Mange and parasite prevention: Our 2nd primary objective

As I mentioned in the previous post, our number one objective at Krabi Animal Welfare is to reduce the overall population of strays by way of sterilization. This is the most practical way to create a better future for the stray animal population that has spiraled out of control in the province here in the south of Thailand.

This of course will reduce the numbers and therefore make it a much easier situation to deal with and the hope is that we will then be able to provide a better future for the smaller number of animals that will remain years from now. Our long-term goal is the most important one.

Our second objective is to improve the life of the dogs already in existence and this one is far more evident when you encounter a homeless animal.

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When you see strays in Thailand there is a very good chance you will see them constantly scratching and they continue to do this until they end up missing patches of hair, having welts on their body and yet they continually scratch. It is easy for us to look at this and say "why don't you just stop scratching?" but as someone who has had a mosquito bite where I scratched it until the skin was gone and it was still itchy, it's not as simple as a bit of self-control - which dogs have very little of anyway.

Mange, ticks, fleas, and a variety of other parasites and skin diseases are "part and parcel" of the stray dog population all over the world, and Thailand is no exception. The heat and humidity is a perfect environment for these problems to thrive, unfortunately.

Thankfully, this is a far less expensive process for us to deal with than many of the other diseases and injuries that we here at K.A.W. are faced with on a daily basis.

For as little as $20 we can treat a dog with the necessary medicine to eliminate most parasites and skin diseases and this isn't a permanent fix, but it "hits the reset button" in a process that will last at least 4 months. Many times we see that it lasts quite a bit longer. It brings great joy to us when it appears as though a dog that we picked up recognizes us when we return to check on it, because it seems as though they remember us and come up to us to thank us for alleviating their pain (and the fact that they were constantly itchy!)

This is one of the great rewards of volunteering with Krabi Animal Welfare (or many many other organzations all around the world.) You get to see the impact of your actions or donations almost immediately.

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If you would like to see how you can help out, or simply spread the word, please visit our website at

http://krabianimalwelfare.org

_{Krabi Animal Welfare is a charity run entirely by volunteers and are a registered non-profit organization. We aim to relieve the pain and suffering of dogs and cats within Krabi Province.}