THE PRESSURE IS OFF

We are a few weeks removed from our UM-Columbia vet visit. We took a few days to rest and then I started some rehab with Marley. Walking up hills. Exhausting but good for us. On those walks I had time to think and make decisions. One of the decisions I made was about Marley's future.

 

Marley is officially semi-retired. I will enter her in trials here and there for fun and because I love to run with her. I had put so much pressure on myself to push Marley farther than anyone thought we could go. When she started showing signs of failure physically, I just couldn't see past my goals...I wanted to continue to prove people wrong about her. I couldn't see that she was physically struggling, she was hurting, all I could see was MY dreams dying. I couldn't see her trying to please me despite her pain.



 

 

As one vet told me right after Marley was diagnosed with bilateral HD 'it will always be a push and pull with Marley'. Some times I will be pushing her to exercise, to let me do her stretches and other times I will be pulling her back in, trying to reign her in. Marley has been feeling good the last week or so. Active, playing and back to full on chase and wrestling with KK. Watching her so happy and carefree makes me dream about what could have been. But it was not to be.

 

True to her name, Marley is back on rest as she ripped one of her pads almost off. It's wrapped and the vet wants it to stay on for a week....I'm sure that will happen.


I will always have my dreams for Marley and they may remain just that...dreams.



LAST MINUTE DECISION

Marley and I went to the University of Missouri's Veterinary Hospital in Columbia on Sunday. She had a 1pm appointment on Monday. I went into the appointment with the full intent on having a Total Hip Replacement on Marley's left hip. I had prepared myself, was ready for the rehab...


We had a great 4th year vet student. We went over Marley's history and he did his exam. I had to laugh when he came back in to ask me something that he knew his supervising vet was going to ask him. I'm unfortunately not new to going to vet schools and their procedures. This makes #4. I could hear the student present Marley and could hear them discussing her agility.


The supervising vet came in and talked with us and did an exam on Marley. Pain was elicited on both hips when extended. She has good muscle mass but has a minimal decrease on the left. Then he asked me if I had achieved everything I wanted with Marley in agility. Tears immediately filled my eyes and I fought hard to keep them from falling. I told him I hadn't, but I was ok to retire her, that I don't want her to be in pain.


The vet went over 2 choices. The first is to medically manage her. Which would be getting about 2 pounds off her (she's an ideal weight now but he wants her on the skinny side), keeping her active (2/3 low impact exercise (swimming, walking up hills), 1/3 high impact exercise (minimal agility!)), and managing her pain.


Our other option is a Total Hip Replacement. They could do the surgery the next day, she would be hospitalized for 2 nights and then would be sent home. I would have specific instructions regarding her activity. We would have to return in 8 weeks to the vet school for follow up. He discussed how she would probably need to have the other hip replaced and they could do that 3 months after the first hip. He went over all the complications of a THR and what would need to be done if she had one of those complications. He said if she had the THR she would be back in agility within 6 months with no restrictions.


He laid all the information out and then asked what I wanted to do. There was no pressure to do the THR, just what I wanted to do. I said I want to see one more set of Xrays but I was leaning towards a THR. They said they thought that was a good idea. I signed the consents and left for some lunch.


They called while I was at lunch and told me to come back. The new Xrays revealed some progression of the HD and a new bone spur on the left. When the new Xrays were compared to the ones I had brought with me from 2 years ago, there just wasn't a whole lot of difference. As I stood there looking at those Xrays, I changed my mind. I said I wanted to medically manage her. They were totally supportive of my decision. They took the time to go back over everything with me. Although we dodged the bullet this visit, it is inevitable that we will be back within a few years and we will walk out with a THR.

TIME TO FACE THE MUSIC

The orthopedic appointment that I have been putting off since Marley's bilateral hip dysplasia diagnosis is upon me. We go Monday. I should know late Monday afternoon if Marley will require surgery now or if we can put it off until later.

I have cried thousands of tears since her diagnosis in April 2009. We have overcome so many obstacles but this is one obstacle we cannot overcome. The time has come to make a decision.

And I have made my decision. Marley will receive whatever she needs. I owe it to her. She has been by my side and has done what I've asked of her in agility and rally and that dreaded obedience. She has endured so much both physically and psychologically. And she has done it in true Marley style...big blue eyes and that precious head tilt.

But the reality is that hip dysplasia will end her agility career.

