Dream has a blue spell
By
SUZANNE KEEN
Dave Cockram has been accused of being everything from a degenerate punk rocker to an anima! abuser, all in the name of Dream.
Dream is a year-old whippet bitch which happens to be blue.
Not the smoky grey-blue usually associated with some breeds of dog, but a curious mixture of cobalt and denim, similar to a tie-dyed T-shirt. The colour change is a sideeffect of a special treatment which Mr Cockram has; been giving his pet to treat the hereditary skin disease, demodectic mange.
The treatment, which he found out about from British animal researchers, involves holding small pads soaked in methylene blue parasiticide against Dream’s skin.) The pads must be held against each patch of sßin for five minutes, during which time a small electric; current passes through it to open the skin’s pores and allot* the parasiticide in to I kill the mites. | I I It takes three hours each day to cover a quarter (of the dog. Mr Cockram is “100 per
cent certain” that now the two weeks treatment is complete his pet will be cured for good. However, in place of the previous bald spots, Dream has been left with a blue colour that is likely to remain for at least 10 weeks. Mr Cockram has received a lot of flak from passers-by during his daily 9>/ 2 km walks to the Ferry Road Animal Hospital — taking the car was out of the question for fear of dye on the upholstery.
He told one woman he had dyed the dog to match his stone-washed jeans and she was so upset she telephoned the police arid the S.P.C.A. Another thought he had done it so that people! would not steal the animal. (
( “To me the (treatment is a godsend, because I would have had to put the dog down otherwise,” said Mr Cockram. ! Only a dedicated dog owner would be willing! to put up with a blue kitchen for weeks and make special protective coats for pet, but Mr Cockram believes the success of his unconventional treatment means it may be possible to help other dogs suffering from marjge.
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Press, 29 April 1988, Page 1
Word Count
361Dream has a blue spell Press, 29 April 1988, Page 1
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