LBass

Sending warm thoughts for both you and Ember. FWIW, I will mention what is working well for Piper since he too has cluster seizures. Piper is on the daily combo of phenobarbital and potassium bromide. That combination of meds has a reputation for helping with cluster seizures. Even on meds, he still has seizures, just not as often--sometimes single seizures and sometimes clusters. When he does cluster, his seizures generally occur 3 or more hours apart. For several years I gave him rectal valium after each seizure, because that is what is recommended for managing cluster seizures at home. Still, at least once a year he'd have a horrid cluster episode with seizures every 3 hours for 24-36 hours. Nightmare. The more I read, the more I began to suspect that I was wasting my time giving him rectal valium. Valium is given rectally because it gets into their system so rapidly that way. Its great benefit is for helping with seizures that are coming close together in time--probably within about 30 minutes of each other. That is because it gets on-board quickly. However, it also dissipates quickly--generally within about 45 minutes or so. So, rectal valium was not really impacting Piper's clusters since they were coming 3 or more hours apart. My terrific vet and I talked about that" revelation" and he consulted with a neurologist and came up with a different protocol for me to follow when Piper has a seizure. Now. after a seizure I give him 2 grains of phenobarbital and 10 mg of valium in pill form and I give those meds again every 6 hours until he has been 18-24 hours seizure free. This protocol has held him to single seizures at each episode for nearly 2 years. He's not had any clustering at all in 2 years--just single seizures. That is a huge success for him and a huge relief for me. It is hard to express how difficult those long grueling cluster episodes were for him and for me. --Lucy

My little one--Winston, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel-- is no longer with us but I dealt with some of the same concerns when I first got Piper and then added Spirit and MoMo. Winston was quite a character--he was a breed snob. He played with people, NOT with dogs. The hounds didn't bother him in normal activities--and I'd have corrected them if they did, just because of the size difference--and Winston was good at sticking up for himself. I did make sure he got play time with me in the yard without the hounds. I discourage hounds efforts to play with the cat because play can turn serious so easily. I suppose I (and Winston himself) discouraged play with the hounds for the same reason. Otherwise, he was just one of the dogs when it came to getting meals and treats. Good luck with your pair. --Lucy

What a wonderful heartwarming story. Jonah is home now for sure and clearly he knows it. --Lucy

I'm sorry that both you and Rainey are facing these seizures. Try not to lose heart--it can take a quite a but of adjustment and experimentation to get the right medicationss and the optimal dosages of those meds for your particular dog. In terms of the MRI/Spinal tap, FWIW, in deciding whether to have those tests preformed, I would want to have (1) a really good picture of what diagnostic information the vet is looking for with those test, and (2) then a sense of what exactly what new/different treatment options might be available based on any of those possible diagnoses. When Piper's seizures started, I too struggled with whether to have an MRI done. Spinal tap was never mentioned so I didn't even think about that one. The question for Piper was whether he had a brain tumor or just plain old idiopathic epilepsy. Interestingly, neither my regular vet nor the neurologist Piper saw at the UGA vet school recommended an MRI. The regular vet had an epileptic dane herself so she had the unique perspective of both a vet and a distressed owner when it came to epilepsy. She had decided not to do an MRI for her dane because, even if they found a brain tumor, the treatment would be about the same--control the symptoms (seizures) with meds. The neurologist said that if Piper had a brain tumor, we'd know soon enough as his symptoms changed and increased. Grim but realistic. Seven years later, the decision not to do an MRI has been supported. Piper clearly has idiopathic epilepsy. His seizures are reasonably well controlled--usually every 7-10 weeks, though sometimes he has a spell where they come more frequently. Treatment options may have changed in those seven years but I'd want a clear idea of what either of those procedures would "buy you" in solid terms of treatment options before opting for them. --Lucy

The Border Collie two yards over goes nuts whenever anyone runs a mower. She barks and fixates on the mower. With regard to the hounds, I don't ever let anyone out in the yard when I'm running the mower so I don't know if they'd be upset or not.

