At first, Yoda looked OK, if a bit rough. — Photos: Anna Chua
Adopting a new dog is always exciting but for pets, it's a rollercoaster. Like human children, pets become nervous when moved into new environments. It's new smells, new routines and new people.
Pets who have grown up in a home and then dumped in a shelter are particularly shell-shocked. They are often terrified of being packed into a busy shelter and then they can't believe it when they are back in a nice home, even if it is with new, kind people.
Again, just like people who've come through crisis, rescue dogs can look thin and bedraggled. Often, their fur is dull. They may also have some bare patches from quarrels with other animals. Some have bitten themselves – a form of self-harm that comes from stress.
When Anna Chua, a pet lover in Subang Jaya, Selangor, adopted Platinum and Yoda from a shelter just before the MCO, they seemed in reasonable shape. But after a few weeks, her new mum noticed Yoda, a seven-year-old Shih Tzu, was a little itchy.
"I thought it was stress from the MCO maybe," she confides. "And then it dawned on me that maybe this is why she'd been dumped at PAWS."
Anna is a dog lover with a history of taking on pets who've had a bad time. She has Platinum, a seven-year-old Poodle who was adopted from PAWS, Teddy a three-year-old Poodle who was adopted via friends, and Olive, a two-year-old Shih Tzu who was also adopted via friends.
So when Yoda began to scratch, Anna followed the standard sensible protocol that all pet lovers with adoptees do.
"We went to the vet who suggested it could be a food sensitivity, so we put her on a hypoallergenic diet. We also got a medicated shampoo that helps pets who have skin problems caused by common bacteria and fungus infections."
But the special diet and the medicated washes didn't help.
"Poor Yoda was itchy and she scratched all the time," Anna remembers. "There were flakes everywhere. We were so sorry for her, and we ended up trying all kinds of things, from over-the-counter sprays to traditional methods like coconut oil."
Some of the sprays and lotions had no effect, whereas others made it worse.
When she was ill, Yoda lost fur and had flaky skin.
"We went back to the vet and then to a second vet. They suggested that Yoda has a long-term fungal infection that has to be managed by an antifungal medication that comes in pill form."
Thankfully, after taking a quarter tablet every day for a few weeks, Yoda stopped itching. Then her skin stopped flaking. Within a month, the pink patches on her skin vanished. Then, her fur grew back.
"We still don't really know what it was," Anna says. "The pill stops it, and thankfully, it's very affordable. I'm paying just under RM30 a month."
"However, she has to take it every day. When we tried giving it to her every second day, the itch came straight back."
In addition, there appears to be more going on because Yoda can't eat the same diet that Platinum, Teddy and Olive enjoy.
"I buy grain-free food for them all, but sometimes we have rice and chicken as a treat," Anna shares. "All of them adore it, including Yoda. However, you can see within hours that she's itchy again because she starts scratching.
"I don't think we'll ever figure out exactly what's going on but it doesn't matter too much because as long as she sticks to taking her daily quarter tablet and eats her kibbles, she's perfectly fine."
But Anna adds, "I feel for her sometimes though as it's boring. But what to do? There's no point in eating something that makes you feel bad after."
Thanks to loving care, Yoda has regained her princess looks.
The best news is that Yoda feels really good. She plays wild games, has lots of energy and enjoys life to the full.
Yoda is not unusual. There are likely many pets who suffer similar issues, and owners who are baffled by them. Fungal infections are very common (see sidebar) so if your pet is troubled, what should you do?
"I'd see a vet first," Anna advises. "I'd buy some medicated shampoo because it does the trick for many common problems. Just follow the directions on the bottle for when you're washing them. And if that doesn't do the trick, I'd talk to the vet about antifungal pills."
Most of all, don't panic and give it some time. If you see Yoda today, you'd never guess she's been in such a sorry state. She's a lovely, pretty girl with beautiful fur.
"The funny thing is that when she wasn't well, the groomer used to take her first because she was the best of all my monkeys," Anna laughs. "But now she's the naughtiest! It's as if she's saying, look at me, I'm so pretty."
Yoda is not just a lucky pup, but also a very lucky one who got a splendid second chance at a happy home.
Adopt Me
Rex is 10 months old, a Bull Mastiff mix, healthy, very active, fit and strong. Neutered and vaccinated.
Photo: Paws/Celine Chum
Rex is a wonderful companion who brings lots of laughter with his hyper shenanigans, but due to his massive size, people tend to be a bit wary of him. The secret is that Rex is just a big, friendly, goofy giant.
Rex gets along with everyone and every dog at the shelter. He's a bundle of energy and joy. He is looking for an owner who can deal with his size and strength. Rex has loads of energy, and he doesn't always know his own strength.
Interested adopters please contact PAWS and ask for Rex, Tag Number: P527 (2022.07.30) at PAWS Animal Welfare Society, Jalan PJU 1A/20, Ara Damansara, 47301 Subang, Selangor. Phone: 011-2193 5651. Website: paws.org.my
