I took this today in the lobby at our regular vets office. I call them my regular vet because they are my first choice for regular vet type things. Well dog exams don’t happen too often at my house because we are constantly in for injuries. I feel like we use the afterhours vet more often than our “Regular” Vet but since I spend more time with the dogs after regular business hours that makes a lot of sense. I like this vet though because they seem caring and thorough and are affordable at the same time.
We went in today for x rays. The vet we saw last week had recommend views of his shoulders and hips for sure. Then the elbows and knees if we could. I went in fairly certain that I wanted to do his shoulders, hips, and at bare minimum the Left Knee since he had the injury on that left side.
The vet and I chatted and she got me a quote for doing all of the x rays. It was within the range of what I was able to spend today so I opted to go for more xrays can’t hurt but fewer xrays could! Unfortunately they did have to sedate him a bit since they thought the shoulder views would be too difficult for them to get with him awake. He is a bit of a stink and I had expected that getting him to hold still for an xray would be difficult anyway. Luckily Paul is home sleeping today and agreed to let Dylan hang with him for the day while he was coming out of the anesthesia.
SO now for good news. All the xrays were clean for Arthritis. No signs in his hips, shoulders, knees, or elbows of any arthritis at all. I am not sure why they could feel the shoulder grinding but that shoulder was inflamed on the thermal imaging we did in April so I think there is probably just some soft tissue injuries up there as well. Soft tissue can be healed but arthritis can’t so I am happy to be able to confirm there is no Arthritis.
There is a question about one of his knees though. A fatty pad on the front of the left knee is sticking out or swollen. That’s still a part of the soft tissue issues though and should be taken care of with the PT we are doing.
We built him a new PVC Ladder and have been working on it daily. We are also icing the Left shoulder immediately following exercise and heating his back left left every night. I have been keeping him on leash when we are out but keeping him from running all together is impossible. He gets excited just to go into the yard and does a little run around a couple times a day. Still overall, I think he is being limited to long slow exercise to allow his muscles time to heal! Hopefully we will start seeing significant improvements sometime soon. I am just happy that there is no arthritis to worry about!!
Marley and I are approaching our two year mark as a Pet Partner team. The Delta Society and Therapy Animals of Utah require us to go through the evaluation process every two years.
I am happy to say that we passed! I couldn’t have done it without my angel Miss Marley. She was so good despite being a bit uncomfortable for part of the test. She got pretty tense during the vet type exam. This has been an issue we have been dealing with since the injuries and surgeries last summer. She still was a good girl and the woman explained after the test that she actually was a vet tech and had been in the vets office earlier that day.. She probably smelled like the office and Marley knew it. It was funny how it happened too because the inital part of the test is a very similar process and she didn’t mind it at all.
Anyway, so proud of my girl and happy that we can continue visiting. We will have a short break while we are waiting for the paperwork to get processed!!! We have until the end of the month and hope to get a few visits in before we expire!!
I took Dylan in today for a vet exam and for his first Physical Therapy Visit. The Vet we saw was absolutely wonderful. Unfortunately, she didn’t have great news for us.
After a very thorough exam, she found a partial tear in his Gracilis Muscle in the left rear side. There is an associated strain of the Iliopsoas Muscle and the Quadriceps as well. I knew that left rear leg had something going on and suspected he may have hyper extended it when he hit Paul and the fence post on Easter. Guess I should have trusted my instinct and gotten him in a bit sooner but there hadn’t been any inflammation on the thermal imaging done by our Holistic Veterinarian shortly after the accident.
The vet ordered some laser therapy and then they put him on the underwater treadmill. He was so cute trying to swim and figure things out. They ended up taking some water out so he would stop trying to swim and start walking on the treadmill. The Physical Therapist said she felt some grinding in his left shoulder so the veterinarian got up where she could reach in and feel him.
She explained that he probably has some arthritis in his left shoulder. An X ray will show us how bad it is. She isn’t sure if its from the trauma or from the untreated injury or just from aging. I suspect its not from aging because he’s not even 6 years old yet and that seems young to get arthritis. Of course I have Marley who had arthritis at the ripe old age of two so I guess it can happen to any dog at any time.
