Portland Agility Club Trial AKC Agility Trial - January 2011

Well, considering two weeks ago I wasn't sure if Vegas was going to get to run again (Yes, I tend to be one of those dog mom's whose heart and mind go down all the worst paths....), what a weekend we had! After everything started looking up a week ago I managed to re-confirm Vegas' entry into the trial this past weekend. And boy am I glad I did!!!!! Hot damn, my girl was on fire. What an amazing trial.

For starters, we had two of my favorite judges. Their courses are always fun, fair, and designed in such a fashion that they are not overly harsh on a giant breed's body. Our local judge was Paula Ratoza and our judge from afar was Lavonda Herring. The trial was hosted by PAC.

So going into the trial I knew that worst case scenario was to scratch Vegas and go back to the previous plan of scheduling Vegas to see an orthopedic specialist. But based upon her condition all week, it seemed she would be fine and if I had any other indication I would not have risked her well-being.

It was really cold - colder indoors than out - so warming up properly was really important. Fortunately the structure of the trial made the building much less crowded since Excellent classes were all running at the start of the day followed by the Novice and Open level competitors. That meant I got a good amount of space to jog Vegas around including gaiting her at the end of a 6' leash to the side of me. I appreciated this opportunity to really get a look at how she was moving. I was also able to use the practice jump to leave her in a stay and recall over the jump so I could see her forward movement. All was looking fantastic.

Saturday
We ran Standard first on Saturday followed by JWW. Here are the courses:

Fortunately I'm learning better how to place Vegas at the start line. I used to set her up straight on for everything. In this case, although a tire is often a "straight on" obstacle, she's a smart enough athlete to know where to go and adjust her body accordingly. So I started her in this course a bit offset to the left of the tire and plenty far back. Why? I wanted a bit of an arc to get started and needed to create an arc or curve to the #2 jump. Plus it's easier for me to get started with her near me so she has to move out and away while I just move forward. Once Vegas took the tunnel, #5, I was able to move parallel across to the far side of the #6 jump in a front cross to pull her over the jump to the chute. For a while now Vegas has been somewhat slow going through the chute. I was excited to see her speed this weekend, in this course, through the chute. It's not a difficult obstacle or hard on her body, but for some reason she is often slower than with tunnels. From there I knew I had to keep her attention so she wasn't drawn to the tunnel. Always concerned about a-frame contacts, I was right there looking down and keeping her with me. The challenge next is moving ahead but not at a pace that sends her past the entrance to the weaves. She nailed her weaves and we moved ahead. I had some handling difficulties out of the tunnel and didn't make my rear cross at the teeter like I had planned. There was a funny picture the photographer took that had her face looking like, "Get outta my way!" as I did a front cross in front of the teeter as she hit the ground. We ran for the finish line and got our second MX leg. I looked back at the timer - 58 plus seconds on a course that measured 70 SCT. Whooohoo - 11 MACH points!

Starting with a tunnel isn't a bad thing, but I can't say I usually like it either. It's just...well, it's just strange. But we had tunnels as the first obstacle in two courses this weekend. This course had a lot of people really scratching their heads trying to figure which side to start out on - left or right - with the weaves placed where they were and the #13 jump as a possible off course. Fortunately I had seen a similar setup of the weaves at our last trial in Fast and knew what worked to handle it. I stayed on the right and just made sure to use my off-hand to come across my body as Vegas came over the #2 jump. That move really made it clear to her that she was not going to continue straight from #2 but angle back to the left. From the weaves, I often figure the course can be home free since our weaves are not always rock solid. However, this course I knew I had to keep working it as I always should. Here though, I had to remember not to act too soon and pull her out of the weaves. The #4 is back and down toward the beginning of the weaves - again, we've seen something like this before so experience was helpful. A year ago I would have had heart palpitations over the 180 at 7-8. Instead I was more concerned about not pushing her out too far at the #6 jump and possibly going over #10. I really liked the long home stretch from #13-20. I knew this would allow Vegas to really open up and run, plus it was good for her mental state. She really enjoys jumpers courses although rarely are they really built to give her the ability to stretch and stride out. I'm so pleased to say she qualified in that run with 5 MACH points. Plus - the most exciting part of all - that qualifying run made for our very first double Q!!!!!! 19 to go. LOL

Sunday

Following my own lead from the day before, I shaped the entry into this course. I was hoping for a front cross at #3 to give me a shorter distance to travel for a front cross at #5. I set Vegas up to the left of the first jump with a good lead - almost to the ring entrance gate. I didn't make my front cross but knew she and I have a good "flip" so I counted on that to send her to #5. At that point I had rear-crossed at #4 and was able to make my move - just barely. Similar again to our last trial, going over the triple into the corner, I knew for sure I had to get her head and keep her focus with me on that stride or two to the weaves. Go Vegas! She totally did it and nailed the weaves again. From there we were home free. I really just ran and ran and she came along with me clearing everything in her path. I was so proud of how well she was doing. As you can imagine, with our third Q out of three runs for the weekend, it was quite an exhilarating high.

