The journey my little Breezie and I are on is a long winding road and as so many journeys it is not at all the journey I had envisioned when I picked up little Breeze for the ride home from the ranch four years ago. I guess it is the journey that was meant for us, and I have learned an awful lot with Breeze by my side, so guess I can not complain too much, except for an occasional rant and expression of frustration in my blog ;-), I do wish some things were different but I love having Breeze in my life, and all in all it has been a great journey.
SAME SONG SECOND VERSE....NOT AGAIN
I can not imagine what it must feel like to read my blog....because I get tired of saying once again....Breeze got hurt in class. I just find it so ....unbelievable to be typing that again. I really thought she was feeling better after her last treatment and she looked so much better and actually got the weaves the last three days....the first time she has looked really good since the start of last summer.
Tonight in class, her weaves had some really bizarre striding, I could see it as I ran, but by the sixth pole she could not maintain the striding and SLAMMED her hip into the pole-bending the pole-like a big bend in it. Breeze SCREAMED-a sound I never want to hear again. Of course I walked her out but she was obviously hurting, and JUMPING and trying to go back in the weave poles-Breeze really is a nut and doesn't care how much it hurts, she wants to go!.
When I saw how funky her striding I should have pulled her out, but number one it happened so fast I was just watching and trying to figure out what she was doing and number two she is just doing such weird strides part of me doesn't know how much I just have to let her go and figure out how it is best for her to move her body. Up until then the last two days her weaves were so gorgeous. Breeze is an excellent weaver if she feels good, but that is sure where her discomfort is showing.
I do not know what to do with her anymore, she gets her chiro and acupuncture treatments every month to six weeks and has for years, I do tons of core exercises and rear end stuff, I make sure to warm her up and walk her out after exercises and we do a lot of massage and stretching. I use her Back on Track jacket, she is on Adequain and lots of supplements, but the vet feels that things are catching up with her and now we are seeing more injuries and compensation further up her body from how she compensates for what goes on with her hips.
I am wondering if I need to just let her work on jumping and take a break from the weaves until spring. Her vet does not want me to quit with her because she wants her joints moving and working, but I am thinking maybe it has to be without the weaves until it warms up. Except for weaves and the aframe Breeze looks so good, she is running nice, she is jumping beautifully, she is reading all the new moves we have been working on and she is so happy. Well, after tonight she is really limping but I am thinking that is that huge hit she took to her hip, that was so nasty.
To tell you the truth I sort of really just wish we could get our last Q for her open title and then maybe it is getting time to retire her from trialing. Not sure we would be able to get a q because of the weaves.., and I know Breeze really does not give a durn if she finishes her title, and it will not improve her life any.....so I am going to have to do some thinking and more talking with the vet when we go on Tuesday. I could give it a try and not practice weaves and just see how she does in a trial, or do some USDAA jumpers....or just make peace with just having fun with my girl-although the vet keeps encouraging me not to stop agility with her, but guess we can do agility without trialing, I just wish someone could give me some answers.
I would quit in a minute if any of the vets said I should and I ask every time I go in, but both our vets keep telling me that for her mental health and keeping her joints working they do not think I should just quit, although gosh even talking about wanting that last Q makes me feel so guilty.
8 comments:
Oh boy, poor Breeze and poor you. Do you have NADAC near you? Maybe that would be a better option. They have tunnelers, and jumpers and I think Hoopers. SO that would give you 3 classes without weaves or contacts.
I like the name Ash. Funny about worrying about what the judge might hear. I think I remember someone telling me their dogs name was "Tucker" and the judge thought she was calling him the "F" word.
Diana
Oh that's too bad. Poor Breeze. It must be so frustrating, since you are doing everything in your power to prevent injuries.
Like NADAC, CPE has a bunch of games that you could probably work around if you wanted to continue trialing, but avoid certain obstacles. You could jump her at a lower height too.
Happy Gotcha Day Breeze! Now, stop worrying your momma!
I'm so sorry to hear about the injury of Breeze. Poor you, you must be very worried about her now. I'm sorry that I can't give any good advice on whether you should continue the agility or not because I don't do agility with Eva. I do hope the vets could come up better solutions which Breeze can have her necessary exercises but they won't hurt her either.
I do like the name ASH too but Breeze is definitely a beautiful name which suits her so well when she weaves through the poles!
Oh no, poor Breeze! I am so very sorry to hear that she got hurt doing the weaves in class - I really feel for you having to go through this time after time and trying always to do the strengthening and warming up and stuff to prevent injuries. Gosh how very frustrating for you and for Breeze! I wish I had some answers for you too. I think you can do agility without trialing though. Dogs love the game and the time spent with their handler - they don't need to do it at a trial (the trials are for the humans). We have all of our most favorite agility moments in our own backyard!
Happy Gotcha Day, Breeze! Hope you feel better today and hope your mom feels better too!
Happy Gottcha day Breeze!
Wow...I can only imagine the sound that you heard. I remember the time that Sagira got bit when she was a puppy. She made this sound that I NEVER want to hear again. I hope that she will be okay.
I don't think you should feel bad for wanting that title either. You train and work SO hard for it, it is only natural to want to finish up her 3rd leg on a title. I hope she feels better soon.
Sorry to her about Breeze's injury. I have a BC that had a hip replacement when he was 2. He was hit by a car and the hip was dislocated. Anyway long story short he had the hip replaced. He did agility for 4 years before I had to retire him. Not from the hip but from epilepsy and the drugs he is on for that. So I know how you feel. His hip is really bothering him now. He is nine years old.
What sad news on Breeze's gotcha day. :( Poor girl gives it her all and keeps getting hurt! I'm assuming she's on supplements, right? Is there anything else you can give her to prevent these type of soft-tissue injuries?
I hope she's back in working order in no time. And I hope you are able to keep trialing her! Sara's ideas of CPE and NADAC sound great - maybe you can do AKC sporadically in between to finish up a title or two, and use CPE and NADAC just to get some time in the show ring.
Ugh that's a tough call to make. On the one hand it's hard to keep spending the money in trials and not going forward. I know it's really mostly for fun but still... a Q here and there is nice. It's nice to move up. I can't do it just for the fun, I need a goal in mind.
It's so frustrating when they hurt somewhere and we just can't figure out what or where. :(
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