W-Ratt y Wednesday and Huh?!?

First of all, welcome to Wratty Wednesday.... here's your weekly dose of rattly cuteness.

Yesterday I went into my office to find all three girls snuggled together in their Kleenex box. So cute! Please note their hard work at redecorating the Kleenex box; that was their nightly project. 

Now onto other news.... Spike is asking HUH?!?  Yup, it's true... I WAS taking a break from rescue. I guess it's ended in a flurry of Newfoundland/Labrador, puppy breathe cuteness.  How could I say no when they need a place just until Friday?!?

So, here is Dory.  She is a doll... cute, cuddly, snuggly and full of impish playfulness. Love her, she's been wrestling with Sophie and Murphy non stop since arriving last night.

Macy! She is a little bit more of an independent girl, off exploring. She also is less in the midst of the doggy play sessions. But, what a doll.  Please note their size: at 8 weeks, they are approximately the same size as Murphy. Can you say LARGE puppies?!? LOL

Snuggly Dory. Sigh!  

So, they are 8 week old pups from the Meadow Lake shelter. They stand a better chance at a quick adoption in Saskatoon so they have arrived with their sister (who already met a family last night!). Like I said, they are moving to their real foster on Friday but they needed a place to crash for a couple nights and I crumbled at the sight of their faces.  They are still a bit grubby and will be getting a bath along with a vet visit as soon as we can manage it, but in the meantime they are still cute!

Wrestle time with Sophie and Dory. :)

Anyway, in other news.... 

1. I never did give an update on Sophie after her vet visit last week. She has indeed torn her other ACL. It isn't as bad as the other side, but it was still inflamed and sore the day I took her in- about 3 weeks after it happened. But, thankfully I kinda knew what it was, so she was already on mostly crate rest and Deramaxx so I had done the right things to help it heal. She is on the mend, but sadly, this spells really truly the end of Sophie's agility career. Sigh.

2. Spike's titles.  Alright, here's the explanations!

FDCh-S:  Flyball Dog Champion-Silver. This is the 4th flyball title, after Flyball Dog, Flyball Dog Excellence, Flyball Dog Champion. So, Spike and I earned 1000 points and achieved that title over 3 weekends of racing. Of course, he is retired now so that's the end of this flyball titles, but that's ok!

SJATD: That's Spike's St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog title. It allows us to volunteer with St. John Ambulance as a dog-handler team.

SGDC:  Our first agility title!  In agility there are 3 levels of competition and you have to complete enough clean (perfect) runs at a level to move up. As well, there are different types of runs you can enter; standard runs (which include all equipment) and the games runs. There are 3 different agility games to play, and for the Starters level you need 2 perfect runs in each of the games to achieve this title. So, we finally got the last of our games to move up to the Advanced level. And, we are 1 standard round (out of 3 needed) to achieve our Agility Dog of Canada title.

So, yes, I am proud of my little rescue dog who could: he tries soooo hard for me and he LOVES his agility! He doesn't care about the titles, and really neither do I, but I do love to see how far we've come and what a team we are becoming. He truly is a once in a lifetime dog. :)

Well, that's likely enough from the Black Dog Crew this Wednesday morning.... hope the rest of your week runs smoother than mine likely is with these cute balls of puppy fuzz in the house!

Update on Sophie

Just a quick little update this morning.... if it dries up enough outside later today I want to get the dogs out for a run at the park and get photos, which I will post.

Anyway, Sophie is doing better. Her knee is a bit stiff and sore but she's remained on 4 paws, even without deramaxx. So, I am optimistically thinking that she might have just thrown her back out or something like that again. So, she has an appointment on Tuesday for an adjustment and to check the knee and make sure she is ok. But, I am thinking things are looking up!

Seriously?!?

Seriously?!? There are a few things I am kinda questioning these days...

1. Where did the summer go? I go back to work TOMORROW and I have very mixed feelings..... seriously, do I have to?!?

2. How did Spike manage to slice his paw pad open yesterday?!? Seriously, it looks like it hurts!!

He is clearly distressed now, haha, but let me tell you yesterday he was sure crying when it happened.

