Thursday, July 25, 2013

The latest in the run of "bad luck"...

Despite some improvements around home with the stairs and life generally Kenz has been having a few random screaming issues and a bit of front end lameness. I have been putting off getting Matthew's opinion over John's thoughts re further MPL surgery because I was quite happy living in a bit of a state of denial. That is until she started refusing her "beg" trick and I started to see a little to much front end short striding.

So yesterday the girls were back to see Matthew for a check up. The "good" news is that Matthew felt the patellas weren't significant enough to warrant surgery. They seemed to withstand a reasonable amount of pressure and remain in the groove correctly. He didn't doubt that they were still able to luxate just that he didn't want to push it to that point.

That was about the best of the news he had re Kenz. He said he could feel lots (presumably scar tissue) in her LH stifle. Her back was showing significant evidence of roaching. He made a few adjustments to her sacroiliac joints which should help with the extension and movement as she was pretty jammed up through there.

The news he gave me over the front right shoulder wasn't especially good. Matthew feels that Kenz has medial shoulder instability :(. The interesting thing is only a month prior John figured the shoulder felt fine. Hindsight is probably that at the time Kenz went to John I had been resting her pretty heavily for the 6 weeks prior aside from twice weekly UWTM sessions and lots of drugs. Over this last month I have basically said screw it and eased her back into life.

Any way Matthews general view is that I shouldn't worry about putting Kenz through further MPL surgery with the front end bothering her as much as she is. He also doesn't feel we have a full handle on what is going on.

We spoke about appropriate pain management and working within her present limitations - that unfortunately also means her obedience days are over. She is still allowed to do tracking so long as its at a moderate pace.

Have organised more meds from John as she is just about out of her latest supply. I have her entered in a Track 1 tracking trial in a fortnight so she is on fairly heavy exercise restrictions and pain meds as necessary until then in the hope that she can get around her track.

Included in this blog post are a couple of photos taken last weekend at the tracking trial when Ness passed her track 3 for her TD title and we were busy chilling at the oval waiting for presentation.