By Daily Mail (World News) | Created at 2024-10-29 18:16:19 | Updated at 2024-11-02 10:24:14
1 decade ago
By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated: 12:47 BST, 4 March 2012
This might be the cutest form of alternative medicine. Two orphan baby sloths are treated for mange dressed in what looks like a 'Onsie'.
The twin sloths may look cute in the alternative outfits but actually it is a way of ridding their tiny bodies of the parasitic mites.
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Snug: The orphan sloth look like they are wearing pyjamas during their treatment for mange
As the sloths have been orphaned they are more likely to pick up infection
They might be a growing trend for humans but the baby sloths didn't seem to mind either.
Since not being reared by their mother, they are more prone to infection because they lack the antibodies provided by their mother's milk.
In their case they have been suffering with a nasty case of mange - a skin infection caused by mites which hide in the fur and on the skin.
The tiny creatures have to be shaved to get rid of the mites which hide in their fur
The bare little bodies of the sloth then is covered in a mixture of sulphur and lard
Lucky for them, the pair have been taken care of by sanctuary owner Judy Avey-Arroyo in Costa Rica.
She has used her home remedy system to treat them. The first stage was to shave the babies - completely removing the fur, which in turn removes all of the mites.
Next, she smothers their bare skin with a balm made of sulfur and lard, which soothes the skin and suffocates any remaining mites.
The body of the sloth is then wrapped in bandages to stop the balm coming off
The orphan looks cosy in his new bandages, which look like pyjamas
The final stage the creatures are swaddled in bandages to keep them from licking off the balm.
The colourful bandages look like the animals are in their pyjamas.
In the video from Animal Planet, the pair can be seen cuddling up to one another, which apparently is common for orphans sloths.
The twin sloths cuddle up after their treatment - in co-ordinating bandages
