Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Kris is a rescue we transported up here with the kind help of Kris the person (Kris the dog came with an awful name so we named him after his guardian angel, who fortunately goes by a unisex nickname). Kris has been doing very well and was ready to start working training next week, but this afternoon starting having seizures. We took him to the emergency vet and he is still there under heavy sedation and a phenobarbitol drip to stop the seizures. Preliminary tests show no particular reason for the seizures, which is kind of good news and bad news both. Good because he hasn't ingested a fatal poison somehow, nor is he in any kind of organ failure. Bad because we don't know why he's seizing and what his future will be if we can't get this under control. Tomorrow early we'll pick him up if he's been stablized, and we'll have a better idea of what's going on then. Please pray that they can get it under control, that he gets some rest from his horrible ordeal (we live an hour and fifteen minutes from this e-vet and he seized continuously the whole way). I'm just devastated. Kris is a really, really neat dog and was looking super the few times I had him out on the sheep. If he survives this, his career as a working dog is over before it's begun and it will be really hard to find him a home that would willingly take a special needs dog that ALSO is going to need a whole lot of regular, structured, but relatively stress-free activity. Well, I'm physically and emotionally exhausted and I am going to bed early tonight. Thanks for the virtual shoulder to cry on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 :D I hope he makes it through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet_ceana Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Our prayers are with you and Kris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockdogranch Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Sending prayers and good thoughts, Anna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Oop Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 What a sad thing. I hope that Kris is able to recover from the seizures. Best wishes, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoku's mum Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Big hugs to both you and Kris, our thoughts are with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanni and kingsley Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 get well soon Kris!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aerie Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Oh no I'm praying for Kris and hoping for the best. I know it doesn't make you feel much better, but we had horrible issues with Eilidh and seizures for weeks. She'd have seizures that lasted, literally, for an hour or more. They ran test after test and poked and prodded and never found a reason. She hasn't had a single one since then, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShoresDog Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Oh, poor Kris. I hope he comes through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyoBC Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 I'm so sorry to hear about Kris. I hope he gets over them. I know how hard it is to see them like that. Prayers said for him. Paws and fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carson Crazies Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Oh No! Poor Kris. Prayers and good thoughts sent. What a horrifying ordeal for all of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Lots of prayers and good thoughts sent out. Poor Kris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebedee Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Oh no! How sad I hope he gets better and his career isn't ruined because of this xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Sending positive thoughts to you and Kris. Let us know how he's doing as soon as you're able. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maizy Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Let us know how Kris is doing when you have a free minute. You are all in my thoughts and I'm hoping it got better overnight!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisK Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Oh Rebecca, I just saw this! Please give Kris a huge hug for me and please let me know if there's any way I can help. I sending lots and lots of good thoughts to Kris and to you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancy Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Oh, what a shame. But Fergie, Chuck, and I - even Maggie-cat are talking to our deities. I know that seizures in humans can be controlled well enough for them to live the lives they want. I've had friends with very different types, and so have my kids. Sure, it took some time and effort to figure out the best way to control each. But they sure didn't hold these people back. So we can at least hope that Kris can have the same success - and his career. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted June 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 I woke up very early to be there when they said, really hoping that since we hadn't gotten a call during the night, that no news was good news. I was hoping to hear that the episode was over and we could take him home and start maintenance. Kris made it through the night, but it wasn't pretty apparently - he had four more seizures even on the phenobarbitol and a couple of other anticonvulsives. He is still in very critical condition. We transferred him over to our regular vet but if he continues to have seizures, he'll either have to be transferred back to the e-vet or we may have to consider whether he's going to have any quality of life left after 24 hours of seizures. At this point, however, he hasn't had any grand mals since 2:00 this morning. I'm waiting to hear from my regular vet, what his condition is and what is going to be the game plan today and for the immediate future. The overnight DVM was pretty serious when we were talking. However, when I mentioned my younger brother had pretty serious epilepsy, a spark of hope came into her eye. "Then maybe he was sent to you for a reason!" Well, as far as knowing what to do and how to manage him, assuming he survives, yes, but it would have been nice if God had sent the financial resources along with the assignment. Kris' bills are at $800 as of today. We have no credit, so this money literally comes out of our grocery budget, plus we used the money we had saved to fix Patrick's commuter car, to put the deposit down last night. I don't begrudge this at all, Kris is an awesome dog and deserves the best. He will make someone a terrific active companion if he pulls through this all right. Anything would help. We've got a paypal account set up at http://tinyurl.com/3cgsvq - it's set up for our lamb sales, so ignore that - all our lamb sales are done for a while. Or, our snail mail address is Becca Shouse, 54 Scott Rd, Semora, NC 27343 I don't have any nice portraits of Kris, but here he is looking at sheep for the first time: Think he likes them? Thanks for all the good thoughts and prayers and please keep them coming - and think of us, too - this has been a bit of a shock for all of us. Patrick and I got zero sleep last night and PJ wanted to sit with Kris on the way up to the regular vet this morning - and he never wants to have anything to do with the rescues. I would like this to have a happy ending. . