Ullaluv

Checking in on Teddy.

I've been through spays and neuters with about 100, most of them fosters, and never had a problem. You've done your homework and your preparation. He should be just fine.

Kind of like the biggest barrier to my boy's being adopted would have been his diarrhea, which we've never found an answer to (though no one was ever interested enough to get that far in asking about him.) I do think he is feeling better, But I'm hoping his loss of some additional brain cells isn't permanent. None of his gran mals lasted more than about 30 seconds, but I'm still having to show him things like where he eats. Really hoping this is temporary.

I've thought often about talking to you about Sophie, but she would have to be crated here when I'm gone, since My seizure boy isn't, and I don't know that that would be ideal for her. Besides, she might just wind up staying right where she is! You've done such a greyt job with hr.

We didn't do a loading dose, so it took a lot longer. You're probably not at a steady blood level yet after a loading dose. Try giving it a little time, and then backing off just a little if the ataxia doesn't improve. It's made a big difference in control for my seizure boy without getting into the much more iffy and very much more expensive other meds out there.

How long has he been on the KBr? If he's been on it long enough to reach a steady state, therapeutic level, you might try cutting back a little bit. We went from 3 capsules every day to 3, 4 days a week and 2, 3 days a week. It took awhile, but made a huge difference.

Well, poop is mostly cleaned up. At least everything that could be tracked. We'll worry about the walls later. (And to think, they wouldn't even talk to me about the boy in Florida with fecal incontinence, who probably doesn't poop on the walls.) Beloved seizure boy tried very hard to help me with the cleanup by standing where I had sprayed to show me what to wipe up. All the while barking in my ear. I think I finally figured out what he was trying to tell me! When I opened the door for him to go out,he just stood and looked at me like "don't you get it?" Once I let everyone else out, he's a happy camper. I think he was just trying to tell me that he wanted his friends. Aren't they wonderful!

The hose is hooked up to a faucet with both hot and cold, so warm running water via the hose is no problem. He was good earlier until I started to leave, then started to cry. (I had some things I had to help an elderly friend with, including returning a rental wheelchair, so leaving for a while was not optional.) Got some tracked pop to clean up, but that was probably a combination of diarrhea and pacing. It's not extensive enough to be seizure related, and he's not post ictal (thank Dog!), just barking in my ear - haven't figured out yet for what.

Thanks, I sure do wish I could just crawl back in bed, at least until tomorrow morning!

Thanks, everyone. We had a rough night. After his 8:00 PM seizure, PM meds, dinner that he ate very enthusiastically, he never really came out of his post-ictal state. He crashed until 3:00 this morning - basically unresponsive. I stayed awake listening to his breathing. He managed to get to his feet around 3:00 and paced non-stop until after 7:00, running into things, and I could hear his feet dragging. Let him out to potty around 8:00 and he fell down in someone's last-night poop, so he's now adorned in a combo of slobber and poop. (Our winter dog bathing place is in the basement, and there' no way I would try to get him down there right now.) Hopefully it will warm enough to do the hose outside (it has both hot and cod), until then it's sponge bath time. Then he got wedged in the bathroom and I had to extricate him. (Clothes to launder) We just got back from our 11:30 vet appointment: Liver and kidney functions all totally normal. Electrolytes basically OK (slightly elevated, along with hematocrit) because he was a little dehydrated. Urinalysis totally clear. Physical exam normal (except he's still somewhat post-ictal.) Gave him sub-Q fluids (and I have more here if I think he needs them.) Sent blood off for KBr levels, trough phenobarb levels, and a full Thyroid Profile 6. Thyroid was normal before, but that was over a year ago. For now, I've bumped his phenobarb from 8 (60mg) to 10 a day. This episode is different from any of his previous ones. Don't know how many people consider 2 to 3 seizures in 1 to 2 days clustering, but I never considered it a real problem because they were short discreet seizures with a fairly brief post ictal period and resolved completely after each. That's not what has happened now. So far we have not come with anything that would explain the change. Maybe there will be a clue in the levels or thyroid panel. At least the liver profile is normal, so I'm comfortable increasing the phenobarb (and will increase it by more than 2 if I need to.) Also very interested in learning more about the valium protocol with the oral valium in case we wind up in this situation again. I do think the ataxia is due to the lingering post ictal state and exhaustion. He was never very ataxic on just phenobarb. Much more ataxic when the Kr started kicking in, but that mostly resolved with a slight decreas in the dose. I wasn't worried about incontinence. Previously he's always been incontinent during seizures. I was worried about the lack of any bowel movement for much longer than is normal for him. I hadn't thought about his digestive system slowing down because of his exhaustion. BTW, he started to resolve that issue here this morning, and finished with a huge, grand poop puddle at the vet's office. As far as him having seizures while I'm gone, there were a few times when I was crating him that I came home to a big,big mess in the crate, and a couple scraped on my boy. since I decided that he did better out of the crate (don't worry, the rest are crated), there has been one time that I'm sure he had a seizure while I was gone because I came home to not only diarrhea, but diarrhea tracked over every available inch of vinyl floor. Well, my boy has finally settled down. Lying curled up on a dog bed, quiet but alert. I have a few things I have to take care and this might be my best chance to do it. Thanks again, everyone.

