Off Her Feet

Katie had the opportunity to swim last week in a friend's pool. I wish I could swim her everyday. Swimming is such a great way to exercise her without having to put weight on her problems.

Her right hind foot appears very painful to me. As you know, Katie recently dislocated the outside toe and we are asking her to live with it. The injured toe is not a canidate for correcting or amputating. Today, as Katie worked on her cavaletti exercises, I thought the middle toe next to the injured toe was starting to appear dislocated as well. All of the toes on that foot continue to break down. But despite how it appears, Katie is unchanged in her motivation and zest. She does all of her exercises and does not appear to be in any pain.As a 12 year old greyhound, Katie seems to feel great and looks awesome. Even after swimming, she was ready to start spinning around my friend's yard. Such a good girl!

12 Years Young

Katie turned 12 years young on Monday. Older dogs often get shaky hind legs if they do not work on maintaining strength. Walks around the block are often not enough especially if they lack challenging hills and natural terrain. Katie works extra hard at it because she has some neurological weakness in the left hind leg. Strengthening exercises are important so her leg remains functional. We had a very wet winter so I had to be creative indoors, but I'm so pleased that our backyard has finally dried out and is usable again. Here are some of the exercises I do with Katie.

Lastly, keeping weight off your dogs is another important factor to maintaining health and function. We all know that staying slim is healthier for everyone, but each unnecessary pound makes achy joints all the more painful. Adding 5 pounds of fat to Katie's frame may look more pleasing, hide those arthritic ribs, and fill in areas of muscle tone loss, but it would do nothing to aid her in staying strong.

Katie had a chest x-ray about 2.5 years ago and it was interesting to see the bony changes in her ribs. They are very pointed and jagged so they are more prominent than they used to be. The picture above was taken about 8 years ago when her sides were smoother. Happy Birthday, Katie!

Indoor Games

So what is a hound to do when temperatures are freezing and snow is on the ground? Play outside?

Playing outside wore off quickly. Good thing I stuffed 21 Kongs the day before and froze them. I believe it is a mixture of kibble, canned pumpkin, and cottage cheese.So now what? As part of Katie's rehab for her neurological problem, I have been very good about continuing her cavaletti work. The cavalettis make her step high and flex all of her joints. A good exercise for a dog that was once dragging her left hind leg.It has been too cold and muddy outside so I cleaned off my broad jump boards and brought them inside. Unfortunately, the only room with carpet is our little office. So I flipped up the mattress the dogs lie on to create a small work area. Normally, we do cavalettis in a straight line, but this little room gave us a new variation.

You probably remember the wobble board from a past post. Katie still hates it and probably always will. I did find that stuffing blankets underneath it to reduce the tipping even more helped both Reagan and Katie to work it. Reagan is very comfortable on it now.

I also taught Reagan and Riley about the Roll-A-Treat. As they roll the ball, pieces of kibble fall out of the hole. Unfortunately, it appears to be discontinued because I could not find a link for you. However, a Buster Cube is very similar.

Lastly, find a sunny spot and soak up some warm rays of sunshine.

Hit the Road

I have started walking Katie in my neighborhood. There is a nice loop that blocks around to a distance of about 0.7 miles. It works perfectly because I can do it at night. Even though I leave work at 3 PM, there are just not enough daylight hours to accomplish what I want to with Reagan, Riley, AND Katie.My biggest concern is her nails. She moves funny and wears them down.So far, so good. Some of her nails are already worn down to tiny nubs, but none have started bleeding from the walks. Hopefully the quicks have adjusted and receded some.When it is possible, I do walk Katie off the road. This house is a foreclosure and is unoccupied. Katie and I serpentine across the lawn up and down the hill.Sometimes we even see some wildlife. I saw a possum last night and some chickens today.A registered sex offender use to live here. I never worried because kids were his thing. He was old and has probably died by now. Thank goodness for the kids next door. I always wondered if they knew.I carry a big stick just in case. It is my Loose-Dog-Club. I am happy that I have never had to use it.Sometimes Stephen and I talk about moving to a nicer neighborhood, but it seems hardly worth doubling our mortgage payment. I'd much rather spend money on a nice van and agility equipment.

