It is now exactly 3 weeks since Kosbaar has come to live with us. Her skin is still in pretty bad shape (although there is now not a trace of any fleas or ticks) and she has lost much more hair from her body, possibly because the treatment with the prescribed shampoo has caused the hair follicles to expel the loose hair. Previously she was possibly just too exhausted to bother about the irritation on her skin. Now she licks and scratches a lot, so much so that her skin sometimes bleeds. So she's still wearing a jacket constantly, and this gives her skin a chance to heal beneath it. Scabs are forming and the new skin looks healthy. We continue with the cortisone ointment (for the itching) and cream, and we noticed that the hairs on her legs are beginning to grow again, possibly because the mites are now gone. Her facial skin is also softening from the cream we put on it (this image below was taken after I had just put it on the first time - had to smile - but massaged it in so it does not bother her).

  

She does, however, lick her feet a lot, and that causes swelling (or perhaps it's the other way round). Initially we did not bother about washing her feet, as we concentrated on her body, but now we started washing her lower legs and feet too with the medicated shampoo, also between the toes. Hopefully that will help. But she's due for a checkup at the vet in about a week's time, so she'll then probably help to sort that out. 

She is now getting 3 meals a day: full meals mornings and evenings, and half a meal middle of the day. When she's hungry, she sometimes makes a few gentle noises at the kitchen door (not loud at all), possibly just to remind us that it's mealtime. We'd actually started wondering about her vocal cords … We have only heard her bark once in three weeks – that lasted about three seconds (mentioned previously). Since then she has not barked at all, despite our neighbours' dogs barking! But this morning our gardener came, and when she saw him (although he was here last week for a few minutes, and she had met him), she started barking very loudly and insistently, until we had to tell her to stop. She acted as if she realizes that she is now our watchdog, and she has a really strong and loud voice! :-)

She is showing more signs of enthusiasm for life by the day and she is visibly getting flesh on her bones. Her 2^nd jacket is fitting really snug, and her first jacket (that initially was over-sized) is fitting much more comfortably. 

It's good to see her each morning as we open the door, and being welcomed by her smiling face and wagging tail.

Riana