When Annie McHound arrived at Stray Rescue of St. Louis she was covered in hundreds of fleas. And what her rescuers thought was motor oil on her fur turned out to be dry blood from all the insect bites!
The dog had wandered into someone’s backyard for help and they called the Missouri-based rescue. Thank goodness for that, because Annie was on her last legs.
Annie covered in fleas. Stray Rescue of St. Louis
Not only was she anemic she was also terribly thirsty from the hot summer temperatures hitting the city of St. Louis.
Stray Rescue of St. Louis
She was also very skinny and week. When she arrived back at Stray Rescue’s shelter she could barely stand up.
Stray Rescue of St. Louis
“We’ve named this little lady Annie McHound,” the rescue wrote on their Facebook page. “Sooo skinny.” She also had so many fleas she “was just being eaten alive.” They knew she needed a bath right away and soon a whole group of hands were washing her.
Stray Rescue of St. Louis
Their hands were soon covered in the rust-colored dry blood but Annie calmly let them scrub her down as she gulped up water.
They used a medicated soap so that all the fleas would die and fall off her.
Stray Rescue of St. Louis
But the fleas had already wreaked havoc on her. Her gums were pale white and she was so anemic they had to do an emergency blood transfusion.
But just one day after her medical treatment Annie has improved a lot. “She feels so much better already – to be free from this insane heat, free from being a host to blood sucking pests, free from loneliness, from thirst, and free from worry,” Stray Rescue of St. Louis wrote.
Her gums are pink and already looking healthier and she is being pampered in every way. Her rescuers said, “Poor sweet baby must think she died and went to heaven.”
Annie is also up and walking after her transfusion. “Look who is back from her emergency transfusion! Annie McHound is walking and everything!”
It’s so heartwarming to see Annie doing so much better after just a few days with her rescuers. But she’s not completely out of danger yet. To help support Stray Rescue take care of Annie and other sweet dogs like her, visit their website to make a donation.