'Cause It Can't *Always* Be About Kate

Had a fun trial this weekend.  This is the only CPE trial a year that I don't have to hotel it. 

Maybe sleeping in your own bed helps.

Probably helped that the weather was great.  It was actually cold in the morning.  Not often that I have a hoodie and jacket on in July.

Bella had a great weekend.  She was just having a good ol' time!

Jumpers run on Sunday.  It's so funny when she runs with her butt just tucked the slightest bit.  Like she is on the verge of zoomies but trying to keep her shit together.  :)

Bella Jumpers Sun Bay Team July CPE from 2halves on Vimeo.

Her Jackpot run on Sunday was a good time, too.  I don't care for a lot of the non-tradional Jackpots.  Some of them are a ton of fun and challenging in their own way.  A lot of them are just gimmes, though.  Kinda stupid easy.  I mean, I'll take the points, but really?

This was one of those easy ones are far as the gambles were concerned, darn fun running it, though!

Bella Jackpot Sun Bay Team CPE from 2halves on Vimeo.

WTHIWWK Part 3: I Told You She Was Skinny

See?!

So, good news, her elbows and shoulders are fab.  Like, not even "normal" wear and tear for a dog of her age and activity level.  Really good.

So, Yay! for that.

Other good news, her microchip is in the right place.

:)

Is it me or does her throat look like vacuum cleaner hose?

She came home a walking example of Three Sheets To The Wind

She is not mid-lick there.  Just can't keep all her bits in her face.

Aww, poor Kate. 

 Yet, HAHA!

At least she's a happy drunk and not an angry drunk.

The the semi-bad news is that she has some thickening of the first two (or maybe it was three - damn, I should really write these things down) thoracic vertebrae.  No apparent disc damage.

She doesn't think it was too much beyond normal wear and tear.  Nothing like....OMG!  But, it may be affecting the way she carriers herself.

So, next step will be chiro eval for more poking and prodding and gate analysis.

And no drugs for that!  She can experience the uncomfortable feeling my wallet is.

Dude, don't fuck with my mellow!

What The Hell Is Wrong With Kate, Part 2

Don't know yet.

First step:  fluid check.

All her blood work was good.  No apparent kidney or liver weirdness.  Thyroid fine.  Peepee fine.

Next step: X-rays on Monday. 

I have to drop her off in case they need to sedate her.  Although, the vet said they may not need to since "she's so good." 

"So good" means that when Kate is nervous she gets all stiff.  She's just like a Gumby doll. 
(Dating myself?) 

You can really just move her limbs where you want them and she stays there.  Yes, of course, it's horrible, awful when dogs are scared, yet, at the same time, kinda funny.

She continues to be completely normal otherwise.  Well, "normal" if normal is back end like a dog and front end like a coat rack.

Here's for hoping for continued this...

And a little bit of this...

And lots of this...

Thoughts On Muscle Loss?

 Kate is going to the vet on Wednesday. Just thought I would put this out there in case anyone has any ideas or things I should be asking that perhaps I hadn’t thought of.

Smidge of background…

Kate had a collision at the DP back in May. She ran over Miss Maddy Speedbump.

Both were fine right after and continued playing. Kate was a little stiff that night. No limping, just seemed perhaps a bit sore. Had the next day off. Totally fine on morning #3. Played ball in the morning with no issues. That night she was visibly limping on her right front.

I know how this goes. Been down this road before. Vet will say “soft tissue” and tell me to rest her. I skip the vet and go right to the resting.

No swelling or heat. No reaction to being manipulated from nails up to shoulder. Following day, no more limping but stiff.

No ball for you.

We continue with no ball and limited exercise for a few weeks. All’s good.

I go on vacation. Nine days of boarding. All’s still good.

However, Kate is a little thin. Not unusual at all. She’s the kind of girl you love to hate….The kind that actually loses weight when not getting serious exercise. Unlike her sister, who is now referred to as How Now Brown Cow.

Emphasis on the cow part.

I up her food a tad. Can’t do too much or she will act like a 3 year old who has been locked in a room for 2 weeks and fed nothing but skittles and coffee. She gets her rib pooch back and is at her normal 31 lbs but her shoulders are thin, Thin, THIN. Neck is a bit smaller, too. But the shoulders are really bothering me. Soooo boney. Kate is very much a front wheel drive dog and her front end is very muscular. Or, it was. I would say her shoulder muscles are about half what they are normally.

Everything else is normal….energy level, eating, drinking, peeing and pooping. Coat looks great. Gums look great. Attitude is great. I have googled the shit out of this and can’t seem to find anything about muscle loss in the front end. It all seems to be hind end related.

Any ideas?

And on a not-so-serious note…

If you have a toy-serious dog who waits very patiently you have experienced the confusion that causes other dogs. They totally don’t understand why your dog is not moving and doesn’t acknowledge them.

We upped the ante this morning at the park and confused the crap out of the Husky boys…

What are you doing down there? Are you OK!?

Should we call someone?

Just a trick, man, I'm fine.  Thanks for caring, though