No ideas or advice here, but I'm so sorry that you all are dealing an unnerving "mystery condition". Poor Robin and poor you. I hope an answer with a cure will come soon for your poor boy. --Lucy

Spirit (3.5 y/o male) is a committed and determined marker on walks and in the yard. Unfortunately, he will also mark occasionally in the house. I'm quite certain that what I'm dealing with is marking and not house training issues. He is very good about asking to go out when I'm home and has a dog door for outdoor access when I'm not home. He tends to mark things that have been brought into the house or may have high value, so I'm careful about boxes and bags, etc. He once marked 2 six packs of Mt. Dew and that incident taught me to be aware of what I set down on the floor. Anyway, weeks go by without any marking in the house and then he'll surprise me. Yesterday he marked one of the dining room chairs...twice (different chair leg each time ). Obviously, I'd like to get his marking under control--particularly his inside marking and marking while on leash. I'm not quite sure how to approach doing this and so I'd like to obtain the collective wisdom of GT to help me with my "Magic Marker". Should I start correcting marking behavior on walks? Do I treat marking like house training and use the tether method? I've not done that because of the long periods of time between/without marking episodes, but maybe i need to. Belly bands? Suggestions and advice gratefully accepted Lucy

Donna, I'm sending all my good "thots" winging their way to Joe. That very special boy just has to be OK! --Lucy

I'm so very sorry for your loss. The pictures of her are delightful! Clearly she was a "trancer". What a beautiful special girl. --Lucy

After 6 years of having one hound, I've added two more in the past year. I was fortunate when considering #2, Spirit, that he and Piper had the opportunity to meet. That gave me confidence that Piper and Spirit would be OK together. MoMo, my pre-adopted girl, didn't meet either Piper or Spirit before coming home, but I felt comfortable with the adoption based on the 3 hound personalities involved and indeed these three are doing beautifully together. --Lucy

My word--your girl is a stunner!

I think it is easy to forget that when we research a dog breed we are learning about general breed traits. When we bring our very own hound home we begin to deal with a specific individual's traits and preferences rather than the general traits of the breed. I've got 3 hounds and each one is different in they way they interact with me. My MoMo is just what you're looking for--a cuddler, lover, and snuggler. She came to me that way because of the wonderful loving way she was reared. There is nothing subtle about that girl at all. She wiggles and wags and leaps up in the bed with me and tries to crawl into my lap in when I'm in my recliner. Piper, my older boy, loves for me to come to him and sit beside him and pet and stroke him but I'd never call him a cuddler. Spirit also loves attention but he never wags or kisses or greets me enthusiastically--ever. I've learned to recognize the subtle signs he gives of his loving devotion. He is almost always right there--beside me, within reach, pressing close, demanding attention. This is early in your relationship with your hound and you are both getting to know each other. Also your hound is getting to know home life. There is lots of change and growth ahead for her and indeed, as you said, she likely won't be the same dog a year from now. You already love her so things will be just fine. Batmom has great advice about some practical activities you can do with her to nurture the loving affectionate relationship between you and your girl. Try not to be too discouraged. There is a lot of opportunity for growth ahead for both of you! Relationships are never static. Think of this one as an opportunity to work with your girl to build the kind of relationship that you want in ways that respects who you are and who she is. --Lucy

Piper, my first greyhound, didn't play much until he'd been with me for over a year. Even now, he is not a dedicated player. He destroys stuffies in minutes and loves to chew on toys. MoMo, who was played with her entire life, came to me loving to play! Her favorites are Cuz squeaker toys and chew bones. Spirit is not much of a player even after a bit over a year here, but every now and then he'll play bow and grab a toy for a few minutes. Of course, I love seeing him begin to enjoy playing. --Lucy

FWIW, Piper's creatinine is about that high and has been consistently for the 6 years I've had him. He gets a really thorough lab work up looking for kidney and liver issues and anything else we can think of about every six months. Higher than usual creatinine seems to be Piper's "normal". For the rest of it--try not to panic until the tests results are in. I hope that the vet can do all this soon so that you don't have to worry and fret with uncertainty for very long. --Lucy

