Silly Billie, our Favorite Hillbilly

Billie at the shelter

Billie, Day 1

This gorgeous stray Treeing Walker Coonhound girl came to us pre-named by her rescue group as "Aldie", which didn't really suit her personality. We ended up calling her Billie as a combination of all her quirk: her gangly and random "billy goat" ways, her "hillbilly" country roots being a hound from rural Georgia, and her ridiculous goofiness which had us always calling her "silly billy". I tried to figure out a way to make "Billie Jean" fit because of the spelling, but yeah, no. Anyhow, that's how Aldie came to be called Billie. Sorry, not sorry! I'm sort of big on names. ;-)

I was at the Hall County shelter with Perfect Pets Rescue shortly after we moved back to ATL, helping assess dogs for rescue commitment. Billie wasn't on their list to look at, but she caught my eye in her kennel as we walked by. I didn't take her out, didn't want to slow down their process or interject much in a situation where I was a ride-along, but for whatever reason Billie stuck in my head. I asked about her and expressed my interest, but that's about it. I just couldn't stop thinking about her...sometimes I wonder if at this point in the game I am innately drawn to those that are "my type" or "good saves". Who knows? All I know is that in a shelter full of dogs in need, when one jumps out at me through kennel bars and manages to make that much of an impression, that says something and is usually worth pursuing. Lucky for me - and Billie, of course - I got a message from the rescue that she'd become "urgent" and needed rescue a couple weeks after I'd seen her. She needed a foster while recovering from her spay and entropion surgery before heading up to NY for adoption. She needed to put on a good several pounds, too. We welcomed Billie home on November 8!

This. Dog. Is. Awesome. I fell in love immediately. Everything she did just tickled me: the way she ate her first dinner practically upside down, the way she dove head first into the couches with great enthusiasm for each impending nap, the way she loved to spend hours outside just staring up into the trees looking for squirrels and practicing her houndy ways, the way she tried out every possible sleeping surface in the house like Goldilocks and the three bears, the way she slept with her mouth open - just everything about her carried some sort of dopey adorableness that drove into my heart like a Mack truck. By the way, there's a photo included here that illustrates every single one of those quirky examples of her personality. Enjoy! I loved how anti-feminine she was, utterly oaf-like and completely uncoordinated. I think she had two accidents in the house and slept maybe 75% of the month she spent with us - talk about easy peasy! There's nothing we like better in a dog than 100% Genuine Lazy Bones...this girl's got it! It's like she knew she was born to lie on someone's big comfy couch for the rest of her days.

The Goat (see video below for a situational explanation of this nickname) endured her entropion surgery very well. Dr. Daniel at The Veterinary Clinic in Marietta reconstructed Billie's eyelids so that they droop properly instead of turning inward. Entropion causes inflammation and heightened risk of infection, so Billie felt immediately better post-surgery. I think of how obnoxious it is when I have a mere eyelash floating in my eye and imagine how it must feel like for these dogs whose eyelashes are constantly scratching away at their corneas...she only looked like a FrankenBillie for a few days before we could really see a drastic improvement. Fellow Perfect Pets Rescue foster moms, Lisa and Amy, kept Billie for us while we traveled home for Thanksgiving. By time we returned, she had fully recovered and we got her stitches out. A brand new Billie!

 

Our goodbye photo

On December 2nd, Billie boarded the transport van and headed off to New York. Perfect Pets is located up there and their GA dogs stay in local NY foster homes until adoption once they arrive. I always send a letter to the adopter with my transport dogs, including my contact info and musings about the dog. It's proven to be a great way to get updates and stay in touch once they've left, so here's hoping we get an update on Billie! This sweet girl has a great new life ahead of her and I'm so thankful to PPR for sponsoring her. She was a true pleasure to host! We're rooting for ya, sweet Billie Goat!

Welcome, Mama & Pups!

