BratPack, Day 14: The Running Man
Message from Joan:
Charlie is at the vet now… Charlie was getting better about being picked up and was even stopping near me and letting the leash drape on my feet. Working well until I had a smart idea.
I thought that maybe a little massage would help his knees. I picked him up and tried to touch his knee – he went ballistic – cried, squealed, and carried on – I put him down and he went and hid again. So I thought it was time to get it x-rayed. If it doesn’t show anything, then it’s soft tissue damage and I don’t know how to fix that. There should be a solution. I pick him up later this morning and we’ll see what the vet says. But, anyway, I think this is the reason for his erratic behavior.
(later)
Charlie does not need any kind of surgery. All that the x-ray showed was some arthritis. [The vet] put him on Arithrimax and we’ll see if that helps. He had an unscheduled test. The vet tech took him out for a run to that the vet could check his walking – and Charlie slipped his collar and ran at least a mile before one of the techs could catch him. He was running with stiff knees – but very fast and very well – he ended up stopping traffic on a main road before they could catch him. For sure he will get a harness on before I try to walk him. He was more than half way home before they got him.
I asked her what to say before he gets put up for adoption. She suggested saying that ‘he has some arthritis in the back knees and may need treatment in the future’. She said to use the x-pen only when he seems to favor it badly. Of course he went around and marked a few corners when he first came in. I may try the pen out on the porch when I go out for appointments. She seems to think it may improve with more activity since he didn’t get any when it was forming. She said that it is probably genetic. Now I’ll worry that no one will want him. I think that he’ll be adoptable as soon as he will answer to his name.