Here was our second course of the weekend with a tunnel start. From the dog walk to the chute we had to be careful to call our dogs through the other jumps. Turned out to be no problem for Vegas. She was about midway through the chute when I called out to her which turned out to be just right so she didn't pull toward me too much in the chute, instead making her chute exit fairly straight out. Fortunately for us, the way Vegas hits the contact and ground on the teeter, she has enough of a halt that I didn't worry about the tunnel being a draw. Straight for the table, turn to face me. Then, of course, was the heart-stopping, always worrisome weave entrance. After all, isn't it fun to launch off the table and just run? I knew, again, I had to control her head and keep her with me. Why do I ever doubt my dog? Go, Vegas! She nailed the weaves again - for the fourth time of the weekend. Four courses, four sets of weaves, flawless. Craig was watching and said she was really moving nicely, too. Confident and quick. The rest of the course was a bit of a blur. I think it went pretty much as I planned with me on the outside until the offside arm "flip" to the tire. Then around to the a-frame and a rear cross. The large pinwheel posed potential difficulty for small dogs with so much striding room between jumps but was perfect for Vegas. I wish I had video of it. I know it was a thing of beauty as she flowed between that last sequence of jumps, grinning and smooth. Looking back at the clock - we did it again! Seriously - a feeling of unreal euphoria. Four runs. Four qualifiers. Two double Qs. God is good. That was God's goodness after the stress and strain, heartache and worry of considering a future without agility with my big girl. What a weekend.

Canine Nose Work Supplies

I finally ordered some supplies to continue training Vegas in Canine Nose Work. Classes are really expensive and nothing close enough to me that has fit our schedule lately so I figured I would continue on at home. Following the guidelines for introduction to scent, I plan on using the Birch scent first. Here are the items I am expecting:

• Essential Oil: Birch
• Essential Oil: Anise
• Essential Oil: Clove
• Tweezers
• Cotton Swabs: White stubs
• Cotton Swabs: Black
• Small Tin

Unfortunately the purchase is a bit anti-climatic now. Once the order was placed I learned it will take 2-3 weeks before my order is shipped. I understand why, but I'm one of those instant gratification types. So, there won't be any progression on the nose work front for now. Oh well; I'm going to look for a good book or keep reading the website and training materials I can find online and then I'll be ready in a few weeks. There is a sanctioned trial in a couple of months which is exciting. This is a fast growing sport and I think Vegas will be successful. She is really into sniffing, sometimes too much as she forgets I have the treat and stops working with me to "sniff" out the treat, convinced I've hidden it from her.

A Conundrum

This picture is pretty dead on how I feel about Vegas' lameness issue as of late. Following my last post, a friend who is a veterinarian sent the radiographs to an orthopedic surgeon at OSU. Sunday I was gone part of the day running errands and came home around 2:30 pm to two, very pent up dogs. Time for a walk. Vegas wasn't limping at that time and I figured a leisurely walk would do her good. Well, she was out in the lead pulling me the whole time. We went on a walk near our house that we enjoy, meandering through the woods toward the park. Fortunately there is a section that we never hardly see anyone so I let both off leash. I was thinking at the time that based upon what I knew, it wasn't an injury so letting her romp if she was comfortable was no big deal. So I decided to let her have at it - and have at it she did. What a nut of a dog I have. There is a spot along the path that, in the summer, has tall grass. She LOVES tall grass. So now, of course, it's tall, flattened grass all dried up. Fortunately it has been very cold and dry for a while so it wasn't sloppy and gross. She romped and jumped and bounded and had a fantastic time. We continued on and the dogs were leashed and once again we walked. When we got to the park I let Vegas go again and she did some more joyful bounding in the green, tended grass of the park. No limping. I decided to go for a walk through the woods along the river, one of our favorite local places. There are umpteen trails winding through the couple of acres that make up the wooded area along the river and we thoroughly enjoy it and rarely even notice the small size. She was crazy. Seriously crazy. First of all this is the queen of all Velcro dogs. She rarely leaves me more than a dozen yards or so and comes instantly back. Not this time. She was off and running, bounding, leaping, and sometimes scaring me with her charges toward the river where there are drop-offs and sharp banks at points.
I only brought my cell phone with me so the pictures aren't great - and she was moving so fast sometimes there was no way the image would be clear.