3.  Seriously Sophie?!? I believe she blew her good ACL yesterday. Honestly, my poor girl. She is a mess again; I knew she wasn't feeling well in the evening, as she was limping. I didn't pay any attention because she is often stiff when she first gets up. Then, I had to help her on the bed when we curled up to watch the latest episode of Weeds, online together. I didn't think much about that either as it's not that uncommon. But, she couldn't settle, and she started to cry. That IS unusual for my girlie. So, I began to massage around her hips/bad knee onto what I thought was her good knee. She wouldn't let me touch it. Oh Oh!  So, I got her up to see her walk. Sure enough, no weight on that paw. So, off we trundled to the kitchen for a deramaxx, then I helped her down the backstairs to go for one last trip out for the night. Once she got moving again, it seemed to be ok-ish but she sure isn't herself. My poor girlie is still not ok today and I think I'll be taking her off to the vet just to make sure it isn't a full tear. I am sure it's partial and this wasn't unexpected as most who have torn one side tend to do the same to the other side, but it still sucks. :(  Cross paws for Soph that she's not in too much pain!

She wont even get up to beg for food or steal off the counter. That's NOT a good sign. Sigh.

A final note.... crossing fingers and paws around here for our friends on the East Coast. Hoping everyone is ok through Hurricane Irene. Anyone hear from Mango and Dexter, for example??  I'm hoping they are ok and not flooding right now.

Sophie's feeling better!

As you all know, Sophie has had problems with her hips for as long as I've had her. They've been there since puppyhood. Shockingly, 3 treatments at the chiropractor and she is FINE. Like as in, no pain medications, no lameness, just an enthusiastic, happy Lab!!

And to prove this, here's a couple videos of Sophers in action...  The first one is on the way out to the field behind my house. Sophie insisted on doing a weird, bouncy-pounce that just made me laugh.

The second is just Sophie doing a retrieve after her ball. It's really nothing spectacular, but for a dog who has not done anything in about a year, this is amazing! Everytime I let her run, she'd be on three legs so I just stopped. Now, there's no problems at all! 

So good to see no more Limping Sophie!! Bring on the agility, she's going to be one smokin' fast dog to run! 

Things are looking up!

I am the proud new owner of a Canon Powershot SC 130, as of today. Only took two tries from the store, as the first one was faulty, but after another quick trip into Saskatoon (only a 20 minute drive from house to store!), I replaced it and was able to get some quick photos taken to try it out. The settings are very similar to my old camera, so that lack of quality in the photos you are seeing below has NOTHING to do with the camera, but rather it has everything to do with the subjects. Seemingly in the 5 days without a camera in the house, they have forgotten what it means to pose, HA!

Anyway, it was also a trip to the vet day for Spike and Sophie both. Spike is continuing to have some problems with his neck and shoulder, so he will be going back in 3-4 weeks for another appointment just to make sure he's on track. I am trying to get him back healthy enough to maybe run a trial or two in April and May, so I have time to continue rebuilding his muscles to be ready for competition, but I have to just be patient and make sure I am actually remembering he still needs lots of just straight line running too! As well, Spike and I are going to do another Theresa Rector agility seminar in April, if all goes well, so I need him in shape for that.

Spike, looking dazed. It was SUPER hard to get him to look at me!

Murphy, in a rare moment she decided to sit still.

Sophie, just a split second before she moved, lucky me!

Sophie is one lucky dog at this moment! I am so grateful that Rebecca suggested I take Spike to Dr. Orchard as I randomly asked if she could help Sophie. Because of that one simple question I assumed the answer would be "no" to,  Sophie is completely well as of this moment. She has been approved to go back to Agility classes and can now start with low jumps. She has been free of lameness for over 6 weeks now, and has been without any medications for that length of time. I see no signs of pain, no evidence that she will return to her former incredibly sad state. What I'm left with is a mischievous, rambunctious, happy Lab!  At the start of the appointment today, before she had any adjustments, Sophie was leaping, straight up and down, all four paws off the floor, repetitively to give Dr. Orchard kisses, as she laughed and told me "there's no going back now...we can't tone her down, you know!"  Sophie is able to get along with other dogs, she is HAPPY and she's getting into TONS of trouble so I know things are on the upswing. 