Wobble Board

A friend loaned me a wobble board which is used to teach a dog how to handle movement under their feet. I thought it might be beneficial to Reagan as we work through her teeter retraining. Unfortunately, we had a recent set back on the teeter. She had worked back up to a full sized teeter, but was asked to do a teeter away from home that was unsteady and she did not like it at all. I think Reagan is now suspicious of "away" teeters, but is completely confident at home. I really wanted to avoid this, but no avoiding it now.

I thought it would also be beneficial for Katie to give the wobble board a try. She definitely does not like movement under her feet anymore, so its something challenging we can do indoors for with a clicker.

Reagan does not like the tipping either. She is willing, but cautious.

Riley, on the other hand, is hell bent for leather. She was hilarious and a stark contrast to the other two. Riley needs no wobble board work.

Free Swim

The benefit to summer is getting to swim for free. Hot weather and warm water allow me to use our local lake to swim Katie. She swims along the dock for treats.

I also take advantage of the stairs surrounding the lodge. It is good exercise for Katie to go up the stairs, but going down can be dangerous. We can go up several flights and then loop ourselves back down a hill to avoid going down the stairs.

Overall, Katie is doing well. I do worry about her coordination in her rear legs. I think she may be losing some strength in the left one. It always moves funny due to her injury, but I think the muscle looks a little smaller. Unfortunately, her issues with riding in the van keeps her exercise program somewhat limited. I do work her in the backyard, but it is not as much or as varied as it would be if she traveled with me.

Katie does not admit to being in any pain, but I wonder how sound she is. She carries her rear end to the left (stress on her back) and she twists the left foot with each step she takes (stressing the joints). Regardless, I do not plan to let up on her. She would be very unhappy without the work and I am not sure she could handle the slippery hardwood floors without continued strengthening. I wish I could swim her everyday.

Fishies Out Of Water

Reagan is finally able to swim again. We had to wait for the spay incision to heal. Swimming is such a good way to tire Reagan out while her dislocated toe continues to heal. And look who also came.

The last couple of times, 30 minutes has been too long of a swim session for Reagan. Its clear that she has had enough after a period of time. So I brought Katie too!

I swam Reagan first for good reason. I knew she probably would not sit still while Katie swam had Katie gone first. The plan worked perfectly and Reagan was much better than I expected.

Reagan waited very patiently and enjoyed baking in the sun while Katie had her turn. She never once moved.

Mission accomplished! Two tired hounds!

Tails From The Deep

The girls all had swimming again this weekend. We had to torture Katie with a van ride. The swimming is just so good for her. Its such a safe way to tire her out without the risk of injury.
The weather was perfect.... clear and 70 degrees F. Eva had removed the plastic bubble that surrounds the heated pool in winter. Great for swimming and picture taking (thanks, Stephen).

Both Reagan and Riley swim with a lot of force. It reminds me of Travis. He would swim so hard to get to his bumper as fast as he could. I don't think Reagan and Riley realize that they can relax and swim.

Sometimes Reagan just can't look :-). So dramatic!

Both are rough with my fingers. I have to be careful not to lose any.

Swimming is hard work.... taking a break with Eva.

All in all, I'm very pleased with how well all of the girls are swimming.

Tadpoles

The last three times Katie has gone to swimming rehab, I have also had Riley and Reagan swim. Katie swims for 30 minutes and the youngsters each swim for 15 minutes.


I would love to have another greyhound that loves swimming as much as Travis did. It would be so cool to have another one that would retrieve and dock jump, but I will settle for just swimming. Travis was probably far too special to have a repeat.

Katie has gotten very comfortable with swimming as you can see below. At times, it appears that Katie avoids getting within Eva's reach. She will turn and swim away from Eva who forces her to rest periodically. I would love for Riley and Reagan to be as comfortable.

Last summer, we tried to teach Reagan to swim with no success. She did not enjoy it at all. She has not enjoyed the swimming sessions either and at times appears to be clinging to Eva for dear life.

