Sore back.
Took Rumble to the vet today for what will surely be his last rabies shot. He's 8. I see no reason for him to need another when he's 11. So this is it.
New vet for us, and they helpfully have a good form to fill out prior to the visit so no time is wasted on a history. They already knew his teeth were worn down. Vet hardly looked at them.
He pushed heart worm, and i get it. But again, not something I'd start this late in the game.
He's considered a SENIOR! LOL. I'm all: that's my puppy! Honest. I think of Rums as 35-40, not 55-60. He's been a super healthy and sound guy all his life. Other than grumpy, he's much like he was at 3.
The thing vet did find, which i wondered about was soreness in his back. He's "twitchy" back near his tail. It's something I've noticed now and again for a few years. He's been swimming a lot this last 2 weeks, and he jumps in with a lot of force. I'm guessing this is the issue. It's raining for much of this week, so we'll have a swim break.
This, and a few other things have me wondering about Rumble's future in agility. We WERE going to go to Nationals. But that's all but lost at this point. We can drive, which is a huge plus. But the event itself will be much more like a giant trial as qualifiers have been eliminated. I'm sure it will be fun anyway. But without a vaccine, not sure I'd chance it.
In any case, if he's hurting, how much more agility would i have him do? None. Probably.
I don't think he'll miss it much. But it makes ME super sad. If we do retire, that's NO competition for me for what? 3-4 years! Wow. I've completed, in agility at some level since 2005. It's a thing i seriously enjoy. I know i can still be a part of the sport. That's good. But i love running a dog. Maybe I can borrow one, for a while, once things get back on track? Maybe.
It's all just guessing at this point. I know an excellent rehab person, so when things open up again I'll have him checked out to see it it's injury or just soreness.
Until then, chilling out!