Nicky doesn’t comprehend pain as humans do. At just one month old, his world should be filled with warmth, milk, and the comfort of a familiar scent. Instead, his small body trembles against the soil, his skin alive with irritation, his energy fading. He tries to scratch, to wriggle away from the discomfort, but he is too weak. Hunger is there, but even that instinct is slowly being overpowered.
This is what neglect looks like, not always intentional, but dangerous all the same.
What Nicky is suffering from is a parasitic infestation, commonly caused by worms from the surrounding environment. These parasites thrive in unhygienic conditions like damp soil, waste-contaminated areas and unclean living spaces. In young puppies especially, whose immune systems are still developing, such infestations can escalate quickly.
Veterinary officer Tom Odhiambo, who has practiced for seven years across Muhoroni Sub-county and the greater Kisumu county, approaches cases like Nicky’s with calm urgency. His hands are steady, but his concern is unmistakable.
“These parasites don’t just irritate the skin,” he explains. “They compete with the animal for nutrients. In severe cases, the puppy stops feeding completely while the parasites continue feeding on it. That’s how starvation sets in and if untreated, it can lead to death.” His emphatic tone sounds more like an alarm.
The condition, though alarming in appearance, is preventable and treatable when addressed early.
Treatment begins immediately. An Ivermectin injection is administered to kill the parasites. The wounds are cleaned using antiseptic solutions such as Dudu cream wash, helping to remove debris and reduce infection risk. A topical antibiotic spray like Alamycin is then applied to promote healing and protect exposed skin.
Within two weeks, visible improvement is expected, if proper care continues.
But treatment is only half the story.
Prevention is where most failures occur.
“Deworming should not be an emergency response,” Tom emphasizes. “It should be routine. Every three months. Hygiene is not optional. It is the first line of defense.”
He points out a pattern he has observed repeatedly in the field:
“Many farmers operate in isolation. They try different methods on their own and only call a vet when the situation becomes critical. By then, the animal is already suffering.”
Tom’s professionalism is grounded in lived experience. His path into veterinary medicine was not born out of convenience, but resilience. He once dreamed of becoming a pilot, but financial limitations redirected his journey. What could have been a quiet compromise has instead become a calling marked by impact.
There is something deeply human in the way he handles animals, not rushed, not detached. Intentional.
“Animals depend on us completely,” he says. “Let us try to be as tender and caring to them as we are to children. They are part of the family.”
Nicky, for now, is still learning what care feels like.
His story is not rare because of the parasites. It is rare because it reflects a larger truth: that awareness, not medicine, is often the missing link.
And with the right care, attention and timely intervention, stories like his do not have to begin with suffering or end in silence.