Koncel had lost nearly every hair on her body — and unfortunately, her owner didn’t know how to help the 10-year-old dog.
Koncel’s owner was an Indonesian man named John who lived with his wife, daughter and mother-in-law near the village of Tanjung Naman on the island of Sumatra. John earned a small income on a local plantation, and Koncel would faithfully accompany John to work every day.
But when Koncel got sick, everything changed. She became lethargic, stopped showing interest in food and found it harder and harder to go to work with John. She also lost her fur, and her skin became hard and scabby.
John desperately wanted to help his dog, but all he could obtain was some local traditional medicine. Sadly, this medicine didn’t do anything to help Koncel, who continued to suffer.
Then a friend advised John to put engine oil on Koncel’s skin — there’s a local belief that this heals dogs’ skin infections. But this didn’t help either.
In July, Koncel finally got the help she needed. Team members from Stay Wild, a group that helps wild and domestic animals in Sumatra, visited John’s village and John asked them for help. The Stay Wild team diagnosed Koncel with mange, a condition caused by mites that burrow into a dog’s skin, and they gave her the right medication. They also discovered that Koncel was riddled with fleas and worms, so they treated her for this as well.
Two months later, Koncel looks like a completely different dog. A thick, glossy coat of black and white fur has grown in, and she’s regained her energy and vitality.
“John is elated at his dog’s health and says she now follows him to work every day, eats with no problem and is much more energetic in general,” Alex Boyd, a volunteer for Stay Wild, told The Dodo. “All her fur has grown back and she has put on weight.”
“John is extremely grateful for our help,” Boyd added. “The best part has been the dramatic difference in Koncel and the owner’s happiness at how healthy she is now.”
