Molly's eyes keep closing.

Her body is clearly asking for sleep.

But the six-year-old Shih Tzu mix remains standing in the middle of her intake kennel, back slightly rounded and legs spread beneath her.

A clean pee pad and soft blanket are directly under her.

Molly looks down.

She bends her front legs.

Her chest moves toward the bedding.

Then her nearly hairless belly gets close enough to brush the fabric.

Molly immediately rises again.

A few minutes later, she tries once more.

Lower.

Touch.

Up.

Eventually, her head begins drooping while she is still standing.

Molly is exhausted.

There is a perfectly soft place beneath her.

But right now, softness itself hurts.

Molly Was Found Beneath a Trailer

When Molly arrived at the shelter, much of her condition was visible before anyone touched her.

Her coat was heavily matted.

Her body was underweight.

And beneath the tangled fur, her skin needed attention.

The worst area was her abdomen.

Much of the hair there was already gone, leaving large areas of exposed, inflamed skin.

Exactly what caused the condition could not be determined simply from appearance.

But Molly's behavior showed how uncomfortable it had become.

She did not want her belly touching anything.

Even Lying Down Has Become Painful

Molly can stand.

She can take several slow steps.

She can turn around.

But when she tries to rest, her problem becomes much more obvious.

Lying down requires bringing her abdomen toward the floor.

That is precisely what she is trying to avoid.

She Starts the Movement Normally

Her elbows bend.

Her shoulders lower.

Her hind legs begin folding.

Then Molly hesitates.

Her abdomen approaches the blanket.

The moment the irritated skin makes contact, her body tightens.

She pushes herself upright again.

It happens so quickly that she sometimes seems surprised by it.

Her Skin Has Lost Its Normal Protection

Healthy fur creates a barrier between skin and the surrounding environment.

Molly has very little of that protection left across her abdomen.

The exposed area comes directly into contact with bedding.

Every wrinkle in the fabric matters.

Every bit of friction matters.

Heat and moisture matter.

For skin that is already severely inflamed, even a clean soft surface may feel uncomfortable.

The Matted Coat Creates Problems Elsewhere

Molly's remaining fur is not simply messy.

Severe matting can pull at skin and trap moisture and debris close to the body.

Removing those mats has to be done carefully, especially when the skin underneath may already be compromised.