We continued with the underwater treadmill and it was very interesting to watch him walk. Up until this point, I had only really watched his gait from above. I never got down on his level and had someone walk him around me. When he was in the treadmill the vet showed me the extension issues in his back left left. He’s not extending it like he should and I could definitely see a difference between his right and left. She said the underwater treadmill helps correct that problem and just a few minutes later we were able to watch and see him extending it more thoroughly while walking. It really was impressive to see how much he changed in such a short amount of time.
When we finished the underwater treadmill they put him in a tub of water that had electrical current running through it. He did great and sat with his life jacket on and floated in the water for about 15-20 minutes. Of course we were right there with him and holding onto him and giving him treats for being such a good boy!! I got soaked during the process!
We’ll be doing some ice on the left shoulder and heat in the rear over the next few days. I’ll chat with the vet Monday and then we will go from there. She says the muscle injuries should heal completely within about a month. If they don’t they can put him under anesthetic and treat him with shock wave therapy to knock out the injury. I hope it doesn’t come to that but we’ll do whatever we have to so that he heals up okay.
I feel horrible about the arthritis. I hope to get an x ray next week when we are in to see how bad it is. Severe arthritis would mean the end of his flyball career. I am not sure what the vet may recommend if it is just minor. I trust my holistic vet’s assessment though and will do what she suggests. It’s tough to think though that it may come down to determining which is more important- quality of life with flyball or duration of life without. This boy is a maniac about his flyball game and I can’t imagine life for him without it. Plus, what would I do without a flyball dog? Maybe I’ll have to find one to borrow for a while until I can get a puppy of my own.
It’s been nearly two months since Dylan ran full speed into Paul and a big metal fence post. Unfortunately, we are still seeing issues that are likely the result of that trauma. He’s been favoring one side on the rear and the Right rear leg is really tight because he is over using it to compensate for not wanting to use his left. After heavy exercise, I can see him trying not to put his full weight on the left rear. So nowadays both sides are sore. In addition, his front right is sore and tight and had a big knot in the muscle. Likely still the result of pain on the left causing him to compensate and favor the right.
So I’ve made a decision. Our next step is some Physical Therapy. Untreated soft tissue injuries can turn into longer term problems. I hate to think this boy is not feeling his best. I want him to be able to participate in the things he wants to do (like Flyball and Splash Dogs and Course A’Lure). So Physical Therapy is my next step.
After several emails and phone calls to friends, veterinarians, Physical Therapists etc; I have found a place I feel pretty good about. We have a consultation and our first PT visit Thursday Morning. The one downfall of this place is that there is no way for me to get there without taking off work. Oh well, stockpiling PTO is overrated anyway.
I am anxious to get him in so I can start doing therapeutic exercises at home to help him. I have been alternating Ice and Heat and rubbing some Arnica Cream on the sore areas. Dylan is not so in love with the ice these days and isn’t the most cooperative. However, he is great with the heat and will lay wrapped up in a warm rice bag for as long as I want him too.
I don’t know if I have ever been more proud of my boy. He’s accomplished a lot of great things in his life and has learned so much but yesterday was just a fantastic day for him. What he seemed to accomplish didn’t look like much on the surface but I know how difficult it probably was for him!
Yesterday we tried out Splash Dogs. Well I should probably say that we worked toward trying out splash dogs.
Dylan was never a natural swimmer. When he was young I actually took him to the lake and clicker trained him to swim to me out in the water. It was a difficult thing for him to learn but he has learned to love swimming in the lake to retrieve his frisbee.
I new jumping into swimming pool was a whole different ball game and I figured he would need some work. I didn’t think he had it in him so I haven’t taken him before (I’ve been dying to take Marley but the vet said it was too dangerous for her). Anyway, when we went to Goblin Valley a few months ago, Dylan was jumping in and out of these pockets of water in the rock. I couldn’t beleive how much more confidence he has in the water now! So we opted to “practice” at splash dogs this go around.