Often they'll draw Piper's blood from his legs but sometimes when they need a lot (when I'm sending blood for several tests to Hemopet, for instance) they'll draw from his neck. A little bruising sometimes happens for him too. My vet's techs do most of those things in the exam room with me present--at least with me and my dogs. I really like being there with them. The only time they go into the back without me is for things like x-rays and surgery. I did take Piper to the vet school at UGA in the early stages of dealing with his epilepsy and they were going to tak him back for an exam and leave me in the waiting room. I asked to be allowed to go with him and they let me. I didn't ask to stay some months later when Piper went to the local specialty vet practice. They clearly like to get all their patients in in the morning and then do their exams as it suits them through the day and have owners pick up late in the day and discuss results. I decided to be agreeable and left Piper--who had fasted in preparation for a blood draw--at their office with his breakfast kibble in a tub for them to feed him after the blood draw. When I picked him up after 4PM they handed back the kibble, so apparently they didn't bother to feed him. They also told me that he had not accepted their handling him very well. Now my Piper is a natural born sweetheart who never in 6 years with me has given anyone any trouble at all, even when they are doing things at the vet's that are clearly uncomfortable for him. I think being there all day with strangers, without his breakfast, and without his Mama was stressful for him. I've not needed to take him back there again, but if I do, I will not be leaving him alone again--or the others for that matter. --Lucy

Your Lucy is a really gorgeous girl--I love her ears and her long long nose. Also, for some odd reason, her name really appeals to me. --Lucy

The symptoms you describe don't just scream "seizure" to me, but your vet is very correct in saying that seizures can take all sorts of different forms. Some types of seizure are very subtle and not at all like the tonic clonic seizures most of us think of. Is is possible that the heat is bothering Sterling? Piper really tires easily in the heat and humidity of summer and will just creep along toward the end of our walks--so much so that I generally don't take him on walks in really hot weather. Sending both you and Sterling good thoughts. --Lucy

She is such a cutie pie!

Piper had it for a while as a tertiary drug for his seizures. The best price I found was at Costco's pharmacy. I used their web pharmacy service since at that time we did not have a local Costco. The web pharmacy does NOT require a Costco membership and has free shipping. No noticeable side effects.

Piper is a dedicated gardener. I am always careful about what I plant in the back yard because I know he is going to sample the blooms.

Piper had an episode of what I think is called "bromism" several years ago. He became even more ataxic than usual and he began to leak and dribble pee. His bromide level was not higher than it had been when tested in the past, but after much reading and discussion with the vet, we decided to lower the dose of KBr somewhat. That decrease resolved the problems without compromising his seizure control. --Lucy

I'm so sorry that Maggie couldn't have more time with her loving family. Still, it brings a smile to my heart to think of Maggie learning to play, learning to get along with Kendra, learning to relax, learning to love and to be loved. These are great gifts you've given her to take with her to the Bridge. --Lucy

I've had the same experience. Position pill in "V" and then snap the lid down quickly and firmly. Also, I find it helps to keep the pill cutter and blade clean. Replace as needed. --Lucy

Some special hounds touch people who never even meet them, and your Quilty was one of those special hounds for me. Her story, her spirit--brought to life so vividly in your descriptions of her and in many great pictures--touched me and left permanent paw prints in my heart. I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm also so glad that this special girl completed her life in your family and surrounded by your love. --Lucy

I like Batmom's outdoor bathing idea for the summer and I may just give that a try this year. The easy cleanup alone would be wonderful! Piper is not a happy bather. I have to hoist him into the tub and then the moment any water touches him--no matter how cool it is--his legs appear to turn to rubber and he settles gently into an inert blob on the tub mat. I generally manage to soap him up and rinse him off by just sticking my hand under him and lifting just a bit at each "portion" until the job is done. When I turn the water off he manages to get to his feet so I can help him out of the tub. He is actually easier to manage than Spirit, who spends his bath time vigorously trying to get out of the tub. -Lucy