Jasso Update

It's been a while since I wrote much about Jasso, so it seems that an update is due.  His weight was up to 81 pounds when he was last weighed.  He looks good at this point and probably only needs to gain another five pounds or so.  He carried more weight when he was younger, but his hips aren't in great shape so being a little lean will help him get around better as he gets older.  His fur has re-grown and he looks really good now.  He still has an on-going problem with ear infections and that's something we'll probably be battling for the rest of his life.  I'm going to switch him to a grain-free food and see if that helps.

It's been over a week since his first heartworm treatment.  That consists of an injection of Immiticide deep into muscle tissue in his lower back.  It's very painful and he wasn't feeling great, or eating normally, for the first four or five days or so, but he seems to be feeling better now.

He's been staying indoors most of the time, going outside to stroll around at his own pace at meal times and occasionally in between.  When he's inside, he mostly stays in his crate and he likes it.  He's generally got two or three partially shredded tennis balls in there that he chews on.  When he's not in the crate, Max or Summer will occasionally steal one of the balls and bring it upstairs.  I don't ask Jasso to climb the stairs up to my office; he's content downstairs and the climb may be too much for his rear end.  Besides, there's enough dogs in my office anyway.

Because of his age, they are doing the heartworm treatment in two stages.  He will have another injection sometime in December.  About a month after that I hope we can get him neutered.  When he's under anesthesia for the neuter I hope to have his hips xrayed just to find out what we are dealing with, but I do not plan on doing any further surgery on him.  He already gets around far better than I ever thought he would when I first brought him home.  He's still on a low dose of prednisone now, but once the heartworm treatment is finished we'll probably start him on a daily med like Rimadyl to help with arthritis pain and keep him mobile.

That's about it.  He's doing very well and seems very happy.  He's low-maintenance and gets along with everyone around here.  He's sweet, very affectionate, an all-around great dog.  He certainly deserved a better retirement than he received from the police and sheriff's departments that he served for most of his life.