3/30/10 – 2:09 am – Grand Mal

I am not writing this right after the seizure happened because it was in the middle of the night and I had to work this morning, so it’s actually in the evening…same day though.

Thank goodness for the Blackberry and Facebook. I guess I could update the blog from my phone too. I will need to look into how to do that. I still may move this blog to my own domain www.peargirly.com.

Anyway…on to the seizure information.

Topaz was sleeping in bed with just me, our other dog and a couple kitties. He got up and started stumbling around on the bed (which actually happens a lot because he gets tangled up in the blankets) but this caused the cats to get down and our other dog to growl because he stepped on her. All of these things happening at the same time woke me up.

He had the seizure on the bed, it was a Grand Mal and didn’t last too long. He was vocal, foamed and peed on the bed.

I went to run to the bathroom and change really quick and had my husband keep him on the bed while I did that. Then we got him down off the bed and let him outside as we usually do.

I quickly made my usual cocktail of Breyer’s Vanilla ice cream, 2 gr PB, Valium and Rescue Remedy and brought it outside to give to him. Of course, we also had to give our other dog a tasty little treat too!

The post ictal stage was typical, he ran around the yard a little, paced a little and seemed out of it a little. He pooped and peed and then we went inside and went back to bed. I barely slept because I didn’t want to disrupt him and I was freezing because I opened the window to help cool him off.

Triggers…NO CLUE. Nothing really has changed. We ran out of food and they were eating primarily frozen chicken wings from Costco for a couple days until we got their food again. We’ve been giving them these treats, which I guess could have triggered something, but I really doubt it…they have very few ingredients and they’ve been eating them for a couple months.

The only thing is it was a full moon last night…which I know a lot of people who have epileptic dogs have said that their dog’s seizures sometimes occur during a full moon.

I may see if I can go back and see if any of his others have happened while during a full moon. I don’t think so, I would have included that in the blog.

Anyways, it was 198 days between seizures, which is a good thing.

And you know, I kind of felt like this was coming…he’s been so super hyper lately, and that’s always a sign that one is coming…but it had been a long time of the hyperness, so I stopped thinking about it. And then in reading the EPIL-K9 list these past couple weeks, I’ve been thinking about some of the latest discussions, like bed protection…what do people use to protect their beds. Well, we’ve never had to because he’s never had a seizure ON our bed…until now. Just things like that.

He’s much better now…a little more wobbly than I like to see, but pretty much he’s back to normal. Well, a less hyper version of normal.

7/12/09 Another GM

Tonight is not my Puppa’s night!!

Topaz had another Grand Mal seizure at about 11:10pm or so this evening.

He had been lying on the couch with me again and had been pretty restless…he had JUST settled down.

I noticed that ever too familiar way that seizing dogs have just before they seize and tried to get to him before he fell off the couch. Unfortunately, he kind of landed on his head a bit, I righted him as soon as I could, but it did take a few minutes. I hope he’s ok with that, he seems to be ok. My husband or I couldn’t get to him in time. It was horrible looking.

Anyways, this was so different than his other seizures. It wasn’t so much paddling as it was laying there all stiff with teeth chattering. He also didn’t urinate on himself again, but did foam a bit. He took a while again to get out of it too.

We tried the ice pack trick again, but we don’t have a crushed ice bag ready (note to self…we NEED one of these!) so we used green beans. I also need to have my husband look at the picture of where to put the ice pack and I need to look at it again. We also may need to ask for some Valium from the vet. Esp if this is going to be a new norm.

When he finally did come around, which took a few extra minutes it seemed…even longer than the first one earlier in the evening, we gave him another spoonful of ice cream and rescue remedy and my husband took him outside.

He wasn’t pacing, but was walking around and kind of staggering. Moreso than normal, to me anyways.

We called the e-vet too, to get their opinion. If he has another one tonight, we’ll bring him in. Hopefully all will be ok and we’ll call his vet in the morning. I am thinking we need to up his KBr again back to 1.5 from 1. I don’t know.

I have no clue on this one…just the disease I guess.

Anyway, I hope there won’t be anymore! Poor puppa!

7/12/09 Grand Mal Seizure - 8:35 PM

Topaz had a Grand Mal seizure tonight at 8:35pm. He and I were laying on the couch and I was woken up my him seizing. Didn't seem any better or any worse at the time and luckily he managed to stay on the couch for the entire duration. But him coming around did seem a bit longer to me. He layed there for quite a few minutes just staring, not breathing heavily, but just staring...which is unusual. But he did finally come around.

We took him outside and did the usual routine of Vanilla ice cream (Breyers, of course), Rescue Remedy (thank God I had just ordered some), and his PB for the night. I game him an extra large dose, so he will be out tonight.

We (well my husband) called the vet and let them know too.

