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By Liz O'Connell
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A veterinary team in Illinois took on an enormous challenge after groomers turned down helping a rescue dog with a severe case of fur matting.
The Animal House Shelter, which is in the village of Huntley, responded to a call to pick up five owner-surrendered dogs and discovered that one of the dogs was lifeless and with a badly matted body covered in gnats. After nearly 20 calls, the Riverside Animal Clinic, which is also in Illinois, and vet Jim Carlson, known on TikTok as @holisticvetadvice, agreed to help the dog, now named Miracle.
Carlson showed viewers the endless matting that covered the dog's body, which was caused by nearly a decade of neglect, in an April 24 TikTok video. Almost every inch of the dog was covered with tangled, knotted clumps of fur. It was also stained yellow from urine and fecal matter. Her legs and tail were unrecognizable. But the severity of her case did not stop the team from working on her.
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The text on the video reads: "Very sad rescue. Our team is crying. We will fix her. We will."
Upon removal of the dense matting, the team discovered that Miracle had red legs and severe skin irritation. Matting can also prevent dogs from getting proper temperature regulation, causes extreme discomfort or pain and allows parasites like fleas to hide, according to the website Preventive Vet.
Mats form when a dog's fur becomes tangled and forms clumps of loose dead fur and live fur. The mats will continue to grow if not brushed out, getting closer to the dog's skin, and they occur more frequently during seasonal sheds.
Miracle was started on heavy pain medication, antibiotics and medicated baths. She is learning to rewalk with her new body now that all the extra weight has been removed.
Newsweek reached out to Carlson via TikTok for additional comment.
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The Huntley animal shelter shared more about her story on its Instagram account, @animalhouseshelterhently. It said this was the worst case the staff has seen in over 20 years.
In an April 29 Instagram video, the shelter said Miracle received six and a half hours of grooming. The fur mats taken off weighed 3½ pounds. The 15-year-old dog is with a foster family but is available for adoption.
Viewer Reactions
Miracle's heartbreaking TikTok video has over 971,900 views, 25,000 likes and 1,697 comments.
"I can't believe that somebody would do that to a beautiful little innocent puppy," said one viewer.
A second wrote: "My heart just broke! Thank you for making her feel and look better! Much love!"
Even groomers noted the severity of Miracle's case: "I've been grooming dogs for 35 years and I have never seen a case this bad."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our "Pet of the Week" lineup.
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