Sharon7
Moderator
Well it's been a long few months dealing with Meadow's sudden seizures. While we were hopeful that it was due to the PlaqueOff supplement suppressing her thyroid, her labwork showed her thyroid bounced back to normal once she was off the supplement. There were no seizures for 2 months. She was on Keppra during this time. We were SO hopeful that we could wean her off the meds and she would be fine but that's not how it's worked out.
She had 3 minor seizures and one grand mal again over the last couple of months. We have switched meds, and now switched again, slowly weaning her off one and onto a higher dose of extended relief Keppra. It was really so limiting to our lives to have to give her the pills every 8 hours; we did it for 3 months. But now with the extended relief it's every 12 hours which is much more do-able.
So bottom line, she has epilepsy. The ER vet said she is the classic age for this to start. Once we knew for sure I had to let her breeder know which I was so dreading. We stay in contact with her and she loves Meadow. She is also extremely responsible, just the kind of breeder you hope for. Does all the genetic testing, raises the pups with lots of love, attention and stimulation. She was so sad and upset, but told me that in 35 years the only dogs that had seizures were one with a brain tumor, and one who ate some horse dewormer, that dog is now 13 and no more seizures. I was fairly sure that it was NOT in her line of dogs.
Today she had a weird episode where she just stood and stared for a while, seemed to get stuck between couch and coffee table, then got very clingy. She just wants up in my lap, lots of panting. This was her recovery phase after the last big seizure, but that was not the case today. She's not a clingy dog by nature so when she does this, I just indulge her so she knows she's safe.
Of course we are sad, but hopeful she will live a normal lifespan. I told the breeder we had no regrets and love her to pieces anyway, and she thanked us for loving her and giving her a good home. I think the hardest thing is how unexpected it is to have a young dog suddenly so compromised. You just don't even entertain the thought.
She had 3 minor seizures and one grand mal again over the last couple of months. We have switched meds, and now switched again, slowly weaning her off one and onto a higher dose of extended relief Keppra. It was really so limiting to our lives to have to give her the pills every 8 hours; we did it for 3 months. But now with the extended relief it's every 12 hours which is much more do-able.
So bottom line, she has epilepsy. The ER vet said she is the classic age for this to start. Once we knew for sure I had to let her breeder know which I was so dreading. We stay in contact with her and she loves Meadow. She is also extremely responsible, just the kind of breeder you hope for. Does all the genetic testing, raises the pups with lots of love, attention and stimulation. She was so sad and upset, but told me that in 35 years the only dogs that had seizures were one with a brain tumor, and one who ate some horse dewormer, that dog is now 13 and no more seizures. I was fairly sure that it was NOT in her line of dogs.
Today she had a weird episode where she just stood and stared for a while, seemed to get stuck between couch and coffee table, then got very clingy. She just wants up in my lap, lots of panting. This was her recovery phase after the last big seizure, but that was not the case today. She's not a clingy dog by nature so when she does this, I just indulge her so she knows she's safe.
Of course we are sad, but hopeful she will live a normal lifespan. I told the breeder we had no regrets and love her to pieces anyway, and she thanked us for loving her and giving her a good home. I think the hardest thing is how unexpected it is to have a young dog suddenly so compromised. You just don't even entertain the thought.