So sad to be resetting the ticker at only 43 days, but that is better than some, so we'll take it!

Cannot think of any triggers...just that he's gotten a few more eggs than usual. Other than that, everything has been same ole same ole around here.

Will think on the trigger thing...sometimes things pop into my head later.

Off to reset the ticker.

Vet Appointment

Topaz had a vet appt this morning.

His temp was 105!! omg...we're lucky he didn't have a seizure just from the temp alone!! (and my husband is out right now getting a thermometer for the dogs)

But he was dx with pancreatitis. He got a shot of Cerenia and they sent us home with flagyl and an antacid type med and did some other blood work.

We did a KBr level because I was worried about KBr toxicity and we also did the 6 panel thyroid testing. We should know more later on tonight or tomorrow. They did send him home with us since we were going to be home all day and could monitor him ourselves.

We have to check his temp and see if he can keep down his PB in an hour or so. I'm pretty sure he threw up most of his meds yesterday.

 

We're also probably going to try to lower his PB and/or KBr once we get through this because although he's gone 175 days seizure free, he's been pretty spacey and out of it as of late..well, he has had good and bad days, let's say that. 

 

So, he's not out of the woods yet, but we can see the sunlight between the trees. 

Also, I am thinking that we may need to switch him to turkey necks rather than chicken backs. I am waiting for a text message from the woman who sells us our food to get her input on that.

No new seizures...just some thoughts..RAW Diet??

My husband and I volunteer on a regular basis at a local animal shelter. This weekend was the grand opening of the pet store that's located inside the shelter building. The pet store is called "The Pet Beastro" and they sell holistic, natural and raw pet foods and treats as well as some quality toys, collars, and beds. On Sunday I sat in on a talk about pet food nutrition. Now I know that since all of the pet food recalls last year and earlier this year, I for one, have been paying more attention to what is in the food I'm feeding our animals.

The dogs have been getting Canidae and the cats, unfortunately, are still getting a mixture of the crap that you buy at the grocery store. I have one cat, the little female, here that will NOT eat premium foods...however, we may just buy a bag of it...replace the junk in the feeder and not give her a choice BUT to eat the premium food. I think we're going to do that this week and see how it goes. I want to feed them all the best we can.

Ok, so this brings me to the little seminar/talk I sat through and the whole RAW diet thing.

It was really interesting...i mean what she was saying made sense and I really have to wonder if it would help Topaz. We're just about out of dry food, so we're due to buy some more. The 40lb bag of Canidae lasted us just about a month...a few days shy is how it will come out. But we free feed, so I don't know who's been eating what and if we fed at certain times, certain amounts I am sure that it probably would have lasted a little bit longer.

Anyway...so now we have to buy food this week. I am seriously considering giving raw a try. I never ever in my life thought I'd say that, but it doesn't seem as awful as it all sounds. I mean it's gross sounding to me and it will probably take me some time to get used to the whole fact that I am feeding my dogs raw meat, but I think we're going to give it a month and see how it goes.

I am worried about Topaz with his meds and the seizures and everything and unfortunately the internet is not the best place to get information about all of that because you do get such differing opinions and everything. I almost need to just stop reading the net, think about it, get my questions answered and go from there. I'd be better off.

And I do have a TON of questions: How to get a dog that gulps and doesn't chew to chew the bones? What about vitamin supplements? Do we need to go cold turkey and just jump into it? Will there be side effects to look for? What about Topaz and his medication, what effect will the food change have on him? How do I know how much 8 ounces is? Do I need a scale? What about veggies and fruits? Will this make them sick in the beginning?...and well, the list goes on and on!!

So... I will need to chat a bit with the Pet Beastro lady and see what she says. And well, we may be venturing into the scary world of RAW food. I don't know yet...I have a few days to figure it out.

Here are some links:
http://www.barfworld.com/html/barf_diet/barfdiet_specific.shtml
http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm

Here's a site that talks about what is in pet food:
http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Spring04/Perhach/PetFood/Processing.htm

The jury is still out on this one. I don't know what to think about it all.

Later...H

Spoke with the vet this afternoon

I spoke with the vet this afternoon and she said to increase Topaz's PB dose to 1 1/2 grams from 1 gram 2 times a day. We also give him Melatonin at bedtime and use Rescue Remedy after the seizure and for thunderstorms.

We'll need to get his PB level checked in a couple weeks too. And let me tell you, he's a prince at the vet...haha NOT. He's so bad.

Anyway, that's where we're at now.

If anyone out there is reading this and has a dog with seizures, PLEASE give me a comment and I'll give out my email address.

11/30...Here we go again

Another seizure about a half hour ago. 1:35 am. So far no more...knock on wood and cross fingers and all that.