I am still shocked at the difference between Sophie this winter and last winter. Last winter, I hoped I could manage to keep her around for another year or two before deciding I couldn't manage her pain. Now, I suspect she'll outlive me, LOL.

Sophie is getting into more trouble than ever before, however.  Consider the following:

Yes, that's Murphy with an empty Blizzard cup (thanks Rebecca for the blizzards today!! Lovely Saturday treat to go with the Tim Horton's coffee you brought me too!)

Murphy zoomed down the hallway to my bed where she tried to avoid the evidence. Nice try little brat! I KNOW you have the cup!

She's given up trying to pretend it's not her chewing on it.

Anyway, what does that above scene have to do with Sophie? Only Sophie can and will stretch herself out as far as possible, then use her paws to bat at things at the very back edge of the kitchen counter to get it down. She'll even do things like this in front of me, expecting I won't notice or care. Oh, I notice all right!   Sophie has gotten SOOO bad that I nearly tossed her out of the car before we even got to the vet today. I stopped to run a few errands on the way, one of which was a trip to the grocery store. It's my fault completely for buying that bag of Sweet and Salty popcorn, of course and that my trunk is broken on the car (it's an old car, and I am seriously getting sick of fixing things! I need to trade it in for a shiny mini van where I can LOCK HER IN A CRATE!) so the groceries were in the front seat. Now, I'm not stupid, they were locked in a rubbermaid tub that I imagined was Sophie proof. HA! She managed to nose her way in, and in the 10 minutes I ran into flyball for a quick visit, she ate the WHOLE BAG! Sigh. Needless, I had to apologize to poor Dr. Orchard because Sophie is some smelly now! Sigh, what have I done?!? 

Anyway, yup, life is good. Sophie might be a very bad dog, but I wouldn't trade her for the world. And, Spike is getting better so that's awesome. And, I am happy to have a new camera again! Life is good!

Good News, Good News!

I took Spike and Sophie both to the vet yesterday.  I had no idea what to expect, after all the grumpiness Spike has been exhibiting and that awful display with the sheltie, last weekend.  But, Spike had 3 little minor tweaks this week and has been approved to fully run agility!!!!  I can run him hard, at height and weave again with the caution to bring him back in, in 2 weeks just to make sure everything is looking ok.  So, that was fantastic news!! The limping?? Likely caused racing down the icy, back steps with Murphy hot on his tail. So any grumpiness is Spike, being Spike and I can no longer blame it on pain, ha!

Spike wants you to know that deep down, he really IS excited....

Sophie's appointment was VERY interesting!  I am not even sure what all is out on Sophie's back, although when she goes back in a week, I'll ask to see her chart. Dr. Orchard worked on her skull as Soph has always had a problem with running into things so this will help that. She worked on her lumbar region which visibly made a HUGE difference. Sophie's spine has curved up for as long as I can remember. She has a nearly straight back at the moment. But, mainly her Sacrum was out, likely causing the intermittent lameness. I'll be honest, I cried when I got home because for the FIRST TIME EVER, Sophie is holding her tail like a normal lab. She's always carried it high, and I thought it was some weird quirk she was born with. Nope, it was her sacrum all this time. So, I have no idea what her long term prognosis will be but I can tell you this: she moves better. She is actually walking far more normally. She still has a bit of the sway back going on, but it's been lessened. The reality is, Sophie will always have loose hip joints but because there was no degeneration in her X-Rays taken a little over a year ago, it never made sense that she had so many arthritic symptoms. But, she will always be at a greater than normal risk of arthritis on this joints. Just, shouldn't be at 3 years of age. And, her knee will always be an issue now; she had a partial cruciate tear and the scar tissue will always be here. But, this vet may well get her off pain meds. Or, give us access to Cartophen shots which are much better for her, long term than any other pain meds I can give. (and, at an incredible deal that made me cry in the office with the vet).  For the first time since this journey to figure Sophie out, I have an incredible sense of relief and hope. I can help this dog of mine yet. It's been a long time coming. Look out Obedience world, we're coming back!!!!

