CHASE is loving his foster home “pack,” which includes his caregiver Kendra, plus a beagle or two, plus a couple cats! Can it get any better than this?
Chase doesn’t like taking his meds, but appreciates having his leg tended to, and the infection in the joint is clearing up. The swelling is still a problem. But—Chase feels so much better!
As a review, Chase is heartworm positive, was underweight, was loaded with parasites, and is positive for tickborne disease, which we are, guessing is the cause for the infection in his legs. this is not something that will be able to cure quickly; we are looking at months of treatment. on the plus side, he is a wonderful patient and has a charming personality!
Original post: Update: I know lots of people are concerned about this boy’s legs. It has been a crazy day at the shelter with new dogs coming in, and we have been playing “kennel tetris,” in an attempt to find places for all the dogs. At the risk of paraphrasing incorrectly, and without directly quoting, here is what we learned at the Vet office today. (Hopefully, Dr. Bullins will feel free to correct me if I note something in error!)
* Our animal control officers have named him Chase.
* He is probably closer to five or six years old than eight years old. Not as old as we thought.
* He is heartworm positive, and loaded with hookworms and whipworms. He is also positive for erlichia, a tickborne disease that can manifest itself as swollen, painful joints and lethargy.
* Chase is 50 pounds, and we hope he can bulk up a bit!
* As for his leg: Dr. B said she had never seen anything quite like it. It is swollen with infection right now, and the matching joint on his other leg is also swollen with edema, but not infection.Chase is running a slight fever due to the infection. Dr B feels the joint problem has been a long-term problem, which means it will be a long-term fix. We are going to treat aggressively for the tickborne disease, in hopes that the swelling and pain are the result if a long-time infection from the erlichia. Additionally, where the wounds are on his leg, that appears to be abscessed areas from the excessive infection underneath the skin. The fact that they are open and oozing is important, and we will be applying warm, compresses several times a day to help him, heal more quickly.
* Best news of all: a foster home stepped forward to take him home and see how he will work out. Medical fosters are not always easy to find, and we are very grateful to Kendra for her offer. In a couple weeks we will reassess, and if the infection has gone down but he is still not using his leg easily, then we will pursue x-rays. By the end of the day today, after just one dose of doxycycline and a hot compress, Chase was already using his leg. 
*****
** The swollen infection on that left leg is even bigger when you see it in person! It’s a baseball size injury. We are headed to the vet at 11 o’clock today.