I know for sure that I've been giving him his doses, so maybe his meds need upping. I don't know. Will be calling the vet in the morning and will probably start a real blog about this so i have it all somewhere. Here is fine, but I'd like to have it all in one central place just for that.

Prayers and good thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

11/19....Clusters

More seizures last night. (well this morning)

Got woken up at like 2:45 to himseizing in his cage. I swear I heard a yelp or bark too, so I wonder if Onyx tried to wake us up. Topaz is in a cage in the computer room, to cut down on nighttime stress from the flock of kitties we have here. We have a night light in here for him and play music to try to drown out the noises in the rest of the house. Basically we try to give him a peaceful night's sleep.

Anyways...got him out of his cage wiped him up a bit and he seemed ok, the post ictal stage is weird...sometimes he's a little weird and sometimes it's like he doesn't know us.

Took him outside on a leash (new back yard) and he pooped and brought him back in. I noticed a bit later (like at 3:00) that he was starting to get stiff and weird so I laid him down and he had 4 cluster seizures. They were very strange though, he made noises and it was mostly his front (head, front paws) that were involved.

After they were done, he was panting hard and I went to call the emergency vet...wish we had the 500.00 to take him in, but we don't...so they said to watch him and take him to the vet in the am. The earliest we can pay for a visit is Wednesday, so I called first thing this morning.

During the commotion, Todd found one of his pills in the kitchen, so he cheeked on of them today...stinker.

Anyway...they will probably up his dose and I will be sleeping with one eye open for a while again.

Long, scary night...

Praying folk...we could use one now, please!!

Thanks!

7/25...Another Grand Mal...and Meds now too

We put him on the meds. I am not thrilled, but I don't know what else to do.

Will write more tomorrow, pretty exhausted now.

He had the seizure sometime before I came home from work. He had pooped & peed in his cage and his muzzle was wet on one side and he was acting a bit weird.

We went to the vet and got him the medication. We need to go back in a month and get his level checked, will do a thyroid 6 panel then as well.

Hopefully this medication will work for him and he won't have all of the nasty side effects I have read about.

Keep us and our puppa in your prayers, please.

And another one...and a trip to the emergency vet

Topaz had another seizure at 12:45 or so. He was in his cage and I gave him a spoonful of ice cream mixed with rescue remedy afterwards.

We took him to the local Emergency vet, they are keeping him overnight and will keep an eye on him. They will also do a CBC and see if anything is up. (I won't even tell you how much the bill is)

We talked to the vet for a while and we're going to hold off on the meds unless he has another tonight or within a short period of time. Like a month I believe it was.

Topaz was not acting like himself. He was whining and crying alot and didn't really seem to know us...effects from the seizures I'm sure. Poor baby!!

In the meantime, I will be giving him some herbals and see if that helps.

It's been a long, emotionally draining night.

I really hope he's ok...

Prayers please!! Thanks!

July 13...He came to me

Topaz had another seizure tonight. He knew it was coming and came to me right before. He had it in the computer room on the floor.

It was probably the single most terrifying thing I've ever seen. So scary!! I am still a bit shaken from witnessing it.

Anyway, we kept the cats out of here best we could and I sat with him throughout the seizure and afterwards. He growled a bit, but never lunged at me...good to know.
It was about an hour ago or so, maybe an hour 15 minutes. It lasted what seemed like forever, but was probably a minute or under.

He stumbled around a bit, I was afraid of him having another one, so we put him in his cage. He's outside barking at something now. Will wait a bit before I let him in, it's a beautiful night.

Todd's got a good relationship with some different vets now because of the shelter, so he's going to call one on Monday morning.

I don't know what to do as far as meds. I really don't want to put him on the medication, I've only heard bad things about dogs that were on the seizure meds...I guess we'll see what this vet has to say.

He really needs a CBC but we can't get him to calm down enough to draw the blood. He's really high strung and not trained very well.

Anyway...will keep updating here.

Keep my puppa and us in your thoughts and prayers please!

Poor Puppa!

Poor Topaz has been through the mill today and yesterday!!

They could NOT get blood from him yesterday, he freaked out. We were in the very forever and they just couldn't do it. They were going to give him a sedative, but they couldn't even do that...

So todd brought him back in today and they gave him a sedative...waited and then tried to get the blood, he freaked, so they gave him more sedative. They waited and tried again, and he freaked out again!!! So they sent todd home after spending the whole day there practically with an oral sedative to give him monday and bring him in.

Todd took him to the shelter with him to keep an eye on him and he peed on himself twice...poor baby! He was STILL out of it when I got him from work, and his appt was at like 10am!

Then it took him until 9:30 or so to really be back to normal, he was still stumbling around and snapped at Razzle at one point (something he's NEVER done) and he snapped at me too. He's mouthy, but not like that. We called the vet like 4 times.

