Beth has some training in canine massage and is really good at giving overall assessments of the dog and some advisement toward gait issues, etc.
In the image above, the purple spot is what Beth called the "agility back." She said it was a result of jumping and impact and it must be somewhat common is my thought. She asked if I had been stretching Vegas by having her reach her nose to her rump and I told her, "religiously." She felt up and down her spine and fortunately didn't find any touchy, sensitive, painful spots. That's the good news. So what does this mean? Well, now it means we add yet another stretch to our repertoire. Now instead of just reaching for her butt, we stretch to the points shown in blue above. Five seconds each at least once a day. She said that should loosen things up and resolve it. I'm also going to renew my efforts to massage her good in the back, shoulders, and hips/thighs after any exertion. Bringing blood flow to hard working muscles will help to maintain her body, promote circulation, and avoid aches that can occur from working so hard.
I'll keep a close eye on her this weekend but since she ran so well last weekend and isn't painful, there isn't anything to indicate she's not fit. Fortunately. I'm so grateful for that. In fact tonight she was full of pep and spice telling me that staying home and doing nothing was not her choice. Tomorrow I have a feeling we'll be heading out on a bike ride to our favorite park after work.
That's very interesting. That's one of the stretches I do with Layla before our runs, have her touch her nose to her rump. Now I'll do those three blue spots, and not just before we run either. Her physical therapist hasn't noticed anything yet, but better to work to prevent it now than worry about it later. Thanks for letting me know!
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