Abandoned in the Country
On January 3, 2022, Athos was let out of the car in the country outside of Valley Center and abandoned. Luckily for him, a couple of nearby residents saw and were able to capture him. They would have kept him for themselves but had enough dogs of their own. Instead, they drove Athos to Caring Hands where he was taken in as a stray.
A Good Diagnosis
When Athos arrived at Caring Hands, staff was concerned he had a skin condition called mange. Certain types of mange can be contagious to both animals and people and are a large concern for animal shelters. After testing, CHHS found that Athos was suffering from a skin infection instead of mange. Athos has been receiving weekly baths with a medicated shampoo, Malaseb, and getting daily doses of Cephalexin for the infection.
Very Speedy Recovery
After only a few days of treatment, staff has seen an improvement in attitude, energy, and comfort in Athos. While he will have patches of missing fur for some time while he recovers, his skin is drastically less red and irritated. Not only his skin has improved! Athos has quite the pep in his step after starting treatment. Now, Athos loves a good belly scratch followed by a long nap.
