Fletcher and Charlie went to the chiropractor for the first time today and oh my gosh, it’s just… mind blowing… how many things are connected in a dog and how the apparent cause of one thing isn’t actually the cause at all.
Explanation.
Charlie “paddles” when he walks. I thought it was just him; he paces as well, but that’s a kelpie thing anyway. But no, not only was he out in his hips- which is why I originally called up and made an appointment three weeks ago, because my instructor said he looked stiff- but his elbows, back and neck. I broke my dog! :O And he’s obviously been out for a while, poor baby, because he’s actually got less muscle tone on his back left leg than his right- because of trying to avoid using that diagonal- and has a muscle lump thing on his front left leg from overworking it. He had all this tension in his muscles and neck and it’s just gone now. He had his deliriously contented face on all the way home: his eyes go really small, his ears kind of stick out the side and he looks like he’s smiling ♥ Unfortunately it’ll take a couple of days to really notice a difference and he has six runs at a trial tomorrow so I’m expecting him to pull up completely lame in that right front leg on Sunday, but I’m going to coat him in Difflam and hot water bottle him Sunday and hopefully that’ll ease it a bit and get him all set for our trial next Saturday as well. I’ll probably end up giving him Monday off training as well, just to be super safe. I’m also thinking the pain and muscle issues has been the reason why he’s been a bit less than enthusiastic for agility training lately. It’ll be interesting to see, anyway.
But Fletcher is a bit more of the interesting. He was slightly out in his shoulders and hips, but was way more intriguing is his whole jaw was out- on the side that his bad eye’s on. Apparently his jaw being out explains not only his “overbite” and uneven jaw- that was perfect when he was younger- but also his sneezing/coughing/wheezing and the clogged nose which I had him on antibiotics for- and they did absolutely nothing. It buggered up all of his sinuses. I don’t know if I’m imagining things or not, but his eyes even seems a bit bigger and clearer since he was tweaked. It also explains why he was all of a sudden not interested in anything food related except for tiny pieces of cheese and steak he didn’t have to chew. He hasn’t wanted to touch his dry food for the past few weeks.
They’re going back in about six weeks for a recheck and retweak if they need it, and I’m so stoked. Charlie, especially, could have ended up with either busted knees or a torn ligament had I not got him readjusted, and Fletcher’s teeth would have been totally fricked up because his jaw was growing all out of whack.
So, the interesting thing about this is: don’t just look to a vet for solutions to perhaps “common” problems. Who’d have thought Fletch having his jaw and neck out would equal what everyone- even the vet- thought was a cold! :O Amazing what parts are all interconnected.
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