We got a sneak preview of how he might do last week. They had a practice pool set up at Strut Your Mutt and we got to try it out the night before. He didn’t have a frisbee or a life jacket since I didn’t know they would be there but he reached in to get his ball. The life jacket gives him more confidence in the water.
Yesterday, we tried and tried to get him into the pool. He’d run up the ramp and down to where he could touch and then bark and bark and bark at his frisbee.
By afternoon, I was pretty sure I was going to have to get into the pool with him. I wasn’t fond of that plan but I didn’t see any other way to get him going any further. Each time we practiced he would get a little further and a little further and then stop. He would not leave the ramp. A couple times I pulled him off the ramp with his life jacket and he about had a panic attack. Some Treats were there and ready but he didn’t care and he didn’t dare go get the frisbee.
Finally, I pulled him off the side of the ramp. It sounds harsh but he was already mostly in the water and he knows how to swim and he has a life jacket on. He really just needed to know that all we was doing in that pool was the same as he was doing in the lake the past few years. He just has to kick his little legs to get over to the frisbee. This time, he swam and got the frisbee which was almost on the ramp anyway. A couple more times of repeating that and I knew he was going to pick it up!
Next round of practice, his old buddy from Flyball was around. He loves her so much and she stood on the other side of the pool and called him. I threw his frisbee out toward her. This time, he ran down the ramp and jumped off into the water! SUCCESS!! Finally!!! Each time we repeated he got more and more confident! YAY for Dylan!!
We decided it was time to graduate to the big pool with the dock on it. We took him up the exit ramp the next practice round and he was a bit confused. I helped him off the dock with a bit of force but this time no panic. He swam over, got the frisbee and life was grand. Each time we repeated, he swam all around the big pool and got his toy to bring back to me.
So we decided to take him up on the dock. He wasn’t ready. I threw the frisbee and he was too afraid to even look and it and bark at it. I think he was also getting tired. We went back down to the exit ramp and had a few good push offs so that we ended on a good note.
Dylan has been injured since the run in with the fence post. He was starting to show signs that he was sore so I called it good for the day. He was SO brave and overcame a huge fear of getting in the pool for sure. I only wish we could go back today and work some more but we will have to wait til next time. Hopefully he will remember the pool and we won’t have to start again from scratch. I know one day he will learn to do this. He just takes a bit more time than some other dogs to overcome his fears of things. He was freaking out when watching the other dogs jump in. He really wants to do it!!
In addition to his huge accomplishment in the pool, Dylan had another. We have been having a hard time at Course A Lure. He gets going soo fast that he jumps out of course. He needs to learn to control his speed around corners. I ran him twice before we left for the day. His leg was bugging and I didn’t want him running but I knew I wasn’t getting out of there without letting him get the lure!! Both times he ran straight into the catch box instead of going off course (although one time he plowed into a tunnel and tore up the course a bit!). He wasn’t the fastest by far but Sneek and Jake were there and they always outrun him. He did bring home a silver metal to hang on the wall though! And completing the course was all I cared about. If we are going to continue doing Course a’Lure he needs to start staying on course. He did great and I was waiting in the catch box with handfuls of hotdogs to reward him!!
Here some some pics from the Day!
Dylan trying to swim:
We had to hide during a big rain storm. I ended up just leaving for a bit and visiting my grandparents while we were drying off.
Our friend Sneek was also trying to learn how to swim:
Jake was a natural swimmer but not a natural jumper!
Zoe learned to jump!!! Look how happy her Mom is! It makes me smile seeing that Grin on Ann’s Face!
Lucy is a 13 year old cancer survivor. What a girl! She still plays flyball and runs pretty dang fast for a little dog (let alone a little 13 year old cancer survivor!)…
Chase Me is our flyball teammate. He is the third fastest Jack in U-Fli. He’s a fast little guy with lots of spirit. He’s running in the Jack Russell Races (by invitation only) at the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge!
This boy is SOO lazy.
June 3rd, 2009 in
Dylan |
4 Comments
We spent most the day yesterday at the Heber Valley Railroad. They had a special event with Thomas the Tank Engine! Ammon had the time of his life! He loves Thomas so much so it was fun to get to take him to see all the trains!
