And, Darker Clouds

Following the vet’s recommendation, I dropped Elliot off for x-rays the day
after his diagnosis. Although I know x-rays can’t hurt, I am always worried about sedation. I returned home and sat near the phone waiting for the call to tell me I could pick him up. By 3:00 I called them. Relief! I could pick him up at 5:00.

When I arrived, the Vet went over the x-rays with me, showed me what was wrong, explained how the joints and bones should look, using models to demonstrate.
Then he explained what was required.

I told him I was willing to do everything necessary to save this dog and offer him a good life. In other words, I would pay for all expenses.

“I adopted him,” I said “And, I owe him.

What was necessary was surgery. The first step was the elbows, and he
proposed a doctor in Marin County for that surgery.

“I can do the hips,” he said.

Before leaving, I made an appointment for Friday to take out the eye stitches and told the Vet that Elliot’s eyes continuously seeped gook. He examined Elliot’s eyes, told me both eyes had conjunctivitis, and gave me some ointment. Ellliot’s problems seemed to be compounding.

Then he handed me the x-rays and told me to make an appointment with the
Marin vet and bring them with me.

The next morning I called Marin. It would be two weeks before I could get
an appointment. That allowed for a long time of worry and stress.

Dark Clouds

The more time I spent with Elliot the more impressed I became. Following my nighttime fears, I discovered he was housebroken, and was quick to learn.

Since the dog shelter knew nothing about him, I wondered why his previous family had let him go.

When Monday rolled around, we had a breakthrough. Elliot ate his breakfast.

Unable to get an appointment with the vet until Tuesday, we spent the day shopping for dog paraphernalia, dog food, behavioral reward goodies, a leash (he came with a collar) a stuffed animal, which he dropped on the floor and hasn’t looked at since, a rawhide bone, he chewed a bit and discarded, greenies he gobbled down, and an identification tag.

On Tuesday it was time to see the vet. We stepped through the door and Elliot turned on his charm. Office personnel and technicians crowded around and plied him with love, and a very young pit bull pup was anxious to play. Elliot was in heaven.

Then, to use a cliché, the shit hit the fan. When we finally got to see the doctor, he began checking Elliot’s legs, not one, but all four, bending them, stretching them, moving them from side to side.

“You’ve got a problem,” he said. “This dog has hip dysplasia as well as elbow dysplasia. For a dog this young it’s not good. He will need surgery, and it’s going to be very expensive.”

It sounded ominous and I was frightened, but he was now my dog.

“When I adopted him, I made a commitment,” I said. “Somehow I will take care of it.”

Settling In

Elliot scoped out his new home and checked out my husband, Bill, who was immediately drawn to the gentle giant.

Once their relationship was established, I took Elliot out to familiarize him with the neighborhood, first giving him his initial lesson in allowing me to enter and leave the house before him. He understood the commands “sit” and “come” and was a quick learner. He was anxious to please.

It was Bill who noticed the dog was favoring his right rear leg.

“They didn’t mention any leg problem at the shelter,” I said. “Everything seemed fine. He’s had all his shots, no heartworm, and the eye stitches are due out in a week.”

“His eye is red,” said Bill

“I asked whether it needed any medication and they said ‘no.’ If he continues limping, I will take him to the vet.”

That night Elliot did not eat dinner. And, although I imagined it was because everything was so new, I was a bit worried. His ribs stuck out. He was too thin.

However, he settled on the living room floor, where he remained, after managing to snag one of my bedroom slippers to chew. I did my best to remove any chewable items I could find, including pillows on the sofa.

I took him out again before going to bed, then spent the night wondering whether he had found anything else to chew and whether I would wake up to find he had done his business on the rug. It had been a long time since I had to deal with puppy problems. Now it looked like there might be health problems too. I would find out soon enough.