Oliver Goes to the Vet

Oliver's teeth are a mess. All of the front teeth on the top and bottom are ground down to the gum line. Most likely, this is from chewing on a chain at some earlier point in his life. The poor guy needs a good dental cleaning. This wasn't surprising, as all dogs should get a dental at least once accompanied by regular home maintenance. So Oliver went to the vet Monday night for his pre-dental exam. It was decided that he needs a rotten incisor extracted and possibly a back molar taken out, also.

While at the vet's office, I took the opportunity to mention a few other issues I'd noticed about Oliver since he really needed a thorough physical exam anyway. I showed the vet his ears, which are now mostly healed but still a little raw. She agreed that the scarring looks like old fly strikes, which makes even more sense if he was chained outside at some point. I told her Ollie's eyes have been a bit dry lately, which she attributed to our early spring this year. Nothing to worry about. Then I told the vet how his back legs seem funny. They just don't seem to have much range of motion. Oliver walks very stiffly, refuses to jump into the car, and falls on the stairs regularly as if he can't quite pick his back feet up high enough to make the next step.

These leg issues are not normal and it's more than just Ollie being a clumsy oaf (which he is). The vet said that his right kneecap is quite loose; she is concerned that the cruciate ligament behind the kneecap may be torn. They plan to palpate that area while he's under anesthesia for his dental.

The left leg is cause for even more concern. Ollie's femur is abnormally dense. I don't know how we missed it with all the baths he's had, but it feels obviously strange and larger than the right. The vet wants to do a series of x-rays while Oliver is under for his dental so that she can see what exactly is going on with this leg.

I'm trying so hard not to stress over it and think of the worst as I always do. I'm failing. Perhaps Oliver was hit by a car long ago and these issues are just the results of poorly healed injuries. Maybe he can be fixed up with a little pain medication for arthritis. It could be that simple, but what if it's not? Ollie could need surgery to repair his ligament if it's torn badly enough. His abnormal bone density could be cancer. The vet also found a tiny lump behind Oliver's ribcage. It could just be a cyst, but it could also be more cancer. There are so many "what ifs" and "could bes".

Oliver is scheduled for his dental and x-rays on Tuesday, March 6th. We will have to wait until then to learn anything further. It's going to be a long month, but at least it gives us some time for fundraising. The x-rays are pretty expensive and depending on what is wrong with Oliver's legs, there will likely be more costly procedures down the road. In the meantime, if you would like to help us and AARF fund Oliver's medical treatment, please contribute by using the ChipIn widget above. Oliver has overcome so many obstacles already. He deserves to be healthy and happy.

Oliver: 6 Weeks!

Well, we've made it! It's been six weeks since Oliver's heartworm treatment and he has done wonderfully. At the six month mark, Oliver will be tested for HW again and the results should be negative. Of course, we hope he will be well settled in with his forever family by then. In the meantime, I am happy to report that Ollie is out of the woods. Let the training, playing, and search for an adoptive family begin!

Ollie went to the Piedmont Park dog park this past weekend. He finally got to roam off-leash amongst all the other dogs. He played a little bit here and there, but mostly just walked the fence line by himself. He seemed to be happy just observing and enjoying the freedom of the outdoors. I really have never met such a mellow dude. I think I'm going to make him an "Adopt Me" vest to wear next time we go out.

We stopped by AARF Pet Central and picked out a fancy new harness for Oliver on Sunday. It's a Kurgo Tru-Fit and it even came with a seatbelt attachment. It seems to suit him quite nicely. He doesn't pull at all, but I'm sure the harness is more comfortable for him on long walks. Plus, he looks so handsome wearing it!

Oliver has accumulated several nicknames since we've had him: Ollie, Olls, Olivard, Vard, Vards, Vardo, Mr. Vard, Olaf, Aardvard, and Olivander to name a few. He knows he's only allowed to get up on the guest bed, not ours or the couch or any other furniture. He's learning how to sit very well and knows that he's only supposed to chew on his busy bone if he's in his dog bed (as seen in the picture above). He doesn't beg, but he does counter surf. He knows where the goodies are and is tall enough to reach them. We're working on this...

When we brought Ollie home six weeks ago, his ears had this weird crusty business along the edges. The right ear was even missing its tip. I think it was from old fly strikes. He was picked up as a stray, so it's not a huge stretch of the imagination to think he may have spent a lot of time outside exposed to something like stable flies. We were given a medicated soap to use on them and did so every other day. Ollie was very patient with us even though we could tell it was uncomfortable for him. The med-wash eventually dissolved the crustiness away and now Oliver's ears are healed.

I'm just so glad that I have great things to report about Oliver. Going through his heartworm treatment was a little scary even though he was only super ill for five days; I had no experience with this beforehand and was nervous about the process. Now to be able to say we're in the clear is awesome. Oliver is a trooper! Hopefully we will have exciting adoption-related news to share soon.