Updated: January 17, 2020
Almost every day, we head to the beach where we bring our Fort James strays food, water, and lots of love. We have come to learn all of their personalities, tendencies, and have grown to love every one of them.
A few weeks ago, we started noticing that Annie and Christa had been scratching away at themselves more than usual. All of the dogs unfortunately have fleas, but this seemed different.
Annie had been scratching so much that the top of her ears had open wounds and was bleeding. Christa had been scratching so much that her coat had patches with no hair. We sought help on social media through our Instagram stories and the Dogs and Cats of Antigua Discussion group. Instantly, we received messages saying that the girls probably had Mange and should be taken to the vet immediately to get checked out.
Annie and Christa go to the Vet
With the help of our friend Clemmie, we headed to the beach and gathered Annie and Christa to take them for their first visit to the vet. As we drove to The Ark, Annie and Christa were curious and probably scared as they had most likely never been in a car before. We tried to reassure them by talking to and petting them. When we arrived at The Ark, Annie and Christa were weighed and assessed before the veterinarian determined that Annie indeed had a case of mange.
With the help of the Dogs and Cats of Antigua community, Annie and Christa were given their first dose of Nexguard, and Annie was prescribed a week’s worth of antibiotics to fight off her infection. Fortunately, we were also told that Annie and Christa could return in a few weeks to be spayed.
For a week, Annie was given antibiotics. It was tricky to get her to take the weird-smelling medicine at first, but Clemmie suggested that we take some cheese and conceal the pills in that. It worked like a charm, and soon Annie was finished her medication.
On December 10, 2019, Annie and Christa received their second dose of Nexguard. By then, Annie’s ears were starting to heal nicely.
On December 12, 2019, we headed to the beach early in the morning to get Annie and Christa ready to go get their spay operations at the vet. With the help of our friend Clemmie, Annie and Christa were taken to The Ark where they got spayed and stayed overnight in the kennel there.
Annie and Christa Go Home
The next day, Annie and Christa were so happy to see us and we brought them back to their home at Fort James beach. We stayed at the beach with them for a few hours to make sure they were doing okay, to give them food and water, and lots of love. That day, there were many tourists on the beach from the USA and Canada. A sweet couple saw us with the dogs and asked if they were ours, “we wish” we said. After chatting for a few minutes, they told us that they had a dog at home and brought some dog biscuits with them because they knew they would encounter stray dogs on their visit.
The couple went off and came back to us and the dogs with a bag of treats- the dogs loved them! Some of the other tourists saw how happy this made the dogs and came over to pet them and give them some of their snacks. We are so grateful to everyone who showed the dogs love that day.
Since their operations, Annie and Christa seem to have a lot of energy and are doing well. We hope to find them a furever home that will give them unconditional love.
It Takes a Village
Getting Annie and Christa the medical attention they needed wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the Dogs and Cats of Antigua Discussion Group who generously donated towards their care and Clemmie who helped us take the dogs to and from the vet multiple times despite living so far.
We are so grateful to have access to the Dogs and Cats of Antigua community who make it their mission to contribute to the welfare of animals in Antigua. It truly takes a village of like-minded individuals to affect positive change.
How You Can Help
Interested in supporting the welfare of dogs, cats, and other animals in Antigua? Visit the Dogs and Cats of Antigua website to learn more about how you can get involved.
To donate to Dogs and Cats of Antigua, click here.
Want to be part of the conversation? Click here to join the Dogs and Cats of Antigua Discussion Group on Facebook.
Additional Resources
If you are looking for an at-home DIY treatment for mange, check out this remedy by Happy DIY Home.