Jasso's good news and better news

Jasso on the morning of his neuter, still wearing his scarf
from the weekend adoption event. 

After months of treatment for skin infections, ear infections, and heartworms, Jasso was finally healthy enough for a routine neuter procedure.  That happened yesterday and it all went well, without complication.  When he's healed up from that he will finally be ready for adoption and as much as I love this dog, I think he can find a home where he will get the care that needs and deserves and more individual attention than I can give him here.  That's the good news.

Greeting Clay as he came
out to take Jasso to the vet.

The better news concerns his back end.  He's always been rather weak and wobbly back there.  When he first came it was all he could do to walk.  He's rear legs were severely atrophied, probably from being kept chained up and unable to move.  I was surprised that he developed as much mobility as he did after getting food, pain relief, and some moderate exercise.  He gets around very well, romps and plays for short distances and times, and even gets into a low vehicle on his own and a higher one with assistance.

Stopping for a roll in the frosty grass on the way to the car.

While he was at the vet to be sedated and neutered, I asked them to take a couple xrays of his rear end.  I certainly didn't plan on any surgical fix if he had bad hips, but wanted to be able to tell an adopter what we were dealing with, if possible.  His hips are basically good, no displasia, and that's the better news.  It appeared as if a couple of his vertebrae were fusing together and he's got arthritis.  He will need to be on a long term anti-inflammatory like Rimadyl or it's generic, but that's very common for dogs his age.  We are tapering him off the prednisone now and will switch him over after that is out of his system.

This dog must have been born under a lucky star.  Anyone who has a chance to meet him should be sure to pet him and love on him, maybe some of that luck will rub off.  I think I'll show him the lottery ticket I bought for tonight's PowerBall drawing.

When he came home, he got out of the car on his
own and made a bee line for the back door.

He was ready for some dinner and a good
night's sleep.