Wednesday, March 25, 2009

636.7 -- The Furry Monster

A little slow on the updates, but for those of you I haven't told, Charlie is having some old man problems. First, his teeth and gums were an absolute mess. One surgery later, he is almost completely toothless (he retained his molars) but much happier.

He is also, however, suffering from lateral patellar luxation (Grade III). Basically his kneecaps pop on and off every time he bends his hind legs. It seems to bother him less in warm weather, so we're going to leave it for now, and decide later if he'd be better off with or without surgery. It doesn't seem to cause him pain so much as discomfort.

It's also likely that he has arthritis in his hind knees, and his hearing is rapidly deteriorating. I know he's old -- 14! -- but he still acts so much like a puppy. It's hard to believe. Poor little smoosh :(