"IT" being the encephalitis and what ever caused it. Seriously, I want to "Go Ninja" on it, take it out like the rotten trash that it is, tell it to stay away from my boy or I'll off it!!!! That's putting it nicely! Zephyr is still doing well, but he had a seizure about 4:00 Saturday morning. This is the first one he's had, that I know about, since being in the hospital and it's the first time I was with him during one of his seizures. The others all happened at the hospital when I wasn't there or he was in the back. I have, unfortunately, seen and dealt with very bad seizures in people before, so I know what it's like. But, you can't call 911 for your dog that you love more than anything, you are all they have, and I will just say that it totally sucked! Sorry, I'm not being very positive here, but I am being honest. All kinds of visions went through my head. I won't go through a complete reenactment, but I bolted from bed, ran to get the diazepam, gave it to him, and the seizure stopped within some seconds. He came around quickly, I think a minute or so, hard to remember. The poor boy was so confused about what had happened. After he was pretty awake I had him stand up, he was a little wobbly, etc. Then I stood up and after some seconds... I got very sick. A huge head rush, nausea, burning up, and I couldn't stand up without almost passing out. Did I say how much all this sucked? I'm trying to take care of Zephyr while trying not to pass out or get sick. Alternating between the floor and Zephyr, who is now worried about me. My friend who is a nurse practitioner said it was a bad case of orthostatic hypotension from going from sleeping to huge adrenaline rush to being on the floor with Zephyr and then standing up. I'll Kick Its Ass Too!!! Not what I want to have happen when I need to take care of Zephyr. After about 20 minutes and going potty Zephyr settled down and jumped on my bed, laid down, and went to sleep. He's been fine since then. I, on the other hand, felt horrible the whole day and have gone back to lots of worrying.
I talked with Dr. Knowles that morning and she said it might be from scar tissue that has formed as his brain heals. He hasn't shown any of the other signs of the encephalitis before or after the seizure so that's good and probably consistent with it being from scar tissue. I've read that this can happen too. She says that usually when they seizure from a scar they continue to have seizures. Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Argh!! I'm kicking its ass in my head right now!
Okay, let's focus on the positive. I know that I am extremely fortunate to still have Zephyr and that his recovery has really gone very well so far. He is an amazing boy, maybe he won't continue to have seizures. Dr. Knowles still thinks he will continue to progress and recover in general. But, I still want to kick its ass! :-)
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1 month ago
15 comments:
ugh, poor Zephyr and poor you!!!
That must have been so scary :(
I get those horrible head rushes too if I get up way too fast (normally greyhound scream induced) too, it's just horrible.
Speedy continued healing to Zephyr!
whoa, sounds like a nasty night! :P hopefully he fully recovers :/
My Mom's dog, Ellie, has epilepsy. I know how scary and nasty seizures are. The post-ictal phase is so traumatic for Ellie, she's completely confused, and paces the entire perimeter of the house and yard before she can settle down again. They almost always happen when she's sleepy or sleeping.
I hope Zephyr doesn't relapse (doesn't sound like it) with the encephilitis, but I bet it is scar tissue. Hopefully, the seizures will come and go for the healing process, and be DONE when the healing is FINISHED. I pray that is very soon.
<3 + hugs,
Tasha, Dolce, JoJo, and Kibeth.
Song and I are sending you both hugs. That must have been so frightening. Hope Zephyr continues to improve and seizures become a thing of the past.
I hope this seizure is just a one time deal. One of my greyhounds had a fluke seizure once and she never had another one as long as she lived.
Your almost passing out reminds me of the time I was shopping in a clothing store when I hit my funny bone super hard. I started to feel woozy when all of a sudden I woke up underneath a clothing rack. I have no idea how long I was there and no one saw it happen. So I dusted myself off and off I went. :-)
Hang in there Zephyr. Sorry you had to go through that. Give "it" a kick in the ass from me too.
Our first Greyhound, Treat, had epilepsy. Three weeks after we adopted her, she had her first seizure. She wasn't even four years old yet at that point. I honestly don't know who was more freaked out, Treat, my husband or me. She started running around the living room like a demon was after her before collapsing and having accidents. We took her to the emergency vet, an hour away, in the middle of the night, but by the time we got there, there wasn't anything for them to see. She had grand mal seizures, and some of hers lasted upwards of fifteen minutes at a time. We learned to manage her epilepsy with medicine and she went on to live a very full, happy life.
I know how scary seizures are when you first see them in your dog. It's not something I'd wish for anyone to have to go through. I hope that Zephyr never has another one. I also just want to tell you that even if he has epilepsy after his battle with encephalitis, it doesn't have to be the end of the world. There are some medicines that can really help to control it, and he can still live a full life doing the things you and he love to go together. Treat lived to be ten years old, and her passing away didn't have anything to do with her epilepsy.
Thanks everyone! Hearing about other dogs that have had seizures and how it's managed really helps. We'll see how it goes. I haven't started him back on the phenobarbital yet, waiting to see how things go. I was really worried about giving it to him so it helps to hear about others success.
I am sorry to hear what happened but it could be a one time thing-I have seen that happen. I agree it sucks having to watch it happen but you are right to focus on the positive-he is still with you and he is still Zephyr-the disease didn't change his personality.
I'm sorry you and Zephyr are going through this.
How did Astro behave during the seizure? I hate to give you something else to worry about, but housemate dogs sometimes turn on a dog suffering a seizure. If there's any question about how Astro will respond, you might want to separate the guys when you can't be with them...maybe putting the guys on opposite sides of a baby gate.
My girl has had some very mild absence-type seizures. (Either that, or she's just loopy--which is a distinct possibility. I've sometimes referred to her as Spacey Jacey.) When I'm not home, both dogs are muzzled. There are various reasons for the muzzles, but not least is that the muzzle provides Jacey some protection from Sam if she has a seizure. (So far, he's totally ignored her episodes, but just in case...)
I got mad and frightened just reading about your ordeal that night. Glad Zephyr is doing well again. Fingers crossed that was his last seizure.
I'm sure I commented earlier ... probably during the Blogger hissy fit and it didn't get noted? Was just checking back to see if there is an update on Zephyr.
I hope this seizure of Zephyr's was a one off for both your sakes. I've only seen a human have a seizure (more than once) and it's damn scary especially the first one when you think they're dying. Good luck with any further treatment. Hugs to you both:)
Like the others I hope it is a one time thing. A friend of mine has a seizure dog that I have dog sat a few times. I normally deal with dog emergencies pretty well but have been so afraid that her dog will seize while I am watching him. He hasn't so far but I totally understand your fear. Seizures really are scary in a different way.
Lots of id's ...etting Oregon..DOBBS!
OMG...Seizures are scary stuff...Poor Zephyr and You...lets hope for a recovery for Zephyr!
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