Just Like That, We're done

The last thing I thought I would hear when picking Kort up from the vet clinic was that he had Spondylosis, but that is what I was told.

2 years ago Kort had 2 episodes where he was overcome with some bizarre pain.  I thought he was having a seizure as it happened so fast, one minute he was fine, the next he was screaming in pain.  I took him to a chiropractor who said the vertebrae at the base of his neck were all out, she adjusted him & he hasn't had another of those episodes.  He has had the odd episode of stiffness in his pelvis, he has also had limping on & off  on his front legs as well, most likely due to the Spondylosis. This past Sunday after Scenthurdle practice he was sitting & turned his head & yelped.  I knew that this was something bad so I booked him in to the same chiropractor he had seen 2 yrs ago.  His back twitched in pain when she touched him and the heat coming off it was unreal.  He needed to be adjusted as his spine was out but she knew more was going on then she could see.  She said that I should maybe have xrays done on his spine just to be sure.  

So yesterday I had the xrays done & they showed one bone spur for sure, right behind his shoulder blades.  As soon as I saw it I knew Kort was done jumping in Agility & Obedience.  I am on the fence with Scenthurdle.  He only jumps 6" & it is not the same as jumping up & over & coming down hard on his front.  Many people who have dogs diagnosed with Spondylosis continue on with their dog sports, but I cannot do this to Kort knowing it may cause more harm.  There is no guarantee it will, but really, he has a bone spur, this bone spur could potentially break off as they are brittle, there is absolutely no way I am risking it .  

I am sad, very sad. Kort has been a struggle in many ways, but he has made me more aware then any other dog I have owned, how to be a better handler & to look at my expectations of my dog.  I am sad to see my dream of my first UD dog disappear, & my first Agility Excellent dog,   Kort was going to be that dog, I know this in my heart.  He was the one.  Kort wants to please me more then any collie I have had before him.  Yes I know I will have other dogs with which I can hopefully fulfill my dreams with, but they won't be Kort.  I have never ever wanted to say this out loud, because I really didn't think there was such a thing, & I didn't want to take away from my other collies by what I thought would be choosing one over the other, but I will say it now, Kort IS my heart dog.  He has touched my heart like no other dog before him, there is something different & special between us, a connection.  So it is hard to let all of this go, not because of the titles he will not get, but because of the difficult journey we have had together to get to the point of getting the titles.
We have other things we can do of course, but Obedience is the dog sport I love the most. Scenthurdle is second & Agility is third.  I think Kort likes Scenthurdle the most & Obedience the least lol!

Here is Kort's xray, the circled area is the bone spur, it looks like a nasty claw to me & I hate seeing it :(
You can also see how the vertebrae is narrowing & closing together.  I also think the next 3 vertebrae look as if they have narrowed as well :(

 
This is a medical description of Spondylosis.....


Spondylosis is a chronic condition in which bone spurs form on the spine due to progressive disk degeneration.  As the bone spurs grow, they form bridges from one vertebrae to the other.  Trauma can snap the bridges of bone fusing the vertebrae causing pinched nerves.
Most Spondylosis is found in later years, it is usually a result of hereditary factors, or due to repeated stress from certain activities on the dogs joints.  
The disease gets worse as the dog gets older.  There is no cure.

For now my plan is to keep his spine in alignment by going to a chiropractor with him, & to have regular acupuncture done to help with any pain.  
I know Kort will have a long life and I am thankful I found out before it became worse & he had more pain.