"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." ~ Unknown

Friday, February 29, 2008

Vet Visit 2/29

Topaz had a vet visit today to get blood drawn for his bromide levels. We'll get the results next week.

We also talked to a tech there who's going to talk to a neurologist about some of his symptoms. He's been really stumbling and falling a lot, and sometimes he's in almost a deep sleep like comatose even where I have to shake him awake...the sides of his mouth are also droopy now and sometimes he looks sad.

He's 63 lbs, he was 64 lbs in December...so he's down a bit...I'd like him at 60 lbs and I'm sure as soon as the weather breaks it will be no problem to get him down.

At least we have been seizure free!!

Will update when we get the bromide results!

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Meds in food

We started putting Topaz's PB in his food as well. It's been going pretty good so far.

Nothing more to report, thankfully!

Friday, February 15, 2008

The Smell Again

My husband and I went out for a few hours tonight. We left at like 5:30/6:00 and came back right away...we bought a chest freezer to keep the dogs' food in so we wanted to set it up. At this time I fed the dogs a little bit...not their whole meal, just something to tide them over until we returned home later in the evening. We still had to go to Costco, get dinner and go grocery shopping.

We ended up getting home at like 10:00 pm or so.

Well when I let topaz out, the room had that seizure smell to it. It was that way earlier in the week one night too. His blanket in his cage was also wet. But his muzzle wasn't. The last time it happened it was the same thing...wet blanket, no wet muzzle. I always check when I smell that smell.

We were gone for a number of hours. It's possible that his muzzle could have dried...

I don't know what to think. I don't want to call anything a seizure unless I know it is one, but this is just odd. Maybe he peed in his cage? I don't know

We're not going to call the vet unless we actually see a seizure happen, which I hope to God we don't. But if we do need to call the vet, I will let them know of the two incidences this week.

He has been pretty drugged up all week since he had that loading dose of the potassium bromide. He's doing much better now.

We also have been letting him sleep in our room again at night. It's better if he has a seizure and he's in his cage at night, but at least I will wake up and can be right there.

Anyways, just wanted to document and update.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Poor Topaz

No seizures to update on , thank God!! But my poor puppa is all stumbling around the house and falling over and tripping on things.

He's obviously overmedicated or else these are side effects from the Potassium Bromide being added to his meds...or both even.

I just feel bad for him, he seems lost and just kind of wanders around the house. I am sure once the medication is in his system, he'll be ok.

It's just hard to see him like this.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

He HATES it!!!

Topaz absolutely HATES the potassium bromide!! So we'll be mixing it with his food.

Let me tell you, 60lbs of determined dog is STRONG!! whew, he gave me a run for my money trying to get him to take that medicine!

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Potassium Bromide

We got Topaz's Potassium Bromide today and will be starting it tomorrow. We'll see how that goes. He has to go in for a blood level check in 3 weeks and then his PB will probably be adjusted.

I'm not looking forward to new side effects with this medicine. But, am hopeful that this is the medicine that he needs to being seizure free long term.

I'll keep the blog posted!

*ON a personal note...I really need to work on the fact that there just may not be a trigger for Topaz's seizures and that I may not be able to change anything to make him better. I need to realize that he's probably always going to have these seizures and that we're doing all that we can for him.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

He's back from the vet!

My husband went to pick up Topaz at 8:00 from the vet. He did good there, no seizures.

They gave him a dose of PB in liquid form and a pill. And they didn't feed him all day to not mess up his raw diet...which was nice, but the poor thing went all day without eating!! he tore up his chicken backs when he got home. I may give him another 1/2 of one before I go to bed.

They did up his meds to 2 gr 2x a day, but it will probably go down once he gets on the potassium bromide. They will call about that later on in the week.

It's been a long day. I'm so glad he's ok and is home, I just wish I knew why he keeps having the seizures.

Another Grand Mal and On His Way to the Vet

Topaz had another grand mal at 10:21. It lasted a minute or so.

I was sitting here posting on a forum or updating a blog and I saw him walking in circles in the doorway. I got to him just as he was about to fall over and he had the seizure.

My husband called the vet and they wanted us to bring him in, so he's on his way now with my husband.

We'll see what the vet has to say...

Called the Vet 2/3

Called the vet and the vet is going to put him on Potassium Bromide. I guess some other company in Arizona has to call me because they make it special and they flavor it or something...interesting.

Anyways, that's the way we're going.

The side effects are similar. and of course levels will need to be checked. I am going to do the thyroid panel at the same time they check his levels. That will be an expensive vet trip!

Off to feed and bathe the puppa...

2/3/08 Grand Mal and 3 Clusters

Topaz had a Grand Mal this morning at 5:52am and then 3 clusters shortly after. The whole thing was over by 6:10 or so.

He has been sleeping in our bedroom for the past few nights. He's been barking at night when we put him in his cage to go to sleep and just would not settle down. I think that's because he went from crated 8 hours a day when my husband was volunteering at the shelter, to being out now that he's home again.

He was on my side of the bed on the floor when he had the first one. Once he came out of that, we put a leash on him to go outside to cool him off like we usually do and he had the other 3 once we got into the kitchen.

They didn't seem as violent as the past ones, but maybe I'm getting used to them...I don't know.

Right now he's lying on the floor next to me. He seems really out of it and very tired tonight in his post ictal stage. I'm sure they take a lot out of you.

We'll be calling the vet when they open. I think they will add Potassium Bromide and we will definitely be getting the thyroid test in a couple weeks. Will update again after the vet call.

Differences in food/environment...I gave him 3 tiny new treats and a couple days ago I started the dogs on chicken backs instead of turkey/chicken necks. Doubt either had to do with this though. Oh and he may have had some Mc Donald fries. But I'm not sure...if so it was like maybe 10 of them and it was the other day. Hmmm Environment...nothing I can think of offhand. The husband is home more, and I did go to the ER last night with an anxiety/panic attack so I know my husband and I have both been stressed and worried, maybe we are giving that energy off to the animals...but other than that, I don't know.

And...unfortunately, I need to reset his ticker. He had gone 66 days though! That's something.