Sophie wants you to know she can sit better and lie down better already! But, sadly, it's 7AM and she refuses to model her  newfound abilities. :)

Doesn't she look grumpy?!? It's the "LEAVE ME ALONE, I KNOW YOU'RE EXCITED ALREADY!!"  look, LOL

Sophie got presents!!!

It's Sophie's lucky day!!  Jean, a kindly soul sent Sophie some liver support stuff to help her out while she takes Deramaxx.  Sophie is THRILLED!  I am even more THRILLED!!

Thank you SOOOO much Jean, I cried a little when you offered!!  This is why I love the dog community; people understand, care and support and it means the world to me that you did this!

Hmmm, pretty box!!!

Supplements are GREAT!  

Content Sophie. 

Yup, the world is a pretty darn good place today.  Hug your poochies, and be reminded, there's still good people out there.

Something tells me...

this isn't normal....  I have pictures of how Sophie always sits and downs these days. I thought I would show them for you all to see if anyone has thoughts on what is going on. Something tells me, I am wrong and it's not her hips bugging her, but her knee. It's the same one that actually did have a partial ACL tear, but she was like this well before the tear happened. (I can tell you exactly the day it did; I watched her fall in a gopher hole while she was running, watching me).  Anyway, I have her booked at the University of Saskatchewan Vet. College in September for further investigations because it's all not sitting well and I just think a second opinion wouldn't hurt at this point!!

Anyway, knee or hip?!?

That's a view, from above, of obviously an off kilter down. She was chewing a bone at the time, so nothing stressful. (And, yes, that's Murphy's nose... she tried to sneak into most of these pics!)

Same.... different angle.

This is her sit... next pic shows it better.

There, that's without a Spike tail in the way! :)

Anyway, any thoughts??  I know it's not normal and I am trying to figure it out so am open to suggstions... thank you all!

The cost of a best friend

Sophie was at the vet today and I had her blood work done, had her knee and hips checked and generally just made sure all was well. I learned that Sophie definitely tore her ACL in the spring, which I likely should have had checked but opted to manage at home and monitor. She wouldn't be doing as well as she is, if it was a complete tear so my treatment plan of pain management and restricted activity has worked to heal it up basically. There's still some instability in the knee and scar tissue, but she's ok. Sophie wouldn't even let the vet check her hips. She didn't growl or get upset, she just moved herself away and politely refused. We both guessed she's sore.

So, I walked away with her Blood Work results. Unfortunately, my scanner isn't working or I would upload the results; that will have to wait for another day but basically everything was normal.

I am left with a young, high energy, depressed Lab who is in pain off and on, all the time. I have Deramaxx to manage the pain as the Glucosamine/MSM mixture she gets doesn't cut it. The Deramaxx comes at a price as it will eventually destroy her liver function but the goal is mobility in the short term. I also can do acupuncture, laser treatments and underwater treadmill work with her. Unfortunately, that all costs money and Soph is expensive. Her pain pills are about $5.00 a pill; she takes 1 a day when things are bad and that's the cheapest part of her treatment.

As I discussed this with a friend, she made the comment to me, "all this for a dog that doesn't do anything. At least she's not your agility dog". That got me thinking about everything. Would I pay for hip surgery if this was Spike we were talking about? Would that change my treatment plans, if it was my flyball/agility/therapy dog? How much is realistic, considering I am a normal person, making a decent living working as a teacher, but with other commitments like student loan payments from the last round of school and tuition payments for this round?  Does my inability to continue to do things like acupuncture regularly enough stem from the fact that she's just a pet, or would I be making the same decision for Spike? All interesting thoughts and questions.

