Edan & I are going to CPE Nationals in June

[SheltieChe]

As for Edan and his hip - he's going to the vet tomorrow night. Right now he's crated when I'm not home and he'll be going to leashed walks so we don't do any more harm. I was hoping to find an AKC trial before Labor Day weekend but I think he's going to rest from agility between now and August, which is my club's next CPE trial.

Pictures and video are coming! I just have the wait for them to be delivered.

Am making assumption you are seeing regular vet. Of course my 2 cents, but unless it is chiro DVM, regular vet has very little knowledge about soft tissue injuries. I mean it in terms of you have an athlete dog. If it was just a regular pet, yes, everything might look just fine, but for the agility dog where doing weaves or popping them makes a difference regular vet is of no help. Just like regular primary MD might know things but it is a PT who studied kinesiology in depth and will build your program to get back or train properly.
Can´t wait to see the runs! Also if you have maps would be fun to see!

 

[k9kreationz]

Okay. I'm a bit jealous. Edan got a massage before AND after his runs? I'd like that. lol. Glad to hear there was a rehab specialist there to look at him and glad you did that. Him popping weaves is very weird. Actually, him doing a lot of those things was strange. That's why I asked if you were nervous. It just seemed so out of character. He's usually so consistent.

Glad the weekend turned around for you guys. I know the Q's don't matter, but it's always fun to get them at NATIONALS!!!!

Hope Edan is doing better tonight. Don't keep him too confined, you don't want his muscles to tighten up from non-usage either. There's got to be a comfy middle ground. Was CJ happy to see him home again?

Although the weekend wasn't full of Q's, congrats on an excellent weekend anyways....because you were at Nationals and that's just awesome.

 

[k9kreationz]

Am making assumption you are seeing regular vet. Of course my 2 cents, but unless it is chiro DVM, regular vet has very little knowledge about soft tissue injuries. I mean it in terms of you have an athlete dog. If it was just a regular pet, yes, everything might look just fine, but for the agility dog where doing weaves or popping them makes a difference regular vet is of no help. Just like regular primary MD might know things but it is a PT who studied kinesiology in depth and will build your program to get back or train properly.
Can´t wait to see the runs! Also if you have maps would be fun to see!

I'd probably do the same thing.....not because the vets know so much (or not so much), but to have it in his records and keep the vet up to date and probably get a referral of where to go for rehab if needed, or at least another opinion than what she got at the trial. I usually let my regular vet know when we get chiro done. And even with Miko, the acupuncturist is letting my regular vet AND my internist know she's treating him as well. I think it's just a good practice to keep your regular vet in the loop.

And remember, usually, you have to go to your MD to get a referral to a PT anyways. Well, I do.

 

[SheltieChe]

yes, I keep forgetting that my background allows me to make decisions differently. Not to derail the tread from the topic, would really love to hear more about Natls CPE as we are hoping to make it there one day! but for chiro-massage referral I still would not go to the regular vet, what I have done is went to best and biggest competitors in the area and asked them who they were going to... best go for the best and it is good enough for me

 

[Silaria]

Am making assumption you are seeing regular vet. Of course my 2 cents, but unless it is chiro DVM, regular vet has very little knowledge about soft tissue injuries. I mean it in terms of you have an athlete dog. If it was just a regular pet, yes, everything might look just fine, but for the agility dog where doing weaves or popping them makes a difference regular vet is of no help. Just like regular primary MD might know things but it is a PT who studied kinesiology in depth and will build your program to get back or train properly.
Can´t wait to see the runs! Also if you have maps would be fun to see!

As Cheryl said, I'm going to my vet because they need to know what happened as well as for any possible recommendation and/or referral if any PT is required. I'm not going to call around randomly for a rehab center. I'll let my vet recommend PT or Chiro care. Believe it or not my Vet is actually open minded about alternative care.

Honestly, according to the physical therapist who looked at him on site, the injury isn't that bad because I caught it early. Usually when she sees them the dogs are limping or barely able to walk because of it.

