Chili's "vacation"!

Ian and I went to NYC for about 5 days, so Chili and Bridgett got to spend some time at my in-laws' house, and play with their 2 Boston Terriers! Both dogs behaved well, to our relief!

Chili didn't get to go on the normal walks my in-laws usually take him on (vet's orders). Poor little guy did get to spend some quality time outside in the yard though, which I think he enjoyed. Overall, I think both pups had a ton of fun and got totally spoiled, but like us, enjoyed coming home, too!

Being away from Chili for almost a week, I got to have a fresh look at how he's acting with his leg. Sadly, there was no incredible miracle, and he still has the luxating patellas (hey- I can hope, right?) He wasn't wimpering at all while we were gone, so he didn't need any pain pills, which is a good thing. He's still a little tender around the leg, though. He did whine a little when I touched it, and he frequently looks back at it and licks it. We have 8 more days until his surgery. He's sleeping well in a crate at night now (in preparation) and we cut down on his food, since he isn't getting any exercise, and I don't want him overweight before or after the surgery (I still worry about anesthesia complications, and I also don't want any extra weight on his joints that he doesn't need). He is, of course, completely clueless about what is going on, and is probably wondering why mommy and daddy yell at him whenever he tries to jump or climb stairs.

I'll post another update in about a week, just before the surgery. I'm also making an online gallery, so we have some pre and post surgery pictures available.

Update

There hasn't been much of a change regarding Chili's rear right leg. He seems to do ok with it, but there are times when he is in pain. This past weekend, he started whimpering and hopping on it again, so I gave him a little Rimadyl in some peanut butter, and he was feeling fine about 20 minutes later (was it the pill or the peanut butter?)

I think Chili's sister, Bridgett, is glad for the break. He plays with her a little less, and she doesn't seem to mind. We're headed up to their "grandparents" (my in-laws) tonight and dropping them off there for our trip to NYC. Chili isn't allowed to have any walks, and I know he'll miss going with my in-laws and their 2 adorable Boston Terriers. It should be a fun vacation for both Chili and Bridgett though.

After we get back from NYC, there will only be about 1 week to prepare for the surgery. I'm still so nervous about it and hope nothing goes wrong! (of course Chili is totally clueless!) We're re-training him to sleep in his crate in preparation for the surgery, and it seems to be going well, he hasn't woken us up yet!

On another note- we'll be dogsitting our friends chihuahua, Desiree Sky, for a little over a week in early May, which is so exciting! Chili adores her, and she's such an easy keeper. I'm hoping he won't want to play with her too much, but that she'll be a good distraction for him after surgery!

I'll post another update in about a week, although I don't expect any change on how he's doing. I'm hoping that in 6 months, he'll have had both legs done and will be a happy, pain-free chihuahua!