Wanted to start off by saying thanks again for all the wonderful support ... several of you have asked me how Kai'a has been doing so I thought that I would give an update.
Kai'a was seizure free for 9 days. I had made the choice to not start the Phenobarbital and to hold off on an MRI or CAT scan. I changed her diet, implemented a strict rule about not going outside (other than to go potty) between the hours of 8:00 am and 9:30 pm and set up a mini agility course in our dining room (who needs a table to eat on anymore?
) After a week without any seizure activity I strongly began to feel that we are not looking at epilepsy, that perhaps heat and exhaustion (from being outside in the Vegas temps) was the main catalyst and gateway to the seizure activity.
I came home on the 10th day to find my Devyn out side playing a very intense game of fetch with Kai'a - this was at 5:30 in the afternoon. Kai'a had run through the sprinklers and was damp but not soaking and they were both having so much fun, it was hard for me to tell them to come in, however I did.
When she wouldn't eat any of her dinner at 6:30 I knew what was coming. By 7:45 she had jumped up on the couch with me I just knew. I grabbed the ice packs and ice cream and we just waited it out. Knowing it was coming and being prepared made all the difference. The main seizure lasted 20 minutes and it only took 2 hours for her to be back to normal. I did not give her the Diazepam suppository either as it seemed to make things worse last time. She was able to look and respond to her name the entire time, which was something she could not do during the previous seizures.
2 nights later, Kai'a was in my moms room (she is a quadriplegic and can't regulate her body temperature. She has a room heater running even in the intense Vegas summer heat). Since this started, we don't allow her in moms room when the heater is on but she snuck in and took a nap right in front of it. I came home from work at 9 to find her there, back legs already failing, the seizure started. She wobbled over to me, I scooped her up and we repeated the now all too familiar routine. Again ... she did very well.
These two incidents have solidified my belief that heat is the main factor in the entire equation. I have also done a fair bit or research and it seems that there is a correlation in dogs that are sensitive to heat and hot climates and have seizure activity. There becomes a sodium imbalance and that in itself triggers the seizure. Often times, if they are taken into their vet, the blood work done after the episode (and more than likely after an IV has been started) does not reflect the deficiency as it has been replenished. This to me seems like a very likely scenario.
There are other studies that link this type heat related seizures to a sudden drop in potassium levels however I have not done all the research there.
So we are doing pretty good, managing the episodes through lifestyle, diet and activity; holding off on the medications and tests. The bottom-line for me is Kai'a’s quality of life, and right now, she is a pretty happy little girl.
If any of you have experience or information about sodium or potassium deficiencies with dogs, I would love the information. Your advice, experiences and wisdom are appreciated! It seems that so many of us have been having major medical issues with our fur kids this past month – or looking for those that are lost. I am thinking of you all and keeping you, your families, and all our dogs in my prayers.
Kai'a was seizure free for 9 days. I had made the choice to not start the Phenobarbital and to hold off on an MRI or CAT scan. I changed her diet, implemented a strict rule about not going outside (other than to go potty) between the hours of 8:00 am and 9:30 pm and set up a mini agility course in our dining room (who needs a table to eat on anymore?
) After a week without any seizure activity I strongly began to feel that we are not looking at epilepsy, that perhaps heat and exhaustion (from being outside in the Vegas temps) was the main catalyst and gateway to the seizure activity.I came home on the 10th day to find my Devyn out side playing a very intense game of fetch with Kai'a - this was at 5:30 in the afternoon. Kai'a had run through the sprinklers and was damp but not soaking and they were both having so much fun, it was hard for me to tell them to come in, however I did.
When she wouldn't eat any of her dinner at 6:30 I knew what was coming. By 7:45 she had jumped up on the couch with me I just knew. I grabbed the ice packs and ice cream and we just waited it out. Knowing it was coming and being prepared made all the difference. The main seizure lasted 20 minutes and it only took 2 hours for her to be back to normal. I did not give her the Diazepam suppository either as it seemed to make things worse last time. She was able to look and respond to her name the entire time, which was something she could not do during the previous seizures.
2 nights later, Kai'a was in my moms room (she is a quadriplegic and can't regulate her body temperature. She has a room heater running even in the intense Vegas summer heat). Since this started, we don't allow her in moms room when the heater is on but she snuck in and took a nap right in front of it. I came home from work at 9 to find her there, back legs already failing, the seizure started. She wobbled over to me, I scooped her up and we repeated the now all too familiar routine. Again ... she did very well.
These two incidents have solidified my belief that heat is the main factor in the entire equation. I have also done a fair bit or research and it seems that there is a correlation in dogs that are sensitive to heat and hot climates and have seizure activity. There becomes a sodium imbalance and that in itself triggers the seizure. Often times, if they are taken into their vet, the blood work done after the episode (and more than likely after an IV has been started) does not reflect the deficiency as it has been replenished. This to me seems like a very likely scenario.
There are other studies that link this type heat related seizures to a sudden drop in potassium levels however I have not done all the research there.
So we are doing pretty good, managing the episodes through lifestyle, diet and activity; holding off on the medications and tests. The bottom-line for me is Kai'a’s quality of life, and right now, she is a pretty happy little girl.
If any of you have experience or information about sodium or potassium deficiencies with dogs, I would love the information. Your advice, experiences and wisdom are appreciated! It seems that so many of us have been having major medical issues with our fur kids this past month – or looking for those that are lost. I am thinking of you all and keeping you, your families, and all our dogs in my prayers.
