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.

A Moral Decision

In the last few days (even in the last few years) we had to debate whether or not we should have the operation for Chili. How can you decide? I wish I could ask him if he wanted it, and he could tell me a simple yes or no!

We have been told by numerous doctors that arthritis would set in if he didn't have surgery, but the surgery wasn't a sure-fire way to prevent it either. The success rate of the operation is very high, but nothing is 100% or guaranteed. What about the risks of anesthesia or infection? Is it worth it? How can we tell Chili and make him understand that the terrible pain he's about to endure will help him in the end?

We came to our decision. We wouldn't operate if Chili had no pain, and his leg was nothing more than a nuisence. The past week of wimpering and limping convinced us he's in discomfort and some pain, and the vet agreed. We adopted Chili with the intent of giving him a long, happy, pain-free life. We're going to live up to our promise to him. Hopefully, he'll be a happy dog after surgery, too!

A Turn of Events

We've lived with Chili's knee condition for a few years, he's now 3 1/2. We haven't really noticed any changes in his movement, but he usually keeps the left leg up, like normal.

On Tuesday morning, March 24th 2009, Chili did (what I like to call) a "flying superman leap" off of our bed. All I saw was flying white fur, followed by a *thump* and lots of wimpering. I initally thought he might have just strained his knee, so I left him in his crate (per usual) and left for work. I called the vet and asked for some recommendations. They said if there was no improvement in a day or so, to bring him in for an exam.

Over the next few days, Chili would wimper when he put his rear right leg on the ground (of course, it had to be the good leg). I caved in and took him to the vet on Wednesday.

Dr. Rodriguez at Northwoods Animal Hospital examined Chili and didn't see any signs of a cruciate ligament tear (similar to our ACL). She mentioned taking some xrays, but we took a less invasive approach and she sent Chili home with some painkillers, anti-inflammatories, and steroids. I had orders to call back if I didn't see any improvement over the weekend.

Cost for the day: $68