It’s becoming apparent that Donald, Pluto, and Daisy have a lot more problems than mange. The demodex is caused by an impaired immune system and as you might expect, that makes them susceptible to all kinds of problems. Skin infection is a big worry and it looks like Daisy may be developing something along that line. They have swollen lymph nodes, swollen feet, swollen ear flaps and considerable muscle atrophy.
And then there’s the orthopedic issues. As you can see in the photos above, the pups have carpal hyperextension, also known as “low slung pastern.”
The picture to the left shows what a normal puppy’s foot looks like. See the difference? Notice how low to the floor the carpal pad is on the hound above versus how high it is on the puppy on the left. If their feet are that badly deformed we have to wonder how their knees and hips are. A canine orthopedic surgeon will be looking at the pups to check their joints. Even if the demodex and all the other immune related problems get cleared up we’re still left with pups that have life-long pain caused by these deformities.
The outlook is not very bright for these three.
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