It’s been awhile since I posted about Charlie. It damn near slipped my mind that today he’s been living here for precisely one year. He’s come a long way, though he still exhibits the characteristics of an abused and neglected dog.

A few months ago, his breath started smelling really foul again, indicating that his remaining teeth were decaying fast. So off to the veterinarian he went to have a look. According to the vet, yes, some of his remaining seven teeth would have to be removed, but she didn’t know how many until they got in there and had a look around whilst he was under anesthesia.

A week or two later, he goes in with seven teeth and comes out with none. All of his remaining teeth had to go. Just broke my heart to hear that.

But he adjusted rapidly — far more so than I would have expected. He’s back to his normal, timid self, but he’s definitely not in any pain. Nor is he experiencing any difficulty eating. Most dogs swallow their food whole anyway, so it was expected to have minimal impact.

The only side effect from his lack of dental stature is that his tongue hangs out the side of his mouth when he’s not paying attention, which is most of the time:

Other than that, he’s really doing well, considering his origin. He’s still timid around loud noises and barks far too often at trivial things. But his meds have helped a little, and I have high hopes that they will help in the long run.

He’s such a dear, sweet guy and I am delighted that he’s done so well in his first year here. So Happy “Birthday” Charlie!

Good boy!

*scratch, scratch*