SHREVEPORT SUCCESS

KK and I went to Shreveport last weekend for an USDAA trial. It was our first trial that we went to without Marley. I was sad thinking that this may be our new reality. Marley may never get to trial again. KK started going to trials with us when she was about 8 months old so she could get used to the trial environment. I was a little worried about how she would do without Marley there, but KK is a little trooper and she did great.


Shreveport was very successful for us and I brought home homework. I felt that our handling was pretty good, lots of easy rear crosses. Kate only dropped one bar all weekend, but she decided that the down on the table was optional and her refusal to down cost us 2 Q's. This was the venue that she started refusing contacts so I was pleased she did her contacts....the table can be worked on.

KK earned 2 Starter Jumper Q's both with first places and her Starters Jumpers Title. She also earned her Starters Gamblers Title with a first. She earned her Gamblers Title 3 out of 3 runs. We also added another Starters Pairs Q with a first. My favorite game, Snooker, snookered us twice. I thought this judge had very challenging courses for Starters dogs. She had bad angles with most of her courses.

I enjoyed working the Master Standard and Snooker classes, especially the C22 classes. In my opinion, those are the fastest and most talented dogs. I took a lot away from that trial simply by working the ring and watching how handlers handled their fast dogs. I hope one day that Kate will be there with those C22 dogs.

We are taking a break from trialing and training until after we get back from the beach and after Marley is seen by Orthopedics. But I can't wait to get back to some USDAA agility!!

ON HOLD

KK has a USDAA agility trial this weekend. It will be our last trial for awhile. Marley is staying home with Granddad and Molly and Missy. This will be the first time Marley hasn't been to an agility trial since KK started trialing. So it will be KK's first time traveling with me by herself. I'm interested in seeing how she does solo.


No pressure. Just going to go play with KK. We haven't done much training this summer due to the heat. We did venture out to agility class last night. It gave us a chance to run a full course...something we have only do at trials. I don't think we've been to class since May. KK and I have a lot to learn together. But I hope she has a long and healthy career.


I had a few trials planned for the fall but now with Marley's hip issues, I'm pulling entries. I'm sad that Marley's career is likely over. I can't help but think we got cheated. Cheated out of a long career. Cheated out of being healthy. Cheated. But I'm even more sad that I can't fix her without causing her even more pain. It's hard to see her lie in the same spot, nite after nite. She rarely plays with KK anymore. Just stays put and sleeps. She also stands in place for long periods of time. I feel like everything is on hold until after her ortho appointment. I'm just hoping for answers and treatment. I don't know if I can put her through a THR. I just don't know.


After this weekend, I'm finally going to take that break I've been talking about. I even went out and cleared all the equipment off the agility yard. The only thing left on the field is the dog walk and it has to stay where it is.

It's our time to get healthy....physically, mentally and emotionally.

THE APPOINTMENT IS SET

Marley has been having more pain the last few weeks. She's just not herself. Wants to be left alone. Wants to sleep in rooms by herself. She's back on pain meds daily. I finally decided enough is enough. I need to get an expert on HD to see Marley. I need a definitive diagnosis and treatment plan. I'm hoping surgery isn't warranted at this time or any time but I'm mentally preparing myself for it.

So we head to Missouri in early October. For an evaluation and possible surgery. I don't know much more at this time. I do know if surgery is needed, Mar will be hospitalized for at least 2 days and we will have lots of crate rest when she comes home. I realized I can't drive the K9 TAXI to MO. If she does have surgery, there's no way I can get her in and out of the van safely. So she may ride to MO in style...in the Highlander.

ODD BEHAVIOR

Marley has been having some 'odd behavior' lately. I've been watching her closely as she is on hip rest. So maybe I am reading something into it, but she is not acting herself.

From the day she got house freedom, she has always slept on the right side of my bed with her butt touching my ribs all night. Once I tried to sleep on the right side of the bed only to wake up the next morning back on the left side and Marley was back in her usual spot. In the past few weeks, she has quit sleeping with me. She doesn't even come into the bedroom anymore. Odd.

Even more odd, I'm finding her sleep in different places. Sometimes it's in the kitchen by the stove or in the living room floor. Off course the first thing that goes through my head is pain. Maybe the jumping up on the bed is painful for her.

Another weird thing is she often just stands in one place. Doesn't do anything but stand there. Odd.

We go to the beach in a few weeks. Hoping she doesn't come home lame as she usually does. I'm really dreading having her Xrayed again. I'm not ready to deal with her HD starring back at me in black and white.