I figured that forcing Reagan to swim would either teach her that swimming is fun or scar her for life. Sessions 1 and 2, I would have told you we were scarring her for life.

Session 3 had a major break through. She started out as expected. Clinging to Eva or trying to get out of the pool when released. However, she started to swim along the side of the pool for treats. Even turning herself around like Katie does to follow me. I could not have been more pleased. It was a huge turning point.

Riley started out shell shocked as well. During Session 1, she would only accept salmon burger bites and refused all other treats. During the second Session, Riley had a little break through and started to swim for treats rather than trying to climb out of the pool. She did even better the third time.

I am really hoping that this summer, Riley and Reagan will swim along the dock like Katie does. Its such great exercise especially when it is hot.

Pins and Needles

Katie continues to get a refresher in rehab for the Fibrocartilaginous Emboli (FCE) that occurred in October 2007. Last week, she received more acupuncture.

Acupuncture is so hokey to me. I do not understand it at all, but I do know I have seen immediate improvements.

I strongly recommend it for spinal issues (other than spinal tumors). Diagnosing spinal problems can be very expensive and the surgeries to correct the problem are also very expensive.... not to mention the rehab that follows. If you cannot afford to proceed, before losing hope, I strongly suggest giving acupuncture a try. It is well worth a try and may bring your dog significant relief.


My vet uses electro acupuncture. The needles are hooked up to a machine that stimulates the needles with a little bit of electricity (I believe I have that right).


Katie also went swimming again at Wag-N-Swim. The facility has changed. The pool is now an in-ground pool surrounded by a huge bubble to hold in heat. The water is still very warm and is perfect for swimming a greyhound in the winter. It was very steamy, so my pictures are not very good.


Like everything else in life, Katie swims for food. She swam until she just about couldn't swim anymore, but you would not have known after a short rest. Crazy 10 year old!



The floaty around her neck keeps her head and ears above water.


Lastly, Katie has gone for another session of the water treadmill. Here is a video clip of the action. This is probably her least favorite activity, but it is very good for making her exaggerate her movement and really use her joints. I feed her throughout the entire session.

On a happy note, the physical therapist thought she looked great and was better than the last time she had seen her. Sounds good to me.

Rehab Refresher

Katie has done remarkably well since her Fibrocartilaginous Emboli (FCE) in October 2007. There is still a "twist" with every step of the left hind leg, but she no longer drags it or walks on her knuckles. However, I feel that we are having a slight set back. I probably feel it more than I can see it. I believe she regained about 90% of her function, but now has dropped to 88%.

Another concern is that Katie has some swelling near the site of the toe amputation on the same problem leg. She does not appear to be in any pain, but there is puffiness (see above). I doubt that Katie is pain free, but she is always asking to do more. After her recovery, I scaled back what she is allowed to do and the frequency, but only to maintain as much soundness for as long as possible. My fear is that if she lives to be really old (14 or 15 years old), her joints will be in terrible shape and physical pain may finally slow her down. For now, I try to allow her to do something everyday.... for fun, to stay in shape, and to help maintain soundness.... but not so much that I use her all up.

So I have started having her do cavelettis again. I upturn my broad jump boards and walk her slowly over them encouraging her to exaggerate her walking motion. The agility training makes her want to just hop over them, but it is important that she deliberately step over each one with each leg............... "ok, anything for a treat" she says.

I have also scheduled her for acupuncture, swimming, and some water treadmill work. This time around I think I will try to do better about maintaining the progress through regular therapy rather than stop all together like last time.

Swimming Lessons

We took the greyhounds to the lake yesterday to swim. So far, Reagan does not show the natural swimming ability that Travis does. Or maybe she is just a little more grounded than he is. I remember when I was starting to throw the bumper in the lake just far enough to see if Travis would swim. He would sometimes go under water and he swam very awkwardly. Not much has changed, but at least now I know he can old his breath and he will surface soon. Occasionally there would be a tense moment for the humans on the shore, but Travis was never scared or deterred. He was always game. Reagan seems to prefer the feel of land under her feet.