I'm even more worried and don't know what to do. He gobbled up his dinner in his usual "I know this is the last food on earth" manner. After he finished, he became so ataxic that he can't stand. No way that this is because of 2 extra phenobarb tabs in 24 hours (added to his usual 8 60 mg tabs per day.) He's kind of passed out on a dog bed right now. I have everyone else crated in case I decide I need to something drastic tonight. I think this is something more than just his seizure disorder, and I feel so helpless right now. Just don't know what I need to do to help my boy.

You know, he is really a sweetie.

Thanks, everyone. There's something else different this time around. Have no idea if it has anything to do with the recent seizures or is totally unrelated. Looking for a little collective GreyTalk wisdom here. Normally, along with the seizures, we have both urinary and fecal incontinence. Vinyl floors, and I'd much rather clean up after my boy than risk him getting hurt having a seizure out in the potty area, which is concrete and has a couple of concrete steps. He may have had a bowel movement last night, when he had access to the potty area, but other than that, nothing. No accident while I was gone yesterday (before the 9:00 PM seizure) and nothing today. He's emptied his bladder several times (just lots of paper towels), but no for certain bowel movement sine Saturday morning - totally unlike my boy. Again, it's hard to know if it has anything to do with anything, or just a wierd coincidence.

No problem drawing it up. My background is medical. The syringe is kept with it. Draw it up, remove the needle, and find a time that I'm able to give it rectally (The thing I've not done.) I guess my question is about the potency after being stored in a brown glass vila for 2 years.

I have valium but have never had to use it. Have given an extra phenobarb instead. Since I've had it around for 2 years now, I wouldn't trust it to still be good, even though it's been stored in a brown glass vial inside a paper bag.

Thanks. I now the theory and it makes sense. That's why I've already increased his phenobarb before even calling the vet. Never knew whether to consider his typical 2 to 3 gran mals in 2 to 2 days as clusters or not. This is definitely more seizure activity since his early days here, when he would have gran mals several times a week and focal seizures (or behavior issues that I think were seizure equivalents) several times a day.

My 4 year old seizure boy has gone for over a year on the same dose of phenobarb, KBR, and milk thistle. The last time we did levels, his peak and trough phenobarb levels were almost the same, so I think we've been real stable on the dosage. Also very careful not to vary the chloride is his food. (I bought a popcorn popper so he can have unsalted popcorn.) Our pattern has been 3 week to 2 months between seizures, then anywhere between 2 gran mals with post ictals in 1 day to 2 or 3 in 2 days, then another 3 weeks to 2 months with no seizure activity. Well, last night he had a seizure at 9:00 PM, another at 3:00 AM, then more today at 12:00, 1:00, 2:00 and 8:00 PM. I bumped up his phenobarb last night and will bump it up a little more tonight and maybe throw in an extra milk thistle. Thinking of calling the vet in the morning and doing his phenobarb and KBr levels sooner than planned. Thoughts or advice! Thanks.

I am so sorry that you lost your big boy. I have lost dogs to a very swift, sudden illness (one died in my arms 20 minutes after a sudden massive stroke) and after a prolonged major illness (months of home cooking, meds and sub-Q fluids for chronic renal failure before she told me she was ready to leave.) None quite as young as yours. I don't know which way is harder.

So totally agree!

What a greyt update!

Ekko - Now's your chance to get those pictures you've been eying. I promise your Mom won't scold you.

Just because you're hiding boxes, doesn't mean she doesn't know you're packing them. Talk to her about the move and how wonderful it will be after you get there. Maybe you can lower both your stress and hers.

I'm sorry you didn't have more time with him. Thank you for loving him so well.

I think of her often.

The first time one of my Greys caught a squirrel, it was very quick, NO sound. Then he brought it into the house and into his open crate. Stood there with his back to me and the very dead squirrel in his mouth. I told him to drop it, and the poor boy didn't know what to do. He couldn't disobey his Mom, (he's a very good boy), and he couldn't give up his prize. What to do? He swallowed the squirrel whole, then turned to look at me with a big smile on his beautiful face, as if to say "What squirrel, Mom?" He did not bring the next one inside.