Battling Age as an Agility Dog

Welcome readers from the Dog Agility Blog Action Day group! This post is related to the September theme of Aging.

Dally turned 8 years old about a month ago. It's certainly not old age, but it is middle age for a dog.

About four years ago, or so, I started taking her to a chiropractor on a regular basis--mostly for maintenance, but also when I noticed she just wasn't right. I started her on supplements at the suggestion of the chiropractor because I know supplements can help keep problems at bay before they become problems.

But it seems like lately Dally's just been off. I can't really put my finger on what's been wrong, but when she struggles to jump on the bed with me at night, and she seems to want to take a lot more breaks on our (1-2 mile everyday) walks.

So I made an appointment with Dr. Heather Forry and we realized that it had actually been since the first part of July that Dally had been worked on, so she had gone about 5 weeks (we were trying to keep to a 4-week window).

Dr. Forry found that she had quite a few places that she was out in, plus a little inflammation in her discs from being out of whack. A few pops here and there, and Dally was back in line.

We got to talking about nutrition, and the effect it can have on a dog as they age. When I mentioned Dally wasn't acting her usual perky self, we looked at the supplements she was on and the food she was eating.

At least six months ago I switched the Stump Kids from Blue Buffalo to Taste of the Wild. I hadn't seen any problems with the Blue Buffalo, but I was reading a lot about recalls for that brand, and it made me worry. I know quite a few people who feed Taste of the Wild, and it was about $2-3 cheaper than BB, so I switched. Dr. Forry commented that she's seem some older dogs respond very well to Taste of the Wild at first, but then it's like something builds up in their system and drags them down a little. So she suggested Natural Instinct. So now Dally's been switched to Natural Instinct (whew, it's more expensive!), but LaMesa's still on Taste of the Wild (after all, it has wolves on the bag and she's a baby wolf--it's meant to be!).

We also decided to change out her Canine Whole Body Support supplement from Standard Process to Canine Musculoskeletal Support, just to help out with some extra glucosamine and other good-for-the-bones-and-joints good stuff.

And now Dally is getting a special treat once a week: a raw chicken wing. Yep. every Thursday I get out a frozen chicken wing to thaw in the refrigerator, then she gets to take it out on the back patio on Saturdays to crunch away. LaMesa was going to get in on the act, but after she swallowed her first one whole, I decided she was good without it. (Yes, she swallowed it whole...no real chewing, just down the hatch.)

Why the chicken wing, you ask? Dr. Forry said that raw food is the best option for dogs. However, if you don't want the hassle, or maybe can't afford the diet (though they do say it's cheaper than feeding dog food), supplementing with something like a raw chicken wing has its benefits. Dogs can easily crunch up the raw bones (they don't splinter when they're raw like cooked bones do) and get the good-for-them marrow for supplementation. It's supposed to help provide a healthier coat, cleaner teeth, and helps with bad breath (dang, I wish LaMesa would chew hers, then!).

So, now we're trying to keep the Corg in line with getting back to a regular schedule of chiropractor appointments, better supplements, and her weekly treats. A two week check-up with Dr. Forry found her better than she was previously, but still a little sore in the shoulder area. She's maintaining a good weight (24.5 lbs) and still being kept active. I'm told 8 is still really only mid-life, but I just worry about her as she ages.

Just don't tell her I think she's aging....

If you're joining from the Dog Agility Blog Action Day group, here is an update on Dally and her injury and how it affected her at a recent trial: Dally's Weekend at Derby City

A Little Bruised

I guess it's a good thing we're in a quiet period of a couple more weeks, as far as agility goes, because Dally's been placed on the injury reserve list.

It all started Wednesday, when I noticed a little hitch in Dally's stride mid-way through the day. We hadn't done anything crazy that morning--just our typical walk around the park for a little more than 2.5 miles, so I didn't think it could be overuse. So I gave her some Traumeel and kept an eye on her.

Thursday she was only slightly better, and after a few hours she'd be hobbling around, barely putting a toe down to try to keep weight of her right hind leg. I consulted the "Corgi Chiropractor" and decided to keep an eye on her and give her time off from any walks, agility, and jumping (yeah, like that's an easy one).

Saturday morning I took her in to see Dr. Forry. She wasn't out in her hip like I thought, but it's more like a bruise on the top of her pelvis. Of course Dr. Forry tried to look through her fur to see if she could see any bruising on her skin, but when you've got hair like Dally, you don't see her skin!

We're not sure exactly what happened, but everything presents itself like a bruise--the area around the painful spot are fine to the touch, but you hit that one point, and she jumps. She wasn't out in the hips like normal, just sensitive in that one area. After a lazer treatment, we were sent home with instructions to keep with the Traumeel every 4-6 hours, icing the area (I was icing the hip, so just need to move the ice pack a little higher), and keeping her activities limited. That'll be the hard part, as Dally has not appreciated me taking LaMesa for walks and agility class without her. And LaMesa and I have been sneaking in quick weave pole sessions in the back yard (complete with tennie) while Dally was sleeping--unfortunately LaMesa's excited barks wake her up rather quickly.

I admitted to Dr. Forry that I'm always concerned when I see some sort of pain or weakness in Dally's hind end. Call it paranoia, but I'm so afraid of degenerative myelopathy (DM) in Corgis that I fear Dally will develop it one day. I know that doesn't neccearily mean the end of life, but it'd be the end of her life as she knew it--no more agility, no more hikes on rugged terrain, no sharp turns when chasing the tennie (she'd probably have to play that by herself so LaMesa didn't push her around)...

Maybe I'm over exaggerating my reactions to things, but lately I can't help but feel the worst is about to happen at any moment (the past few weeks will do that to a person).

Do any of my fellow Corgi owners fear the same thing? Does it make you want to take a step back and be a little more careful and mindful of how your Corgi plays? Or am I just being paranoid?

Back in Action

This week Dally had her first agility class in more than a month and she was right on target for everything! We got the go-ahead to get back into training a few weeks ago, so I've been trying to build her stamina and muscles back up with longer walks, works up a hill (thank you barrel race training for learning the wonders of hill work), etc., to get everything back in order. Plus, I think she gained a little bit of weight while she was off training, so I gotta get that pretty hour-glass Corgi figure back! ;-)

Mesa, on the other hand, is a terror! She's getting so big and her energy level is through the roof! I think she is now just a little bit taller than Dally in the withers. I'm trying to make sure she's eating enough (but not too much) to keep her nutrition at par. She's graduated from puppy food (Eukanuba) to adult dog food (Natural Holistic), so now she and Dally are eating the same. They're still both being fed breakfast, but they've been backed off of that some. (My family traditionally only feeds their dogs once a day--at night--but we are the type that feeds them table scraps and human food, so don't think we starve them all day long. Trust me, take a look at my mom's chunky English Cocker, and you'd be fine with how we feed our dogs.) I just don't know how I want to proceed with feeding both girls. Dally's perfectly happy with breakfast...of course...she's a Corgi!

I finished the In Focus book Melanie let me borrow, and I feel like I need to read it a second time to really take in everything it was talking about and be able to start applying it to both Mesa and Dally. Due to the lack of free time in my schedule I haven't even begun to look for a new book or DVD to absorb more agility information.

On another note, my boyfriend and I found a house and have been in the process of moving in! Yay for a yard!! I've already moved my agility equipment (set of 12 stick-in-the-ground weave poles, wobble board, baby tunnel) to the house and will soon start working on some things outside, once I'm fully moved in (which will be in the next couple of weeks). Mesa will turn 6-months-old next week (May 10), so hopefully we can move on to more training for Rally and flat work agility training.