So after our woods romp we headed for home. In the home stretch I could tell the dogs were ready to go home, although you wouldn't know it when we got there as Vegas didn't really settle down for a while. She was still trying to play and have zoomies in the house. I fully expected her to be limping at some point that evening; I hadn't given her any pain medication or anti-inflammatories at all.

Later Sunday night, I got a call from Rachel. She'd received a response back from the doctor and her assessment was greatly different than what was reported by the previous referral. The OSU doc didn't think her pain was from the bone spurs. I don't have the report in front of me and when I do I'll post it, but she felt more diagnostics needed to take place including more complete x-rays, and that there was something else that caused the lameness. Great. Granted, those two doctors had not seen Vegas and were pretty much going blind but for the x-rays, but let's just say the whole "issue" got more confusing than ever. Fast forward to Monday morning, Vegas wasn't limping. Monday evening, Vegas wasn't limping. She has not favored that leg at all since Saturday. I don't understand it at all and am completely torn as to what to think. Hence the hair pulling.

Tonight I took Leo to agility practice and she was BESIDE HERSELF when I left. I knew I was going to have my hands full when I got home. And I did. She was demanding, obnoxious, pushy, and all too full of energy. This is what happens when you have a dog used to a high level of activity. Loafing around does not suit them. We did some heel position work, nothing too strenuous, and she settled down some. An hour later, she was up and down and whining and bugging me, hovering, standing there staring at me, nudging me, generally being a nuisance. By that time it was 9:30 pm and 31 degrees. So, we did some obedience stuff, heel position, rally moves, worked on our kick-line/shake we'll use for our drill team routine, and then used our hallway into my bedroom for sit/stay to recall to front moves. She was all over it. Still not limping.

So as of right now, if I can still run her this weekend in the trial, I'm going to try. I'm going to cancel the specialist appointment and wait her out and see. Perhaps it was a fluke and the bone spurs were always there. I just don't know. But living with her and forcing an inactivity isn't happening. And she is telling me she's fine. If Vegas were a dog that was stoic, I would probably respond differently. But she's not. She tells me when she hurts and can't do something. Right now, she's tell me "full steam ahead." So that is what we'll do for now. But damn if the whole "not knowing" isn't frustrating.

Radiologist Report

I woke this morning to a more normal Vegas. Although the leg situation hasn't changed, at least she felt better and was perky like usual. She had gotten me up several times between midnight and 3 am to go outside as her system worked through the apparent reaction to the Butorphanol she was given. Mostly I was glad to see her perky and cuddly. Last night she was just out of it and had no life in her eyes.

The other thing I woke to was an email from the vet with her other x-ray and the radiologist report. Here are the two x-rays side by side.

  

You can see the big difference between the left and the right and even the inflammation around the one on the left. No wonder why my baby girl is in pain.

So yesterday when I talked with a friend she gave me an idea of what causes bone spurs - more specifically, what they are a sign of. Osteoarthritis. Needless to say, what that would mean to our performance career not to mention the remainder of Vegas' life - and possibly her longevity - scared me to my core and had me imagining all the worst.

Nothing is definitive though, but here is what the radiologist said and we go to the specialist next Saturday.

LEFT CARPUS AND FOOT 12/31/10: Two dorsopalmar views of the left carpus and foot, and a dorsopalmar view of the right carpus and foot are available for review (3 total).
FINDINGS: There is a clearly demarcated well defined pointed bony protuberance from the lateral aspect of the distal ulna. Focal thickened soft tissue is present in this location. The margins of the lesion are well-defined, and there is no evidence of adjacent lysis. The adjacent trabecular pattern of the distal diaphysis is normal. There is no evidence of significant cortical destruction. There is a similar bony protuberance from the lateral aspect of the right distal ulna. This is not as pointed in orientation, and there is no associated soft tissue swelling. The carpus and phalanges are otherwise bilaterally normal.
CONCLUSIONS: The bilateral ulnar protuberance is benign in appearance. An osteoma or osteochondroma is most likely. The lesion on the left has resulted in focal soft tissue irritation which is a likely cause of pain.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Removal of the left ulnar lesion is likely to be necessary.

Of course I did a bunch of Googling after reading this - thank God for the internet - and the osteochondroma sounds most likely. Here is an interesting article and perhaps the most clear to understand that I found. This is the part that makes it scarier:

Following complete surgical excision of the mass, the prognosismay be good. When incompletely excised, osteochondromas may recur. Occasionally osteochondromas may undergo malignanttransformation to chondrosarcomas and osteosarcomas.(12)

Dr. Lozier will be seeing her next weekend. Thankfully he is a Board Certified Surgeon. His interests are closely aligned with the problem she has so I hope that really works in our favor. For now, she seems to be doing okay. Her appetite is good. She got to go with us on a trip to Borders book store today and was loved on by lots of people. Now she's happily chilling on "her" couch.