Drew and I got to be a small part of something very special over the last few days: we temporarily fostered a mama dog and her ten puppies. We've wanted to foster a family for a while now; this was our first. Mama dog looks SO much like our Oliver. It's uncanny. We were immediately drawn to her and really wanted to help. We weren't in a position to take on 11 extra dogs without a rescue commitment. Thankfully, a wonderful rescue group in Social Circle, GA called Pound Puppies N Kittens said they'd take the family if someone could give them a place to crash for a few days while they prepared. We knew we could do that! We are just so incredibly thrilled to play even such a small part in mama and pups' journey. It's the very least we could do to help out Oliver's doppelganger.

The puppies were born on August 31, 2013. Somebody dumped the whole family at DeKalb Animal Services on September 5. I picked them up on September 11. That is A LOT to go through in two short weeks. Mama was so scared and nervous. Once we got home, it took a good hour to coax her out of the truck, into the house, up the stairs, and into the "nursery". A friend from school was kind enough to come help. She really worked magic on mama. It was not an easy process. Despite all the stress she'd been through and the scary transition we were

forcing upon her, mama never snapped at us. She had every chance and reason to be reactive, but she showed nothing but sweetness. Such a precious girl. Once we got everyone in place, mama hunkered down in the corner behind the baby pool full of pups. When we checked on her a little later, she was in the pool feeding everyone. She knew that no matter how nervous and unsure of things she was, she had to carry on and do her job. That's pretty amazing. A lot of people I know, including myself on some days, lack that sense of duty and responsibility.



I got the puppies at 12 days old. Their eyes and ears are still shut. They have no teeth. They chirp instead of bark. Only a few of them crawl or roll. The biggest one is about the size of a guinea pig. The smallest fits in my hand with room to spare. The pups are in much better shape than mama, thank goodness. Mama's pretty rough. She's got roundworms, tapeworms, probably heartworms, a mouth injury, a nose injury, fleas, and ticks. She's emaciated and undersocialized. AND she's got ten parasitic puppies stealing what minimal nutrients she has left. All of that, and mama is only two years old. Fortunately, she and her pups all eat like champs. A little capstar and pyrantel for fleas, ticks, and roundworm has mama in slightly better shape than when she first arrived. The rest will be taken care of when she gets to the rescue group.

Look how much Mama (top, at AC intake) looks like Oliver (bottom)!

I was told there were 11 pups. When I took the first head count, I only counted 9. I  only had paperwork for 9, too. After double checking with the shelter folks, the consensus was that either they'd miscounted or that two died at the shelter. Ok, 9 pups then. Well, later that afternoon as I changed the bedding, I heard some invisible squeaking. I counted once, twice, three times. I had all 9 in front of me, yet there was some unidentified source of chirping still out there. Lo and behold, a thorough pat down of the comforter revealed a magical 10th surprise puppy! I messaged everyone involved saying, "Ten! There are ten!". I felt like Nanny Cook in 101 Dalmatians. How cool! I still don't know if the 11th ever existed, but it really is amazing that 10/10 (or worst case scenario, 10/11) survived the awful conditions they faced. Such little troopers! 

^Trixie, the only girl^

Out of ten pups, there is only one girl. She is the biggest, hungriest, porkiest, most mobile of them all. The rest are boys. All the dogs are named upon intake these days at animal control, so these guys came to me with some interesting monikers. They named mama Sadira, the lone girl Trixie, and the boys as follows: Gideon, Edison, Rowan, Osbourne, Hal, Tom, Noah, and Peter. The 10th pup didn't have a name because I didn't have paperwork on him, so I was kind of calling him Magic. Because these aren't the greatest names ever and because it's always better to name things after seeing their little personalities develop, I'm sure they will all get new names once they get to Social Circle. Mama is renamed Molly. I can't wait to hear what the puppies are called!