Here's what I know. I love Sophie to pieces. Sophie is not an agility dog, she's not an obedience dog, she's just a pet. She lives in my house with me, licks my plate clean when my back is turned, sleeps with her head on the pillow beside me and is my constant companion. I have always claimed Spike is my heart dog, but Sophie has a greater empathetic nature to her; she gets things emotionally better than Spike does. She wants to make the world better with a tail wag and a lick.  When I am upset, happy, laughing or crying, Sophie is there first. She makes me angry when she's bad but she makes me laugh more than any other dog ever has. She would be an agility dog and obedience dog if she could physically do it. She  loves running agility; she lights up in the yard when I put her through a tunnel or over a tiny little jump. She has enthusiasm to spare and she was so much fun in agility class. Just because she didn't get to earn a title doesn't mean she didn't want to. If she had her way, she'd still be playing. Sophie was also very close to going for her CD title in Obedience; I had entered her in an Obedience competition last fall but my grandmother passed away and I had to withdraw her. She could have done it, and I know it but the winter was so hard on her hip that I just didn't enter her in the spring, when I had the next opportunity to.

So, I guess where I am heading now is that I know I am doing everything I can for Sophie. I will make her as comfortable as I can, for as long as I can. I hope more treatment options come along, in the meantime as I really think she's too young to be on as big a dose of Deramaxx as she is. And, I don't care whether Sophie is just a pet... she's my girl and I am trying to make the right decisions. I think I would be doing the same if it was Spike.

Home Sweet Home!

I am back from a weekend in Alberta!  I took Murphy off to meet my parents and their dogs for the weekend, and left Spike and Sophie behind. Murphy wasn't as much of a hit as I would have liked her to be; she was suspicious of my dad, barking and growling at him at times, and poor Buster and Lucy were reluctant to share their home or their favourite people's laps! But, by the end, they were starting to play and work out their issues. Good thing Miss Murph is SO submissive; no fighting for her!! There are pictures to follow, as soon as my mom emails me the pictures (hint, hint mom!).

Spike and Sophie clearly had a great weekend! Sophie limped around abit at the kennel, but she is doing so much better than she did all winter; it gives me great optimism that she just can't handle the cold but will feel better in the summer. So, come fall, I'll take her back to the Vet and get her pain medication relooked at to make sure we are helping her the best we can.  Spike didn't want to come home after potentially killing two gophers (he's being implicated in their sudden and untimely deaths at least). But, once in the car, he was happy enough to be on the way home. Once again, pictures to follow, once I get photos off Facebook. Lucky for me, Rebecca at The Poop Guys takes photos for me so I can see how great my dogs are, without me! Ha!  It's a huge relief to have such a great kennel actually and to know my dogs are doing well, when I am not around.

Ups and Downs

It's been a few days since my last post, and I have wanted to write, but I lost motivation for a bit, in a haze of June craziness. I was away on the weekend, to celebrate family birthdays with the family. We gathered in Medicine Hat, and had a lovely time, even if it was a long way to drive for a dinner.  And, I am packing up my office, yet again for another change. I've been to my new school for a day and I want another as it's an overwhelming prospect to take on the next classroom without at least another day to see the kids in action and to help understand how the schedule works throught the day. 

I've taken Murphy to agility and realized yet again how different of a dog she is; she's driven by her nose and instinct so now I am working on the command "nose up" to make it easier to run her in agility. I think she's going to be great, if I can get her attention and focus on me, and off the delicious smells on the ground. I've missed Spike's agility due to rain.

I've noticed how much better Sophie is doing; her limp is nearly unnoticeable right now and that's a huge relief after a difficult winter.

I've registered for classes and horrors... my thesis for second semester. It's really true, I am barely into my MEd, and I can see the end already. I'm getting ready for another weekend away, this time to run flyball in Moose Jaw and I have to admit I am VERY nervous since we haven't had much practice since the last tournament and I am concerned about my abilities to pass. Timing is so tricky with flyball and I really, really don't want to mess the team up!

So, it's not that I haven't intended to write... I have. It's just, I have lots going on. I will write soon, and finish the story of Spike and get more pictures up and hopefully be able to share some crazy Sophie stories. SOON, I promise!