Edan is an athlete and very fit. I'm very in tune with and fussy over Edan's health. I had him looked at on site after he struggled with the weaves after I tried to guide him through. I wanted to know if anything was physically wrong.

From what the PT told me Edan was still able to continue running as long as I followed a more detained warm up than I was already doing. If the injury was serious, I doubt she'd have told me to continue running him even after the laser treatment.

 

[SheltieChe]

Glad to hear that Edan is better!
So what is so good about going to nationals? Is it worth an extra effort? What did you find different? What did you like and did not like?

 

[HopeShelties]

That's a shame that a soft tissue injury had to show up at nationals of all places I'm glad to hear though that you figured out what was going on.
Did you see Debbie Basham and her sheltie Kovu by chance? He just finished his MACH3 in AKC, and was dropped down to preferred as he's 12 years old. His owner is working on finishing his C-ATCH, and took him to nationals. He was pretty fast in his prime, and still isn't bad for his age. He's Athena and Ember's sire and Aurora, Lark, Breeze, and Roxas' grandsire.

 

[Silaria]

Before I comment on some of the previous posts, an update on Edan...
I took him to the vet today. He found that he's still a little sensitive in the lower back. I was told to let him rest, no jumping or running for two weeks, and give him 82mg coated aspirin if necessary. IF I don't see improvement or things get worse - limping, not wanting to do stairs, etc. - to call and he'll refer me to the local PT/Rehab clinic for treatment.

That's a shame that a soft tissue injury had to show up at nationals of all places I'm glad to hear though that you figured out what was going on.
Did you see Debbie Basham and her sheltie Kovu by chance? He just finished his MACH3 in AKC, and was dropped down to preferred as he's 12 years old. His owner is working on finishing his C-ATCH, and took him to nationals. He was pretty fast in his prime, and still isn't bad for his age. He's Athena and Ember's sire and Aurora, Lark, Breeze, and Roxas' grandsire.

Doesn't it figure the first time Edan goes to Nationals he also gets his first injury. It always happens at the most inopportune moment. He's doing better which is what's important though. I'm glad I spent time and money on the treatments available to me.

I didn't get to see Debbie or Kovu. I pulled up the groupings and they were in my rotation but a completely different group - which put them always in a different ring than me.

I did get to meet and talk to Nick Sparks briefly. He runs a Sheltie named Fiona and they star in "The Agility Show" on cable. I bumped into him the last day of the trial in the score/ribbon room. Unfortunately I didn't get to meet Fiona since dogs weren't allowed in that room.

So what is so good about going to nationals? Is it worth an extra effort? What did you find different? What did you like and did not like?

Honestly, it was just a super-sized trial. Other than the size and the larger ribbons there wasn't much different. The first day there it felt different because the wing jumps actually had the CPE logo on them (see the attached picture -sorry it's grainy, the camera on my phone stinks).

It was exceptionally well run. We had over 1200 runs per day (the average show caps at 375 per day) in 6 different rings. Friday and Saturday we started by 8 AM and were finished by 5:30. Sunday we finished by 2:00.

The only thing I really didn't like was we had to be there by 6:30 every day for check in and general briefing at 7-ish depending on how check in was going. (Check in was to get your course maps for the day.) I'm not an early bird so

It was well worth the experience and I'd definitely do it again.

 

[Calliesmom]

The only thing I really didn't like was we had to be there by 6:30 every day for check in and general briefing at 7-ish depending on how check in was going. (Check in was to get your course maps for the day.) I'm not an early bird so

It was well worth the experience and I'd definitely do it again.

6:30 every day- that would have been very hard for me- not an early bird either

 

[HopeShelties]

Nick is a really nice guy. He used to run in AKC around here with Fiona. We also had him as a NADAC judge last year. Shame you didn't get to see Kovu, but I do understand. AKC nationals with 6 rings is hard to get to see everyone you want to see run.