Mama is a shepherd/hound/retriever mix. I have no idea what the pups are. It's practically impossible to tell when they're so young and underdeveloped. They kind of look shepherdy, but a few look a little pittish to me. We shall see. All I know is THEY ARE CUTE. I just loved having them. I spent hours just sitting up in the closet staring at them. Now I'm not a maternal person at all, but having this little family in the house brought such a great sense of peace and contentment over me. I've heard of zen gardens, but I wonder if zen closets are a thing...? Teeny tiny immobile puppies = instant de-stressors. Mama did so well at our house. She didn't mind me handling her pups, busting in a million times a day to clean, or insisting that she get up and out of the baby pool so I could change the bedding. She didn't mind visitors coming to gawk at her adorable gaggle of grunting "guppies", as Drew calls them.  She even let Oliver come in for a very brief visit! This morning when I went in to clean, she looked up at me and wagged her tail real big! My heart just about melted.

Oliver meets the pups!

Then, just like that, it was time to say goodbye. A rescue friend was kind enough to pick them up and drive them to Social Circle this morning. An hour and a half later, I got word that they'd arrived safely and settled into the rescue "barn". The puppies will stay with mama until they are old enough to get their shots and go up for adoption (usually 8 weeks). I can't wait to see all the pictures of them as they grow!

While ten puppies sounds like A LOT of work, it was really no trouble at all. The pups are so young (only two weeks old) that mama still does everything. She feeds and cleans them and since they can't walk yet or anything, that's really about all they do. Eat, sleep, chirp, and poop. All I had to do was clean up after mama and change their bedding every day. It will be a totally different story in a couple more weeks when they become mobile and begin to actually make some noise. Then I'd definitely notice that I had 15 dogs in my house. But at this early stage, no one would ever know there were 11 upstairs. My usual 4 are the rabble-rousers! I'd love to do it again. It was truly an amazing experience. But for now, I've got a really smelly closet to clean out and a whole ton of adorable pictures to sort through. Good luck, mama and pups!

Oliver's Houndiversary

Exactly one year ago today, Drew and I brought Oliver home from DeKalb County Animal Services. He had been at the shelter for a year and 27 days. There are only a handful of dogs that the shelter staff has managed to hang onto for such a long time. Ollie was a staff favorite and I cannot adequately thank the caring people at DeKalb who gave him such an extended reprieve. I'm not going to rehash all the details of Oliver's story (if you don't know his whole story, check out my previous blog posts). I just want to make a quick little blurb about how much we love this gentle soul and how thankful we are that he is in our lives. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the folks at the shelter, to Friends of Dekalb Animals for treating his heart worms, and to everyone who donated for his dental care/leg x-rays/arthritis care while we were fostering him. Happy Houndiversary, Oliver!

Total FURmination

Shedding sucks. It drives me crazy. Until Oliver came along, I'd had only short-haired dogs for the past ten years or so. When I was a kid we had a Husky and a Rottie/Lab/Shepherd mix, both of which shed tremendously, but I guess the tumbleweeds of fur rolling around never made an impression on me back then since I wasn't the one who had to clean them up. Oliver reminded me just how annoying shedding can be.

We try to keep a very clean house. Drew really stays on top of everything and specifically makes certain to vacuum every 3-4 days. Doing so with short-haired dogs isn't a problem at all. Anybody out there reading this who has ever had a Lab knows that we're talking about an entirely different level of shedding. Ollie's fur was killing our poor vacuum. All three dogs get baths each Sunday in the spare tub; we were going through a large jug of Drano every other week. Dog hair was taking over our lives.

Then we bought the Furminator. Everything changed. No more tumbleweeds, no more drain clogging, no more fur-coated dryer lint screen. I was skeptical that this simple little tool would be worth its $50 sticker price and reduce Ollie's shedding, but I am here to attest that the Furminator is worth its weight in gold. The first time we used it, we'd filled a grocery bag with Oliver hair in less than 30 minutes. A week later, I spent 45 minutes and filled another grocery bag. Not joking.

After using the Furminator just twice, Oliver's coat is smoother, shinier, softer, and comparatively shed-free. Hardly any fur came off of him at all the last time I gave him a bath. I don't think there's been such an awesome dog product since KONG toys first came out forever ago. The Furminator is simply unbelievable. It saved us from a tidal wave of dog hair and gives Oliver some relief from his uber shedding double coat. If your dog is a serious shedder, give this thing a try. Just be sure to use a regular brush to gently comb out any knots before using the Furminator. I can't recommend it highly enough!