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisK Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Okay, I'll send some $$ down. I really want Kris to have as much of a chance as possible. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you are doing for him. I know he's in very, very good hands. Take care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sea4th Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Hi Becca, So sorry to hear about Kris, and no, grand mal seizures are not a pretty sight. Remember my Dolly. She had her first seizure at 9 months of age and had them regularly for the longest time, even with meds. When she was about 3 yrs. old, she went into what I call around the clock seizures - seizuring every 20 minutes. I took her to the emergency vet where they kept her on IV's and would transport her to my own vet during the day. This went on for the better part of a week and my money was starting to run out. Everytime her IV came out, she go into another seizure, so basically she was being kept comatose for nearly the entire week. Friday of that week, driving to work after having dropped off Dolly at the vet, I was making the agonizing decision to put her down. I called the vet later that morning to check on her. They had good news. They had taken the IV out and she had only two very, very mild seizures. She was slowing climbing out of the grasp of this episode. When I brought her back home, they sent me home with a vial of valium and a syringe. I cleared off my dining room table and lined it with sheets and towels, I'd lie Dolly on the table and would insert the valium rectally with the syringe every few hours - around the clock. Dolly continued to have seizures for the rest of her life, but nothing as bad as that time. She was on both phenobarb and potassium bromide and her episodes lengthened to anywhere from 5 wks to 3 months between seizures. Prior to that, the clusters would be every three weeks, so there was definitely an improvement. I have no doubt that Dolly had sustained some brain damage, but I feel that she was meant to come to me because I learned so much from this little dog. There is not a day goes by that I don't miss her. I'd have her back in a heartbeat, seizures and all. Would I knowingly take on another dog with seizures? Probably not. Someone once said that seizures have two victims - the dog and the owner. It's hell going through it. I'll try to send some money out to you to help defray the cost. Maybe a little bit more later on. BTW, when you bring Kris home, buy some Breyer's vanilla ice cream. Dolly would always get some after a seizure episode. (After she died, I couldn't even go past the ice cream freezer at the store. I connected it too much with Dolly). The cold of the ice cream and sugar content helped boost her. She'd always be really depleted after one of her bouts. Wish you nothing but the best with Kris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted June 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Thanks Vicki, that helps a lot, knowing that. I'm really kind of scared, but knowing you all are out there thinking of us, helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sea4th Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Oh, BTW. When I was driving into work that morning, bawling my eyes out, I asked God what I should do and to give me a sign. And when I made that call later that morning and got the news, I said thank you. I had just gotten my sign. :0))) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippin's person Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 There are truly many tragic things in life and this seems to fall right in that awful category. Hope things start to look better at some point and you and Kris will be in our thoughts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 I'm still thinking of you and Kris. My foster has seizures. That's why his original owner surrendered him to rescue. Mickey is an absolute sweetie and having him at my house these past three months has been a blessing. He had no seizures at all at my house until a couple of weekends ago. He had four within 48 hours. I had never been through that before and I wouldn't wish that experience on anyone. The seizures themselves weren't as bad the way he was in between. He's back to normal now and I'm very grateful. I hope Kris pulls through and can get back to normal, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Oop Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Rebecca, My dog, Kamp, went through a night pretty much like you described and it was excruciating to watch, so you have my deepest sympathy. He finally got enough meds into him that he no longer had the seizures and we took him home, but he was on an extremely hefty maintenance dose (500 mgs.) of potassium bromide twice a day for the rest of his life. I also had to keep valium on hand, just in case. He did very well as long as he got his meds at regular intervals and remained mostly seizure-free (except for a couple of times when he was late in getting his meds). We were very fortunate to live close to a teaching pharmacy and were able to have them compound his meds at an extremely reduced amount, as the medications do not run cheap. I certainly do not want to discourage you (Kamp lived a very happy, long and active life - he was 14 when he died), but the meds are a bit expensive. I wish you the best of luck with Kris and hope things work out. However, know that you have my moral support regarding ending his suffering if his condition worsens or they are not able to stop the seizures, because sometimes you have to weigh the value of the quality of life, as opposed to quantity. Regards, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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