Thursday, March 29, 2012

Peaks and Troughs

If yesterday was a peak today is the bottom of the deepest trough imaginable. Kenz you have taught me so much, introduced me to people who I might never have needed if it hadn't been for your issues, you came out the other side stronger and more confident in the world that was otherwise scary and while I wasn't so sure at the time it was the right decision it seemed to work ok.

The last 15 months have seen us unfortunately introduced to a whole new bunch of people. Ones which I would otherwise gladly have not and ones who really want to provide answers and help you get better but instead everything seems to come up asking more questions.

Its been an emotional rollercoaster of a journey - from the highs of your final novice obedience pass to the lowest of lows when you came up limping the following day.

Finally we think there might be light at the end of the tunnel and yet we are dealt another blow to learn you have a luxating patella to go along with your shoulder issues.

Tonight your a mess - your sore in all the places you have otherwise not had issues with and I am running out of steam.

Mate you were going to be the performance dog of my dreams but I truthfully think your performance days are over. Its as though part of my soul has been taken and I am a mess.

I am not sure what is worse the pain in your eyes when you come up on three legs or the depressed look you give me when I won't play the game you love.

I am out of ideas. I love you to bits but I am just out of answers.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

The start of week 15

We have jump grids - weeeeeeeeeeeeee :).

Monday, March 26, 2012

When you know the answer......

but its your greatest fears realized. Sometimes life throws you shitty curve balls and you think its all to much and would rather curl up and die. Kenz's shoulder has started bothering her a little bit over the last week and considering its been good for the last 14 weeks its a bit of a worry. Its not the biggest worry though, the biggest worry is coming up on three legs placing no weight on her left hind leg and the painful expression which appears on her face. The otherwise feral, high drive active BC who lives for a training session.

Lots of emails, lots of input from those you have grown to trust in guiding your special little midget BC's rehab over the last 16 months. To many decisions and then in the course of 5 minutes you are pretty certain you know what that answer is and your just not prepared to face it.

One short DWD training session in the yard, one young feral BC back on three legs refusing to put weight on her left hind and looking in serious amounts of pain. Will not tug, will not play the game she loves.

Sorry mate I know the answer I am just not sure I can bring myself to face what lays ahead if we go done that path right now. I am pretty sure its now a when not an if. A bit of luck in my favour would certainly make that decision a little bit easier - at least financially speaking.

Why me, why Kenz - a dog with so much potential who refuses to live the quiet life no matter how hard I try.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

First Tracking Training for 2012

I decided to take the girls out tracking training with the Northern Group this morning as we had a spare day. A mega early start but both girls impressed me. Kenz did a lovely job of a 400m track. Tickled pink with her. Found all her articles and trotted along as though she had been doing it forever.

Especially proud considering it was a brand new place and she bounced out of the car without any hint of shut down. She was busy sucking up to all the new people and had a flirt with her Berner friend Odin.

The only down side of this morning was she was looking a little stiff in her back after we finished up and were walking back from the car.

After the rocky week we have had with her soreness issues we are having to drop back again. Frustrating - one little girl, so much potential, so much desire to want to work, her mind is willing and at this point the body just can't hold up :(.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

The Nightmare Continues

Hmmm so much for there being light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe I relaxed to much to soon but the last 3 days have shown me that things are not smooth sailing just yet. Saturday evening Kenz was at the oval with me and jumped up as she does, came down and wouldn't put any weight on her left hind. I could do nothing to help it and she ended up needing to be carried home and I was stressing out bigtime and fearing the worst. A night in the crate and the next morning she was bouncing around as if nothing was wrong that is until we got to the beach for our usual swimming session.

Some noticeable front end short striding in her right front - URGH. I thought we had seen the back of that I really did. Some more hind end stiffness on Sunday night - again another first :(.

Another leash walk yesterday evening where she lasted 5 or 6 houses before she was carrying her LH.

More front end soreness noticed today - I am fast losing the plot.

She has more drive then her body can cope with and I am feeling pretty ordinary about the current situation. I don't know there is an answer but its absolutely devastating for her.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Risk Taking

Sooner or later there comes a point in time when you decide once and for all you are over keeping an active dog restricted 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Its been months and months of hard work - we are well into 12 weeks post her first injection and for all intensive purposes there has been really no appreciable lameness from her shoulder. She has been comfortably managing her increased swimming activity and even managed some pretty feral tug games in the past week with no consequence. We have introduced some fitball stuff to try and mix things up a bit and rebuild some strength.

The last 2 days she has managed a good hour session at the beach both mornings which has consisted of a high proportion of swimming, retrieving through shallow water and walking through water with a bit of leash walking on the sand for good measure. She is managing sessions on her fitball and still wanting more and more.

With all of this in mind I was in the predicament yesterday of having to go out for an extended period of time and I was mindful that at some point I need to see how she does. She has had small periods of time where I have left her at home loose and gone to the shops (although no more then half an hour) and yep there has been episodes of fence running but at this stage they seem to have not caused any issue.

So with that I took a calculated risk and left her loose last night while I was out. I didn't come home to a dog showing signs of soreness and she managed another fairly reasonable beach session this morning. She then helped me garden and has run another fitball session.

While I am easing up a little with her around the house I am still being somewhat good when it comes to activities I can control in the sense that we are still not back to any jumping related activities. I am happy enough with where we have got to and so long as she remains ok I feel I can start to relax a little at this stage.

Its been a long road to recovery and while we aren't there yet we are close :). At least she has reached a stage where she can live a somewhat normal pet dog life without being continually sore. Sure the only reason I opted to go down the PRP path with her was to get her entire life back - trialling and high impact activities and all but its not all bad. At this stage I am appreciative of the fact that I don't have to keep constant tabs on her whereabouts and can start to do some of what she enjoys without it having any implications later on.

Hopefully a return to dogsports isn't to far around the corner.