Well, back from the vet. We did a couple of angles on films and the vet couldn't find anything wrong with him. Looking at him and examining him, she could tell something was wrong because of the lack of range of motion and his stance, but nothing showed on the xrays. No fractures, no compressed tendons, no growth plate issues, no joint issues, no soft tissue issues.
The vet really has no clue what's going on, but did not recommend crate rest or think that is was necessary. So no, I did not kill my dog by letting him chase a ball yesterday. She referred us to MSU where we're going next week for an MRI or scan after consultation, which she said could really be done anytime before we want to continue agility (up bars at a year and contacts) unless he gets worse and starts constantly limping or crying out. Our previcox plan is fine for her, and she did talk about long-term nsaids. We probably won't be able to go for off leash hikes anymore, according to her, but I think it is still a little early in the game to tell.
She said to keep him active as usual and to keep going to agility unless he's showing signs of pain afterwards. Because it's broken up so much into 2 minutes here/2 minutes there, she doesn't think it's bothering him at all and is no concern the way we are currently training as there's no stress she can see on him. She's worried that making him rest is going to put him back at square one and wants him to keep using the leg in light activity to keep range of motion THERE at least, and showed me range of motion exercises to do with him.
I guess I just hit the jackpot with mystery dogs. Frag went lame with excruciating pain for almost a week last year in his hind end, we saw a chiropractor along with getting almost 6 x rays done on his legs, hips, and back and found nothing, and it never happened again. Sir had his eyes swelled shut for two days for apparently no reason last fall. :/
You have posted several times about him doing full sized frames, posted a vid of him running long sequences.
Your trainers advice goes against what the pro's (trainers/world champs and sports vets) strongly state, if running and training pups at 4-5 months of age was ok, they would be doing it. Instead of advising against it.
Do your own research on puppies, agility (or any dog sports for that matter), growth plates, it isn't an opinion, it is a well researched fact.
I went back and looked at all of my posts to see where you could have read that or what you might be misunderstanding. I could not find a single post about him doing full sized anythings. I cannot recall a single time he has run full sized anythings, besides the teeter. He has been introduced to the frame and dog walk in one class period, on leash, being lured, and showed he didn't have the coordination to even be on them, so we stopped. (and that was at 8 months) The only thing he's on is the teeter starting last month and that's also being lured while I hold it and slowly lower it to get him used to the movement. The weaving is all open except for my post from a week ago where I chained him walking through six poles. At nine months old, he did indeed walk around 6 poles. He's jumped through a tire twice, and does chutes and tunnels regularly with very low jumps.
Yes, he runs sequences and does drills, at the appropriate height and the appropriate skill level. He doesn't run full courses, and he's still not having any rough impact. The only video you've seen of what I can imagine you think is a "long sequence" is three jumps and two tunnels, IIRC. Then there's a jump/tunnel/weave... and I think that's it? Not sure what you're basing your remarks on, really, but my trainers have decades of experience, one is an AKC agility Judge, and the other was supposed to go to nationals this year, and my vet is totally ok with it, so I think there must be some miscommunication somewhere along the line and I'm going to refer to the people that SEE us train and know what they are doing over you, thank you.
