That is why controlling self-trauma matters so much.
Mimi's skin is trying to repair itself.
Her own reflexive behavior keeps threatening that process.
If the cycle can be interrupted long enough, the wounds can begin doing something they have had little opportunity to do.
Heal.
New Fur Will Come Later—If the Skin Allows It
People may eventually notice tiny hairs appearing across previously bare areas.
That could be encouraging.
But coat regrowth depends on the underlying disease, the condition of the follicles, and successful treatment.
Mimi's recovery should not be judged by how quickly she looks like a Maltese again.
Comfort comes first.
Healthy skin comes first.
The coat is secondary.
The Biggest Milestone May Be the First Night Nobody Hears Her Paw Moving
Mimi settles onto her towel.
Her body relaxes.
Her eyes close.
One hour passes.
Then another.
Her hind leg stays still.
The skin does not wake her.
She does not recoil from her own touch.
She simply sleeps.
For another dog, that night would mean nothing.
For Mimi, it would mean the cycle is finally beginning to loosen its grip.
Right Now, She Is Still Caught Inside It
The isolation room becomes quiet.
Mimi is curled on the towel.
Her patchy coat reveals the red skin along her neck, back, and sides.
Several damaged areas remain protected.
Her eyes are nearly closed.
Then her hind leg rises.
The paw moves toward her neck.
Her body seems to know the motion before she has time to stop it.
The toes touch the inflamed skin.
Mimi flinches.
Her paw snaps away.
She curls tighter.
Her head disappears toward her front legs.
For several seconds, she remains motionless.
Then the trembling eases.
Mimi tries to rest again.
But the irritation has not disappeared.
Sooner or later, the paw may rise once more.
That is the cruelest part of Mimi's condition.
The thing her body instinctively tells her to do for relief has become one of the things hurting her most.
And until treatment finally quiets that sensation, one question follows her through every attempt to rest:
How can Mimi's wounds ever get the chance to heal when the itching keeps making her tiny body reach back and hurt the same skin all over again?