Do Over

I want a do over but this time I don't want the same outcome. Not for the whole year, just the last couple of days.

Last year around this time she was limping. We weren't able to compete in the Portland Agility Club trial the first weekend in January then, either. Three days ago she started limping. I came home from work around 4:15 prepared to take both dogs out for a walk in between the too many showers/monsoons we've been having. Most days V just chills on the couch when I'm away - even when the kids are home. She just waits for her mama. This week was no different. Except when she got up she was favoring her left front. I didn't think a lot of it since she hadn't done anything that could have injured it and, actually, chalked it up to sleeping on it folded up under her. We went for our walk and did about brisk pace four about 3.5 miles plus a short break mid-way through for her to romp in a field. And romp she did, so I didn't think anything more of it.

When we came home she was clearly favoring that leg again even as she waited for her dinner. In fact, she wouldn't put it down all the way even when sitting. Soooo, I made sure she didn't take the stairs more than necessary, thoroughly checked out the leg, foot, shoulder on that leg, and kept an eye on her.

Thursday
Still limping in the morning. Still limping in the evening. Almost non weight-bearing. So, I checked everything out again. That's when I noticed a non-uniformity between her legs. See the picture below that depicts what I saw/felt (in red) as best as I could draw it on a picture I found online (ignore the fracture).

From my palpation it didn't seem painful; she just looked at me with big, brown eyes. I had never seen/felt that bump before though so it was the only thing I could think might be the cause of the problem. I sent the picture to my friend who is a veterinarian. She couldn't figure what it might be either.

Friday
Still limping this morning. Still essentially non weight-bearing when she could. I tried calling our normal vet on my way to work but they weren't open yet. I called after their open hours and wasn't getting anything but the answering machine. I tried one or two more times then went to their website. They were closed today. I figured I would just take her in first thing tomorrow when they opened (assuming they were open). After all, it wasn't an emergency per se. I got off work a few minutes after three and came home to cuddle with her on the couch. She was struggling to figure out what to do with the leg when she got on the couch and went so far as to paw/swat at me with it a few times. And give me this deep, soul melting look. I could tell it was hurting her bad. I called our secondary veterinarian and found out when they closed. Although they were open until nine tonight, I took her over right away. I told them all the specifics and we saw Dr. Hussey right away. After chatting a bit (She saw Vegas last year when she was bit in the ear plus she takes classes from an instructor I know.), she examined Vegas' legs and agreed with my findings on the legs - the mysterious bumps were not normal. She was given an injection of Butorphanol to take the edge off for x-rays and we waited in the exxam room about 20 minutes or so. Then off to x-ray she went after I was given a (jaw droppingly expensive *sigh*) quote.

I had barely gone out into the waiting room and flipped through Spot Magazine when Vegas was being brought back into the room. At first I thought they weren't able to get the x-rays and had a brief, internal moment of panic at the thought of a having to sedate her and an increased quote. Instead of taking the number of x-rays and views the doctor had expected, they just ended up having her stand/lean her front legs up on the x-ray table and shot three of her front legs since they felt she was too squirmy to be able to do any more. Plus they'd seen what they needed to.

I asked the vet to send me the x-rays. I've got one out of the three above. This is her left foreleg and foot. You can see the white, pointy/triangular spot on the left. She has one on the right, too, but not nearly as pronounced. The vet said they are bone spurs and didn't have a lot of advice or suggestion beyond that. She has the x-rays out for referral and I should hear back in 24-48 hours. In the meantime she gave us Rimadyl for the inflammation and discomfort. And I'm on pins and needles.

11:46 pm
Right now as I finish typing this, Vegas is resting on my bed. However, the last two hours have been spent with her jumping up every 30 minutes or so and heading for the back door quickly. She has diarrhea on top of everything else. I just fed her some pumpkin so hopefully that will help stop her up. She's not herself and I'm off to bed to cuddle with my girl in hopes of seeing her eyes sparkle and her personality come back tomorrow.

Happy new year.

52 Weeks of Vegas

This year I participated in an activity called 52 Weeks of Dogs, a Flickr group. It was a challenge. I wasn't very creative. I had several moments of "Oh crap! I have to get my photo posted." But looking back, wow, what an opportunity to have a year of photos of Vegas. I am still trying to figure out what physical form these will take. Likely I'll use a photo printing website and put them into some sort of a book or something. Without further ado, here is 52 Weeks of Vegas.

Happy new year!