We took lots of pics! We made him sit on all the old trains for pictures!
We went for a ride on Thomas of course! Ammon said we were on the clarabell car.
We got to meet the train conductor during our ride.
The day didn’t go off without a bit of whining from a little boy. But he looks so cute when he does it!
He recovers quickly for sure! Definitely enjoyed the bit of a bumpy ride on Thomas the Train!
My sister Marci went with us!
This little boy couldn’t have been more excited!!
We also visited the sad and pathetic petting zoo. I hate this kind of stuff but how do you tell a three year old that these animals are not well treated? The mini horses had been wearing the bridles so long that they had open sores! One of the horses bit a child too and the woman running the place was all upset that a child stuck its hands in the horses face. What do you expect? Really? You sell food for the kids to hand feed these animals. Of course kids are gonna stick thier hands in the horses face. DUH!
Ammon sure did like seeing the horses. Even if it just made me sad!
We met Sir Topham Hatt!
And had some more whining while waiting in line!
Ammon liked the train tracks! He made sure we were watching out for trains though!
One last pic of him ready to go in the morning!
May 26th, 2009 in
Family,
Me |
2 Comments
I scored a sweet deal on this new lawn mower yesterday. I have been using a hand me down electric mower that died on me last week. I’ve been shopping around and found this mower for $160.00 on closeout. Regular price is about $420.00. It’s last year’s model but is still brand new!! I’m missing a couple things like the key and bag but they can be easily replaced and for not much expense!
May 20th, 2009 in
Rental,
house |
4 Comments
One Year ago today….we lost our dear Puck. It’s probably one of the most tragic events of my life really. I’ve lost grandparents to old age but those experiences were so different than grieving the loss of this dear kitten that I rescued and bottle fed. We were lucky that when I got him at 3 weeks that my good friend Julie had rescued a nursing mother with a litter that was close in age to Puck. That mother was amazing and took him in for a couple weeks to nurse.
Puck struggled his first few months of life. He had multiple illnesses but eventually grew up to be a big healthy adult. Adulthood didn’t take his monster personality away. The little stink was always causing trouble and loved to bite you then run away. We didn’t care though because we loved him so much.
This little monster thought he was a dog. He didn’t know better. He was raised by three big dogs and spent the first several months of his life with Zip the border collie looking over him. Marley became his playmate and he grew up to have no fear of anything including Dylan!
I had taken Puck in as a foster but couldn’t bare to really give him up. Eventually, Paul adopted him and Puck made the move from my house to Paul’s. He had already been spending lots of time there since I took him when I went over there to play.
Anyway, I’ve been thinking about him a lot lately. Sometimes I will see kitties for adoption that look very similar. I know, however, that they would never be the same. I miss him so very much and hope he is enjoying his time at the bridge. I envision him playing with our Dear Delta Blue. I am sure they are keeping each other company there.
May 19th, 2009 in
Puck |
1 Comment
We spent the weekend working on another gardening project. This one at Paul’s house. He’s doing a square foot garden in above ground garden boxes. Supposed to be lower maintenance but the initial setup is definitely a lot of work.
Paul had some stupid grape hyacinth bulbs growing in his lawn. He dug up the lawn and tilled the dirt and then spent days picking up tens of thousands of bulbs. There was no way for us to get them all!! We put down three layers of weed mat in hopes to keep them from growing. The first layer also got covered in gravel…
Working on those shiny black mats in the heat of the day combined with carrying 50 lb bags of gravel back and forth was not fun. I didn’t mind though because it meant I got to spend the day with Paul and also help him out for a change (usually it’s him helping me out).
We ran out of time and the project will have to be finished on Paul’s next week off. Let’s hope our finished product holds up for a week before laying boxes and the rocks to hold the mats in place.
Can’t wait for some yummy corn and veggies during the summer. Hope it’s all worth it! I hope that all Paul’s work and money to block those stupid bulbs from growing is a success too!
May 19th, 2009 in
Me,
Paul,
house |
No Comments