We're not gonna do the blood work...(vet suggested we don't too, it's too much on the dog) And we're not putting him on the seizure meds. If he has another one then we will go back and try the blood thing and everything again, but I honestly think he's only had the two.

I felt so bad for him today...poor baby, I knew he was in there somewhere, but he looked so sad and lost for a long time!

He's so much better now and is basically back to normal. We'll be putting him in his cage at night and when no one is home and I am planning getting the house back to normal, the cats mingle with the dogs now, so it's all good on that end. Just have to move some food and a litterbox and then we'll be all set to allow all animals free roam again!

I know he could have some underlying epilepsy thing going on, but everything I've read online and heard from people who gave their dogs the seizure medicine has said that it made them worse, and or they regretted jumping the gun on the meds. He's a young dog...those meds are hard on the liver...i just have a bad feeling about them.

Vet Update

The vet did bloodwork and said we'd just have to watch him. Basically, they don't want to put him on any meds...they are hard on the liver...unless this is a reoccurring thing. He may never have another one, or this could be one of many.

We'll see what happens.

His bloodwork all came back normal, so that's good at least...he's a healthy puppa!

And he's acting fine now, I'm all paranoid though.

Interesting...

I told my sister about the seizures and how the two were a year apart, almost to the day and time...which is bizarre and is really bugging me. She mentioned barometric pressure and maybe that having something to do with it.

Interesting, it seems it is a trigger.

I am going to do the bloodwork and see if the vet will hold off on the meds for a bit because those anti seizure meds scare me...

So we'll see tomorrow.

Vet Update #1

The vet wants to put him on meds because who knows if he's had more than just the two because we aren't home 24/7. Makes sense, but I think we'd know if we came home to a urine stained dog (since he pees on himself when he has one)...but the vet knows best, I guess.

We have to take him back in because they could not get a blood sample from him, he freaked out. and then they couldn't give him a tranq shot and I couldn't get a muzzle on him...yep, guess who needs obedience training? Mr. Topaz.

So...todd is going to try again tomorrow.

But he's been fine all day.

May 16...Happy Birthday to me!

About 40 or so minutes ago, he had another seizure. a year and 2 days after the first one. Lasted the same amount I'd say...woke me up this time though...Thank GOD he had it in his cage again!!

He growled a bit afterwards, (I was able to shut and lock the door to the cage) we just waited till he was wagging his tail and crying to come out and he was fine. We called the emergency vet again and plan to take him to the vet tomorrow. Hope it's not too much money, as we don't have much, but our vet is pretty cheap so we should be ok.

Since this is now his second (that we know of anyway) I am not sure if he will be put on meds. I guess we'll see tomorrow.

Todd was up for this one, I heard the noise and woke up and was like, what is that and he thought it was the rain (seems tina sent us her storms) and I was like, no...that's topaz...and we ran in there.

Guess I was hoping we were in the clear.

I'm just going to use this thread to document...in case there are more coming.

God willing, there won't be.

May 14...Happy Mother's Day...!

About 40 min or so ago, Topaz, our year old Border Collie had a seizure. I called the emergency vet and they asked if it was his first, and as far as I know, it is...and they said that usually the first one isn't an emergency and to follow up with his reg vet on Monday. They are there 24/7/365, so we can go there tomorrow if need be. She said if he has another one tonight then to bring him in. We live literally down the road from this place, so it's not a far drive at all.

That was the scariest thing I've ever seen or been through. I am literally shaking. He was in his cage (THANK GOD!) he was shaking, foaming at the mouth, all ridgid and wet on himself. Then afterwards, he growled at me and came after me, good thing I was able to shut the door to the crate. He was normal a bit after that. She (the woman on the phone) said this is all normal. I let him out and washed him up a bit and wiped down his cage a little. He will need a bath tomorrow night.

He was kind of walking around the house like he'd never been there and sniffing everything. He picked up a few toys and made a little pile and was kind of stumbling over them. He was just busy going from room to room smelling everything.

We will take him to our regular vet on Monday. I was concerned because he hasn't had a rabies shot yet...we didn't take him to the vet last year, we kept meaning to but something always came up that we needed the money for. We had taken Onyx before we got him...we got him in July.

Anyways (sorry to ramble too, I'm using this post to document the happenings as well) Please pray for our puppy.

Hopefully it's not a big deal...I just can't believe everything we've been through lately. Something's got to give here soon. So, please pray for us too. Todd doesn't know yet, I'll tell him in the morning. No need to wake and worry him now.

What else can happen...

Thanks in advance

Forgot a couple things...it lasted about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Although, it felt like an eternity. I was on the phone with my sister, the nurse, at the time...THANK GOD.

Well i have to go to bed. I'm a little nervouse to sleep, but I'll be able to hear him if it happens again, I'll leave the tv off tonight.