LOWER TRURO, N.S.
Charley seems to recognize the benefit of not overdoing things.
The young bull mastiff was diagnosed with Wobbler syndrome in April, and on May 1, went through eight hours of surgery on her spine.
“She keeps progressing, and we’re taking things day by day,” said Rebecca Ann Blair, one of the human members of Charley’s family. “Her chances weren’t great, so simple little things that mean nothing to anyone else have a lot of meaning for us. It’s exciting for us just to see her walking.”
While Charley was at Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, a dorsal laminectomy was performed. This involved removing a section of the vertebrae.
When the dog first got home, Blair and her partner, Cory MacKay, had to use a special harness to support her when she walked.
“She’s not overly active yet,” said Blair. “She’s being careful and we’re keeping her to a medium level of activity.
“She can walk, but she needs to wear shoes when she’s out for a walk, to keep her paws from scraping. She can’t handle a lot of heat, but she loves her kiddie pool. She’s definitely enjoying being the centre of attention.
“She has stairs so she can get into bed with us, and we changed the flooring in the kitchen so she won’t slip.”
Charley has a thing for retro television and still watches her favourite show – Murder She Wrote; now, she also enjoys Three’s Company.
Blair has noticed that, along the area where Charley was shaved for surgery, her hair is growing back-grey.
Charley was scheduled for a return to the Atlantic Veterinary College for a checkup in a few days.
