Max, a one
year old French Bulldog was discovered by Jamie’s Rescue at Miami Dade Animal
Shelter after being abandoned. A regular client of Dr. Shapiro, Jamie brought
Max to the clinic for a full evaluation. As his photos indicate, Little Max was
a bit worse for wear when he came to our door.
In addition to other ‘expected’ challenges that we anticipate with
abandoned animals, little Max had many other things going on. After his exam
(and a some extra love from Dr. Shapiro’s technician, Dalila) Max was diagnosed
with demodex (mange), a deep ulcer in his Left eye and viral papillomas.
Demodex is a
collection of tiny parasitic mites that live in or near the hair follicles of
mammals. It is a common infestation for dogs and diagnosed by analyzing a small
skin sample under a microscope. A dip, which includes a highly concentrated
insecticide, is most often used to treat demodex however in some cases drugs
like Ivermectins can be used. In each case, supervision by a veterinarian is
highly recommended because of the potential for side effects.
For Max’s
demodex, Dr. Shapiro prescribed oral medication which, while treatment would
span several weeks, started the healing process immediately. However the ulcer
in Max’s right eye would prove to be more challenging. The viral papillomas
growing on his face were too close to his eyes and were obstructing the ulcer
and causing additional irritation. With no room for medication to access the
area, no healing was possible. Max was
in need of some intensive care. But,
before that could begin, the papillomas had to be addressed.
One treatment
for papillomas, is to remove the growths and begin antibiotic treatment; such
as azithromycin which has been shown to hasten resolution of papillomas. Since
the ulcer in Max’s eye was covered by the papillomas removing them was the
necessary next step. Additionally, Max was an intact male so a routine neuter
was on the list. Since the demodex was localized primarily to his head and
upper body surgery was possible sooner rather than later.
Dr. Shapiro
and Jamie decided to hospitalize Max to begin treatment. After a day of medical
treatment, surgery was scheduled. Dr. Shapiro performed a simple neuter and
then went to the task of removing all of the papilloma masses from his eye, his
mouth and his face. His recovery from surgery was smooth and for the next 2
weeks Max was our guest, undergoing intensive isolated care which included
hourly medications for his eye, intense antibiotic therapy and pain
medications.
After 14 days of treatment by our dedicated
day and night crew, Max looked like a new dog. While his spirit stayed high
throughout his stay his skin and eyes were now on the mend. His outside were
now more reflective of his puppy like attitude.
Today, Max is nearly fully healed. He has
continued treatment for the demodex and continues to stay away from other dogs
while the papillomas resolve but he is by all other accounts: back to normal
and looking for his fur-ever home.
It is always
a pleasure to be able to see the recovery of a pet that just needs some TLC.
Time, love and compassion paired with great medical know how works wonders. We
are so pleased with his progress and so happy to highlight him as our June
Patient of the Month!
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| Papillomas covering the ulcer in his eye. |
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| Demodex is visible around his eye as well. |
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