Nelissa last night was Benny. He is by far the worst case we have had of mange. He is in the very late stages of it. Very emaciated, dehydrated, and loss of hair on the face, back end and a completely bald tail. Benny has a long road to recovery, let’s just hope he is strong enough for the journey.
Mange is a skin condition that’s caused by mites. Mites are tiny parasites that feed and live on or under the skin. It causes loss of hair, with skin covered in sores or with thickened, hard, crusty patches. Infected animals are often described as having skin that appears to have turned to stone.
It’s a horrible, painful condition that is covered with oozing sores and crusty skin, so frail that pieces will fall off when touched. It also causes the eyelids to fuse together rendering it blind and barely able to move or hunt for food.
Images of Benny the Fox:
