Date of Adoption: July 21, 2002
Date of Birth:
June 17, 1996
Nicknames: Butchie Boy
Favorites: Balls especially balls
that squeak, his fans, running, being spoon fed
Height: 29" Weight:
81 lbs.
Dislikes: Stairs, physical therapy
It was clear from the moment Brian met Butch that there was something special going on. Although Butch loves everyone he meets (he thinks of them as his fans), his tail wags just a bit harder when he sees Brian. Brian was spending every spare minute with Butch taking care of him, playing with him and snuggling with him.. A couple of weeks after we lost Buckarooo and after Ladybug was adopted, Brian asked me if we could keep Butch. I said I'd have to think about it. We talked as a family and Brian promised to take great care of Butch and to be responsible, so on July 21, Butch was officially adopted by Brian. Butch is a very outgoing and confident dog, but he has gotten along very well with the other canine family members. The only place Butch hasn't been confident is on the stairs. He seemed to be taking much longer mastering using the stairs than the other greyhounds. We did notice him limping occasionally, but a lot of the greyhounds do when they first get up before they start moving around. When we finally got his leg checked out, we found out Butch had an old injury that had been repaired, but that he now had severe arthritis in his right rear knee, and the joint had almost fused. Butch has been having acupuncture and seeing Dr. Katherine Evans on a biweekly basis, which seems to give him a great deal of relief, but the knee is still deteriorating. We are now in the process of scheduling surgery with Dr. Hugh Davis in the hopes that some of the damage can be undone and that Butch will have many years of ball games with Brian in his future. Butch had surgery in mid September 2002. After three days at the vets, he came home already walking much better than he had been. Unfortunately, a couple of weeks after the surgery, Butch banged his knee causing a soft tissue injury. He stopped using his leg, and his recovery has been very slow since then. He is now putting a little weight on the leg again and starting to use the stairs with assistance. He has put back some of the weight he had lost and he is slowly regaining muscle tone. Many thanks to everyone who's offered help and positive thoughts for Butch's recovery. As of Fall of 2004, Butch's leg is probably 90% and he has regained most of his muscle mass. His leg doesn't seem to give him any pain...now, if he would only stop jumping down flights of stairs, he might be able to go a while without an injury and be pain free! He must have a guardian angel, especially when he doesn't even check to make sure there isn't another dog at the bottom of the stairs before he jumps! Butchie... <sigh> It's been three years since Butch's surgery and it has held up longer than we could have hoped! His knee is beginning to calcify again, but it does not seem to be giving him any problems. He is still able to play ball and run, and he actually seems to be getting bouncier! |
|
Butch is always ready and waiting to play ball! |
|
 |
Brian and Butch were a team
from the day he arrived. |
|
The winner by a nose! |
 |
 |
Butch even adds a bit of
star quality to nap time... |
|
...and
he certainly knows how to relax! |
 |
|
|
Butch really loves playing in the snow! Most days, he's too hot wearing a coat, which surprised us. |
|
Butch loves collecting toys, especially when they belong to the other dogs! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