Oliver's Home Forever

Well, Oliver's adoption story has come to an end. I started to type, "an unexpected end", but then I remembered that this is the sort of outcome we were concerned about all along. So I suppose it isn't entirely surprising to sit here and type a post on how we came to adopt Oliver.

About a week ago, I decided to part ways with the rescue group I'd been involved with for the last two years. We had two options: either leave Oliver with the group or break our foster agreement and adopt him ourselves. While the situation didn't play out exactly the way I'd hoped it would, it wasn't a difficult decision to sign Oliver's adoption contract.

 

Ollie has been with us for six months and he has settled in so well. During all of this time, the few adoption prospects he had didn't pan out. Since we brought him home from the county shelter on December 7th, Oliver has been nothing short of a natural fit into our household. He has since overcome so many health obstacles, has bonded with Bunkin and Flea to form a happy little pack, and has gotten comfortable enough to allow himself to fully relax. After so much time and all of this, Drew and I both felt that it wouldn't be fair to Ollie to uproot him yet again. This sweethearted guy belongs with us. 

It's bittersweet, because I will always associate the addition of Oliver into our little family with the ugly end of my time with our rescue group. That hurts my heart, but it's neither here nor there. We will remain deeply involved in dog rescue and we will foster again for another group once I've settled into school. As far as I'm concerned, Oliver's adoption isn't a story of foster failure, but rather a huge success both for us and for him. Ollie is happy, healthy, and finally has a family who will truly love him forever. It just happened to be us.

Ollie's last day included many special treats

UPDATE 10/17/19: We let Oliver follow his best friend, Bunkin, over the bridge today. After spending eight wonderful years as part of our brown dog family, Ollie let us know he was tired and ready to go. We never knew - since day one - how long we'd have with Oliver, as he was kinda like that car you got with 100,000 miles on it that still ran perfectly well considering its history. We'd seen Oliver through heartworm treatment, knew he'd been hit by a car at some point and healed on his own, seen the effects of early arthritis, and addressed dental disease and other hard knocks. It's not like he ever acted a spring chicken, yet he always had that sparkle in his mischievous houndy eyes: hey guys, where's the food?

Absolute best buds for life

Looking back now on his younger photos from early on in our time with him, Oliver clearly seemed to have a lot more life to live. Let me tell you, he certainly did just that! This old guy, presumed elderly from the day we brought him into foster care, lived SO much life that it's almost unbelievable. This old Dekalb dog ran the breakers of California shores, hiked deep into Georgia wooded trails, road tripped to Florida many a time, and breathed the snowy air of mountainous Oregon. This hound lived his best life. I feel like I need to make him a whole new post, but the truth is he was the people's dog before he was ours. Y'all already know him so well - this is just a eulogy. I've said it all along: Ollie is the best dog I've ever had and the best dog I'll ever have - he is just so special. I've had a whole lot of dogs since bringing him home, guys, and I stand by this statement til the cows come home. Peaceful, loyal, huggable, lovable, squeezable, cuddly, squishy, lovey - these are just some of the bazillion adjectives you could use to describe our boy. Fat, brown, round, and houndy are our words of choice. Oliver stood as an ambassador to SO many foster dogs over the years we had him - he truly became our "ice breaker" dog in the sense that he drew the line for entry level integration for so many pack members over the years...if a dog couldn't pass Oliver, he/she couldn't be part of our pack. Thank you, Ollie boy, for your service in this way. You showed so many homeless critters the way - how to DOG and how to meld into a pack of existing dogs. This beast lived his best life, and us alongside him. We're still finding Oliver hairs all over the house / our clothes and I'm sure the Roomba will continue to do so for many months to come.

