Castle's last appointment before Christmas was great, and he is now off Prednisone altogether. He's on an antibiotic and one remaining immunosuppressive drug, and we are hoping at his next visit that we can stop that as well.

The Prednisone has taken a toll on his skin, and he has developed calcinosis cutis (accumulation of salt crystals under the skin). He's lost quite a bit of hair on his backside, but it's slowly sprouting back.

He gets a bath 2-3 times a week with an antiseptic shampoo and gets a topical anti-inflammatory gel. He tolerates all of this like a champ, and we know he's got to be itchy. Not sure how long it will be before he has a full coat, but it looks like a slow process.

Castle is still a mellow dog, but his personality is beginning to shine. He is playing with toys and has actually been laying in a dog bed for the first time. He is up most of the day now and follows me around the house. He notices squirrels and birds when he's outside. He stretches, shakes, and yawns like a normal dog. These seem like small things, but he didn't do any of these things until recently, and we've had him since Memorial Day weekend.  

Castle has a love of shoes. Occasionally, he would move them to his pile, and just in the last week, he's taken it a step further and chewed up one of my slides, then chewed the end off a shoe lace. Now we all put our shoes away!

I bought two new toys today, and he loves them. It's so wonderful to see him living, instead of just existing.   

Castle is still progressing slowly as he gets weaned off the Prednisone. Slow and steady wins the race!

He's "talking" a little bit more. His noises consist of low whines or groans when he's trying to get my attention. If I step over him without petting him, I'll get a disapproving snort. He barked once when something startled him but otherwise hasn't barked at anything else.

He will seek out pets from all of us and is always happy to come when called. He will look over his shoulder instead of turning his head around, as in the picture below, making his ears flop.

Castle needed a little consoling when I put his Halloween lion's mane costume on him, but he warmed up quickly once I got the treats out!

First of all, thanks to Chien for sponsoring Castle! He is worth it!

He was tested again last week and his red blood count remains stable, which is what the vet was hoping for. The vet is holding off on reducing prednisone until he gets one more stable result. He could relapse easily if we move too fast.

Castle is almost perfect! He doesn't bark, doesn't jump on people or furniture and is just happy to be around people (mainly me!). Since the last update, he has become more active and comes upstairs to see me every afternoon and lays by me while I work. I think he might just want treats!

He is getting better about guarding and loves to chew on shin bones. No issue if I pick them up. He guards new items at first but has learned we won't take them away. I have not brought stuffies out again because he will chew them up and eat them.

Here's why he's not so perfect—he likes to eat yard plunkies. Doesn't matter if it's his, my resident dog's or random bunny poo that lands in the yard. If I'm watching him, he won't do it, but he's sneaky and will wait until I turn my back to get the shovel to pick it up!

He's pretty food driven now that he's off some meds and the prednisone could be making him extra hungry, but some dogs just have that nasty habit (yuck!). The good news is the yard stays cleaned up!

Castle is a quick learner now that his mind is clear. He sits before he gets his food and I make him wait until I say it's ok before he digs in. He will eat almost anything that hits the floor: celery, strawberries, he even chewed on a piece of lime twice before he kicked it out.

He's still not sure about walks and doesn't like to go far. Passing cars make him nervous. He's definitely more comfortable in the house and loves to be with people. He continues to have free roam if we are gone (which is seldom right now due to COVID) and at night.

He doesn't like storms, but just lays quietly. If he refuses to go outside before bed (as he did around the 4th of July) or because of thunder, he kennels easily at night without a peep. He just expects a piece of cheese!

He is learning to take treats more gently. He would easily snatch a snack from a small child if they were near, so I think he'd be better with kids over 5. He always watches my hands to see if I have food.

He still doesn't seem interested in Kongs or tennis balls. I think another dog or two in his new home would be good to show him what dogs do. He doesn't seem to know how to play.

He has the biggest brightest eyes and seems to be smiling all the time. He knows he's loved and it shows.

How could you not love this face?

Castle's treatment for immune-mediated hemolytic anemia remains the same. HIs CBC level has slightly decreased in the last couple of weeks, but is considered stable. It remains below normal, so we just have to take it week by week to monitor his progress.

Castle has warmed up a little bit and doesn't lie in the corner as often. He's found a spot right in the middle of the kitchen floor - typical of most dogs! He will come up to us for pets and always wags his tail. He's panting less often, so I think he's more relaxed. He's still at a slow speed due to his medication. 

Castle is not a fan of my mom's Bichon, Ellie. They came to visit, and Castle guarded his water with a low growl, although she was just interested in Castle. She is a rescue from a breeding facility, so she's more excited to see dogs than people and may have been a little more excited than Castle cared for.

To be fair, my resident dog, Emma, was not a fan of Ellie either and gave her a warning bark as well. She's quite a little busybody! We have been to my mom's house with Castle, and he finds a spot to lie down and ignores Ellie.  

We discovered that Castle likes to chew on towels and clothing. He's a sloppy drinker, and I had towels under his water dish. Not anymore. Now we use rugs instead, and he leaves them alone. I had folded some laundry and left a couple of t-shirts on the coffee table in the living room. I went outside for a bit and came back to find a t-shirt chewed up.

He has moved shoes and slippers, but so far has not chewed on them. He has guarded a stuffy from my son, so I had to trade it for a treat and put it away. He doesn't have any interest in Kongs or tennis balls.

Castle has yet to come upstairs and doesn't really seem interested. He doesn't like the vacuum cleaner and will move to avoid it, but he comes back in the room once it's turned off. 

I think he would be best in a home without small children. He's slow but solid and could throw a small child off balance unintentionally. He is learning to take treats more nicely, but can still be a little grabby. 

We have a large fenced yard, and I don't think Castle has even been in all four corners. He does his business and comes back in. He doesn't like thunder and will hesitate to go out. If I put him on a leash, he will comply and go potty.

He's such a nice dog. He just likes to be by people.