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.

Oliver's Cat Test

Oliver had quite an interesting afternoon yesterday: he went to AARF Pet Central to be cat tested! It's important to know how Oliver behaves around cats in case a potential adoptive family includes some feline members. The same goes for children and other dogs, but we already know Ollie is great with both.

Fortunately, there are a few cats at AARF Pet Central that are very dog-friendly. Ben was happy to help us out:

Oliver was definitely interested, but only politely so. He didn't show any aggression toward Ben at all. Ollie even backed up and gave Ben some space as he walked by. After about 10 minutes of controlled curiosity, we determined that Oliver wasn't the least bit interested in doing anything rash. We are proud to report that Ollie has been deemed officially cat-friendly! This is great news; Ollie is much more likely to find a great home now that we can say he is good with children, other dogs, and even cats. What a marketable dude!

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.