BFFs

Bunkin and Oliver grew so close in the end - Drew and I rest more easily knowing that they're no longer without each other. In the end, his mobility got the best of him - Oliver no longer could take the stairs reliably to potty or eat, going up to bed proved a monumental challenge and accidents became a frequent occurrence. The day came that he could no longer stand without panting relentlessly and we knew he'd reached maximum discomfort despite his pain medications and steroids. Truth is, we were prepared for the end times since Day 1 of Oliver-hood. Every day, every month, every year with him was an incredible windfall. Geriatric from the start due to rough circumstances, this hound dog milked every ounce out of his secondhand life. We are so tremendously grateful we got to be his humans through the happy years. Run pain free, Oliver - catch up with your BFF Bunkin and enjoy the infinite meadows together. We love you so much and are so thankful to have you in our lives' memories.

Run free, our baby Hound! Best boy ever!

Oliver's Moment of Truth

Today is a super important day for Oliver: he had his six month heartworm test. I can't believe it has been six whole months since our buddy went through his treatment! I have to admit, I had a few butterflies in my stomach as Oliver and I sat waiting at the vet this morning. Fortunately, my nerves were quickly put to rest when the vet tech appeared and officially declared Ollie HEARTWORM NEGATIVE! Ollie could immediately tell how excited I suddenly was. With his tail wagging and a smile on his face, he was more than happy to receive a congratulatory head scratch. Our dogs get routine heartworm tests done every year during their annual exams at the vet, but this was different. This test was Oliver's moment of truth, the outcome of his perseverance, the greatest and final hurdle on his journey to conquer his past. He prevailed. Oliver has gotten a fresh start in life and it is so wonderful to see how far he's come since we picked him up from the shelter on December 7th. This dog runs, plays tug of war, lounges on the couch, and knows he is loved every minute of every day. Now he has a clean bill of health to add to this list of great things, a list every dog in the world deserves to have.
 

CONGRATULATIONS, OLIVER!

Oliver Goes on Vacation

A few weeks ago, we went to the mountains for what I'm going to call Oliver's very first vacation. Everyone thinks it's likely that Oliver belonged to someone in his previous life, which might explain why he's so darn well-behaved, but somewhere along the way he wound up leading a rough life full of nothing but neglect. So I'm going to go out on a speculative limb and say that I don't think he's ever had the luxury of going on vacation before. Maybe I'm wrong and Ollie had someone who loved him very much before he ended up at the shelter, but in any case it had at the very least been a long time since he'd had a good old fashioned getaway. So, needless to say, Mr. Olls enjoyed the dickens out of our little trip to the cabin. Sometimes even a good routine can become stressful; we're all too familiar with the "daily grind" concept. It was great to see Oliver and everyone else truly kick back and relax for a while. I think 5 days in the mountains is equivalent to 100 years worth of healing for the soul. Ollie seemed to agree.

The dogs spent most of their time snoozing in different spots and enjoying the mountain air from the safety of the screened porches. They hiked Amicalola Falls with us, barked at a group of white-tailed deer in the driveway, searched for yummy morsels dropped behind the grill, and tried toasted marshmallows straight from the fire. A good time was had by all.

 

Oliver gets some fresh air...

Now that Oliver is feeling so much better, we enjoy taking him out for nature walks. He has been with us to Stone Mountain, Amicalola Falls, Mason Mill Park, and Sweetwater Creek. Sweetwater is our favorite because of the beautiful scenery. While it's only a 30 minute drive, it makes us feel as though we've escaped the grind of the city completely. There are several trails to choose from and breathtaking views to enjoy. The dogs just love it. I am proud to report that Oliver recently completed a 7 mile hike with us at Sweetwater Creek! He even led the pack most of the time! He did great; I'm so glad to see him able to be more mobile. Of course, it was a very sleepy car ride back to Atlanta afterward.                          

                         

An Update on Oliver's Progress

It's been a week since we received the final word on Oliver's condition and I am happy to report that our lovable guy seems to be in better spirits. He's doing well on the carprofen (anti-inflammatory) so far. Right now he's taking two 55mg tablets per day, but we're hoping to eventually get him down to half of that for the long run. We picked up some great hip & joint health treats for him at AARF Pet Central made by the folks at Pet Naturals Vermont. He takes these twice each day.

