Since the holidays, at least, June has not been quite herself, though to look at her glossy coat and bright eyes you wouldn’t know it. The difference has been more subtle, most obvious when we have been training or trialing. Last November she earned her first Open A obedience leg with a first place and would have had a second leg that same weekend if I could be trusted to throw a dumbbell over a jump without it bouncing into a severe left hook when it hit the ground. In early January I took her out again, hoping to earn a second and possibly even our third leg. Instead, June was very uncertain in her heeling, anticipated the drop to such an extent she stopped and sat before I even asked her to drop and seemed somewhat reluctant to pick up her dumbbell.
As June had come in season in early December, one week before her daughter, I put it down to hormones; and as Lark had been bred right before the New Year I thought June might still be processing the additional hormonal changes of Lark’s impending litter. But over the next few months things didn’t improve, and she did not show her usual enthusiasm in either her obedience or agility classes. Then in early March I noticed one of her lower incisors was missing, and started to wonder if maybe June scratched at her muzzle more than was normal and remembered that occasionally, but not always, her breath was not so sweet. I thought maybe it was time to get her in for a dental, even though June’s teeth look pretty good for a dog who will be turning seven this year.
As June had come in season in early December, one week before her daughter, I put it down to hormones; and as Lark had been bred right before the New Year I thought June might still be processing the additional hormonal changes of Lark’s impending litter. But over the next few months things didn’t improve, and she did not show her usual enthusiasm in either her obedience or agility classes. Then in early March I noticed one of her lower incisors was missing, and started to wonder if maybe June scratched at her muzzle more than was normal and remembered that occasionally, but not always, her breath was not so sweet. I thought maybe it was time to get her in for a dental, even though June’s teeth look pretty good for a dog who will be turning seven this year.
As it turned out, in addition to digging out the root of the broken off incisor, my vet also removed the largest molar on the upper left side of her mouth because she found a slab fracture with exposed pulp. Poor girl! No wonder June had been “off”.
June seemed better from the moment I brought her home from the vet. Despite some normal lingering effects from anesthesia she bounded up all four of our back stairs into the kitchen and demanded her supper, though I did make her wait another hour as my vet had recommended. Less than a week after her bad tooth was extracted, we competed in our first agility trial since the end of January. She did not disappoint. On Friday she finally picked up the last Excellent A Standard leg we’d been trying for and came through with an Ex B JWW leg as well. On Saturday and Sunday she got her first two Double Qs towards her MACH, and managed to pick up 71 MACH points over the weekend.
June seemed better from the moment I brought her home from the vet. Despite some normal lingering effects from anesthesia she bounded up all four of our back stairs into the kitchen and demanded her supper, though I did make her wait another hour as my vet had recommended. Less than a week after her bad tooth was extracted, we competed in our first agility trial since the end of January. She did not disappoint. On Friday she finally picked up the last Excellent A Standard leg we’d been trying for and came through with an Ex B JWW leg as well. On Saturday and Sunday she got her first two Double Qs towards her MACH, and managed to pick up 71 MACH points over the weekend.
I’ve been beating myself up a bit over June’s issue and how long it took me to determine the cause. But I’m going to stop now as it’s interfering with getting June out to run and jump and retrieve as she so wants to do again!
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