'Mangy mutt' indeed
<p>Paris, a six-month-old pit bull mix, shakes excess water from her coat Friday as Mary Powell, lead kennel operator, gives the dog a bath at the Kootenai Humane Society in Hayden. The canine has a case of mange, which is a skin disease of mammals caused by parasitic mites.</p>
<p>Mary Powell lifts Paris from a wash basin after a washing.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - Out of the 42 dogs at the Kootenai Humane Society, "Paris" is one you can truly call a mangy mutt.
The 8-month-old mixed breed is friendly enough, likes to play and needs a home.
But she also has severe case of mange, a skin disease. There's no nice way to put it: It hurts. The skin, generally infected by mites, becomes raw, inflamed and the victim of manage will scratch away. Scabs develop all over the skin. The paws are puffy. It's ugly.
"It's one of the worst cases I've ever seen," said Rondi Renaldo, KHS executive director.
Friday, Paris received another special bath and is on medication to stop the pain and begin the healing.
It's a long process.
Paris was surrendered to the shelter about two and a half months ago. She belonged to a military couple that was deployed elsewhere and couldn't keep her.
She had mange when she came in, but the disease worsened during the stress of losing her home and moving into the shelter. With a weakened immune system, the mange took hold.
"This was pretty severe before we even got her," Renaldo said.
Another type of mange, Sarcoptic, is caused by the mite Sarcoptex and is contagious to both other dogs and humans.
Paris has since been on antibiotics and medication. She is improving and may be ready for adoption soon.
"She's doing OK," Renaldo said. "We actually carry her most places because her paws are so swollen. She's getting extra love right now from the staff."
Paris was diagnosed with Demodectic mange, which, according to the website Paw Talk, "is cause by the mite Demodex, and is not passed from dog to dog and it's not contagious to humans."
Mange cases are unusual, but not unheard of at KHS. Another dog that was surrendered recently also had mange and is being cared for. Renaldo said they are separate cases and one did not cause the other.
Because Paris is being quarantined, an animal clinic has offered to look after her.
"Our vet said we can't release her until she's much, much better," she said.
KHS is funding the treatment for Paris through its Heart of Gold program that covers pets with special needs.
The dog deserves a good home after all it has been through, Renaldo said.
"She's the sweetest thing in the whole wide world," she said.