Mr. Oliver is lucky enough to have a guardian angel. She is a wonderful person who has taken a special interest in Ollie and has helped make sure he is getting the best care possible. Oliver's friend sponsored him for three months and donated an arsenal of joint care supplies. Thanks to her, Ollie has a ready supply of Adequan, an expensive drug that helps protect the cartilage and keep it healthy. She even took the time to stop by my office and show me how to administer the Adequan injections properly.

Oliver didn't even seem to notice when I gave him his first shot last week. Today will be his second. He gets them once a week for the first month, then once a month after that. He is such a good boy and I am thrilled by the progress he's made already. His personality is brighter and he has more energy, indicating that his medicines and supplements have reduced his pain significantly. Oliver even felt well enough to go for a hike this past weekend. He did very well keeping up with everyone and I'm looking forward to continue helping him build his strength. We'll take it slow and monitor his progress closely. For now, we are all just so happy to see how much he's perked up already. Check out how happy he looks riding with the windows down in the morning sunshine...thanks to everyone who has helped him get to this point!

The Scoop on Oliver's Legs

I heard back from the vet today regarding Oliver's leg x-rays. The orthopedic surgeon confirmed that our poor Ollie has an old scarred over left cruciate rupture and degenerative joint disease. This is a condition that is very easy for humans to relate to: he's got an old ligament injury and now suffers from arthritis as a result. Contrary to what many people assume, arthritis isn't just for old folks, especially when it's linked to an injury. Oliver has the misfortune of being a merely middle aged dog with several years of worsening joint pain ahead of him.

The orthopedic surgeon has recommended exploratory arthroscopy to see if they need to stabilize the cruciate ligaments, if the maniscus needs to be trimmed away, and also if there are any bone fragments floating around. The estimated cost for an arthroscopy and the likely ensuing surgery to repair Oliver's ligaments is $2200 - $3000. This is obviously a very large financial burden for anyone to assume, let alone a non-profit rescue group like AARF. Not to mention there's a high likelihood that the money would be spent only to find out that the ligaments cannot be repaired due to the presence of scar tissue. Even if the surgery was successful and Oliver endured a miserable 3 month recovery, degenerative joint disease is something that cannot be fixed. This is a lifelong problem that will only worsen over time.

After speaking with the vet, Drew, and everyone at AARF, our decision is to forgo surgery. Just like for human joint pain, there are many non-surgical options to pursue that will help Oliver with strength and pain management. I am going today to pick up an anti-inflammatory for him that the vet has prescribed. We'll diligently monitor his bloodwork and see how he does on it. Ollie will get to go shopping for joint supplements at AARF Pet Central this weekend; they have a large selection of supplements as well as food that contains glucosamine chondroitin. AARF also has connections with a canine swim therapy trainer. Swimming will help Oliver exercise his joints and the surrounding muscles gently.

These developments do not render Oliver unadoptable. While it will be very important to find him a well-matched adopter who is prepared to care for his issues properly, Ollie should still have a long and happy life. Thank you so much to everyone who contributed toward his vet appointment last week. With your help, we know exactly what we're dealing with and can now begin to pursue treatment for Oliver. Stay tuned for more updates on Oliver's health, treatment, and other exciting news to come! 

Oliver's Dental

Ollie had his dental procedure on Tuesday. The vet pulled FIVE incisors all from the bottom front row, leaving him with a semi-toothless grin. He was a bit dopey from the anesthesia and pain medicine, but he did very well and now has a healthy mouth. It's so important to make sure that your dog's teeth are well taken care of: dirty teeth and diseased gums can lead to major health problems and infection that spreads throughout a dog's entire body. Oliver's stitches will dissolve on their own and he will feel better than ever in no time flat.

We are still waiting to find out about his back legs. The vet had x-rays taken while Ollie was under so that they would come out nice and clear without him moving. She sent them to an orthopedic surgeon for further evaluation. This particular ortho has operated on AARF dogs in the past and we feel confident that he will know exactly what is going on with Oliver's legs. So we wait. In the meantime, here are some new pictures of Ollie showing how sleepy he was after his dental.

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.