Katie has always enjoyed cooling off in the water, but doesn't have any desire to swim for a toy. However, Katie would sell her soul for a cookie and she would swim to the far side of the world for one too. I like to swim her along the side the dock..... feeding her treats, of course. I thought that Reagan might follow suit with Katie leading the way, but she was not willing to go any deeper than chest level. That's ok, I have another idea to try. She doesn't have to be a dock jumper like Travis, but I would love for her to swim along the dock like Katie does.

6 Months Is Up

Six months has passed since Katie had her spinal stroke. One of her doctors, Dr. Filer, said that I could expect to see improvements for 6 months. So here we are at the same point we have been for the last few months. The "twist" that occurs with each step of the left hind leg has not changed at all. I hope that no injuries will be caused by the wobble it causes. I would hate for her to develop painful arthritis and to have to be left behind because she can't keep up any more.

I am going to start her on some high quality glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. I am sort of embarrassed to admit that she isn't already on it. Its one of those things that I believe is important to do correctly if you are going to do it..... the right dose and good quality. I always felt that if I gave it to So And So that I should also give it to Such And Such. With greyhounds aged 10, 10, 9, 9, and 8 by this summer, you could argue that they should all be supplemented. But then it becomes cost prohibited. However, Katie has earned it and she is the one most likely to be damaging joints since she still insists on maintaining her active lifestyle.

Today I started training her to put a rope toy in a box. It was interesting. She was successful numerous times (with my help), but I don't think she figured out exactly what I want yet. Once she does, she will repeat it over and over. It was fun to work on something new with her.

Bad Feeling

Do you ever just have a bad feeling that something is wrong, but you can't really pin point it? I feel that Katie isn't quite right, but I am not sure what it is. About a week ago, she briefly cried out 2 or 3 nights in a row while laying on her bed for the night. I have no idea why or what she had done other than pick up her head. I think that the weakness in the left hind leg has been worse over the last couple of weeks. She is crooked when she should be traveling straight and if she does anything quickly, her rear end swings wildly to the left.... more so than before. Then while fetching a stuffy toy the other day she cried out and came to a halt. Again, I couldn't find anything wrong with her and haven't seen anything since. She has an old broken toe with a huge knuckle on the right hind leg. It has never cause a problem until recently. For one, the knuckle is much larger than before and there is some additional swelling. It now rubs against the other middle toe and has a blister on it. Katie, of course, never complains. I think that when her left hind leg was paralyzed, her right hind compensated and aggravated the gnarly toe. (Katie is 2 years old and still wearing SEGA blue in upper left picture)

I still find myself grieving about her retirement. It probably sounds kind of silly, but work/play/train is what we did. I hope that I can preserve forever how it felt to walk into a ring with her. She did everything quickly, smartly, and happily. She never quit. When Katie earned her first CDX leg in Open obedience, she did so with a very good score. Later, a man with a Golden Retriever (a popular breed for obedience) was very complimentary and asked who I trained with. I explained that I wasn't working with a trainer at the time, but that I clicker trained. He was like "Clicker what?". I smiled. Clicker training wasn't very popular for competition obedience a few years ago.

I am becoming more afraid that I am going to hurt Pumpkin (yeah, that's her nickname) if I allow her to be too active. I try to do more hanging out, snuggling, walks, and so on with Katie. I hate to whine about it, but its almost kind of insulting. She needs something a little more mentally stimulating than that. I have thought about teaching her some silly tricks since that would allow me to shape a behavior with a clicker. If you can think of a creative trick, please let me know. (Katie is 9 years old in the lower right picture)

My friend, Anne Jones, lost her very special Ridgeback yesterday. Beckett was the only Ridgeback to have earned a Utility Dog Title and the Master Excellent titles in agility. He was also a conformation champion and the sire to many other champions in both conformation, agility, and obedience. As I look down at Reagan at my feet, I can't help but think "Katie and Travis, don't leave me alone with her!" That poor little brat has a lot to live up to.

Anyways, I'm being sentimental and that is my complaint for the day.