Antonia Was Found With Maggots Ravaging Her Face – Her Recovery Was Remarkable

Poor, sweet Antonia was discovered in an alley in Chicago by a garbage can. Can you imagine being eaten alive? Well, that was what was happening to Antonia. MAGGOTS WERE BURROWED INTO HER SKIN ON HER FACE HEAD AND NECK! Thanks to Trio Animal Foundation (TAF) based out of Chicago, Antonia made a miraculous recovery and has even found a new home. You seriously won’t guess what she could possible look like now.

Had she been left there with the trash or had she just collapsed there?  Fortunately for Antonia, a kind person rescued her and took her to a shelter, which in turn, called TAF.

When she was discovered, Antonia was covered in matted fur. Here, you can see a large oblong ball of matted fur that could be mistaken for a tumor. But even worse, under all that fur, Trio staff members discovered a horrific finding…

They found that maggots had burrowed into her skin and were EATING HER ALIVE! It’s hard to imagine what kind of pain Antonia must have been feeling as these maggots ate away at her face. In this picture, you can see them popping out of her skin between her eyes.

There must have been dozens of maggots tunneling into her now dead skin, eating as much as they could. Those that discovered Antonia got to her just in time. It was uncertain if the maggots had burrowed into her nasal cavities and what kind of permanent damage had been invoked.

Antonia also had a massive amount of matted fur in all of her most sensitive areas.

Maggots ran a line around her matted fur surrounding her whole neck, leaving this black necrotic tissue behind. Needless to say, Antonia was not in great shape. She was going to need a lot of TLC.

The poor girl was facing many ailments, worst of all being the maggots and the destruction they would leave behind. As the maggots grew in size and number, they continued to feed on her skin and produce a destructive enzyme that digests skin. They then burrow into these holes and continue the process repeatedly. This left her skin exposed to large amounts of bacteria that could have gotten into her blood stream.

Antonia also had a high fever,  and was very lethargic so she was started on IV fluids, pain medication and antibiotics right away.

A blood panel was ran to see if she was stable enough for anesthesia so the vet team could put her out in order to cut off her large and extremely dense matts with a scalpel. The Veterinarians were then able to flush out the maggots from her skin. Without the hair and crawling maggots, Antonia was shaping up to be an adorable little girl.

Although she already looked better once her hair was cut and the maggots were removed, her neck and head remained extremely sensitive and it would be a while for Antonia to heal.

Antonia’s road back to good health was not an easy one. Her ears caused her so much pain that she would scream if anyone touched them. The bacteria infection had been persisting for so long, that her body was unable to mount a strong immune response against it, even with the help of antibiotics. She had to be heavily sedated for the Vet to get a good look into them and properly flush them.

Not surprisingly, she was also very afraid of people touching the wounds left by the maggots. The brown marks in the picture are where the maggots had burrowed into her skin.

Because of her severe issues, Antonia had to spend a lot of time in the doggy hospital, which was starting to make her depressed. So the decision was made to move her into a foster home. Her reaction to this news is best seen in the next adorable photo…

Antonia’s scabs slowly began to fall off. She skin exposed underneath was still extremely sensitive. Antonia was very scared when any hand came around her head or neck. This was not only because the pain she was in, but most likely also an effect of abuse in now, distant path. She felt safe with the rehabilitation dogs, however, and loved to lay next to Antler.

Antonia’s big brown eyes tell it all. Her pain, her effort, her hope for her future. She began her positive trajectory towards a healthy and satisfying life.

Can you believe this happy pup? Her disposition and overall well-being greatly improved upon being allowed to live comfortably in a foster home with some of her new pals. She especially took to Antler, as seen previously, and an adorable pit bull, named Hippo, as seen in the next photo.

Here she is with Hippo, another TAF rehabilitation dog. She certainly was turning a new leaf and began to trust other dogs and humans.

Antonia was making great progress with her rehabilitation dog friends at TAF. Her fur began to fill in and she was turning into an adorable ball of fur.

Antonia is thriving in her foster home with her new friend Hippo and is making great strides in her recovery! It’s hard to believe that this is the same pup that would have certainly died if not for TAF.

Click Next to See Antonia’s Before and After Photo!

Not only does this adorably fluff ball look like a new dog, her pain-free, happy demeanor make her seem like a different dog altogether. Finally, her ear infections have subsided and have given her the opportunity to be comfortable and at peace, at long last.

Click Next For An Update On Antonia’s Recent Adoption

Although the outlook for Antonia seemed grim when she was first found, this sweet dog was able to make a full recovery. After literally being eaten alive, Antonia was rescued in the nick of time. Her caregivers and vet team worked extremely hard and had the compassion and patience needed to handle this sensitive case. Antonia, who is now permanently residing in our hearts, received necessary treatment and special care that was not cheap. If her story has touched you in any way, please consider making a donation to the Trio Animal Foundation. Make sure to include her name in the memo so your donation can be applied towards her care.

Please know that WLI has no affiliation with TAF and does not receive any compensation for any donations you make. Our purpose is to bring these remarkable stories to your home (or office;-))and spread the shared love we all have for our four-legged friends!

Antonia was adopted by a lovely couple and now lives in the quiet suburbs of Chicago. She is being loved constantly and spoiled just as she should be! We can now all agree that Antonia deserves the world.