Mason and Blue enjoyed a little fence time at the grandparents house today while we cleaned up after the fence guys... they seemed excited about it - we'll have to keep Blue from standing up - so far I only had to tell him once - and he did great.

Okay so Mason is taking a nap and I’m taking a break – so I figured I’d write up the information I got from taking Mason to the holistic vet on Friday.

 

There is so much information – I hope I can figure out how to put it all down on paper.

 

First of all – let me say we will and have now switched both of our dogs to the holistic vet. After talking with him for 45 minutes and allowing him to check Mason I am convinced this is the way to go.

 

The plan at this point is to get Mason off the Phenobarbital within 3 months. I can never be without the Phenobarbital and will have to take it occasionally. Mason will always be epileptic and will have some seizures – you have to expect that. His threshold for seizures is smaller than other dogs/humans. 

 

At this point – we are eliminating all toxins from his system. He is now eating Solid Gold food – and it should help him lose weight – he can’t eat after 4 or 5pm – if he does something tiny is okay. Dogs’ metabolism stops at 4 to 5 pm so Mason needs his biggest meal in the morning. We can supplement it with the green veggies and the raw meat – but not too much. Whoever told me about the veggies – thank you – it has made the biggest difference with the Phenobarbital – Mason stopped crying for food in the middle of the night – plus the vet likes to have the veggies added.

 

He is now drinking either bottled water or filtered water. Currently we’re using a filtration system on a pitcher but we are considering the faucet filter that hooks up under the sink. We haven’t figured out which one yet.

 

Mason can no longer have any store bought treats, pig ears, or rawhides. I was told the last shipment of rawhides to the US came from cows that were killed with anthrax.  He is going to miss the rawhides so now we plan to make our own beef jerky for him – my father already has a dehydrator.  I’ll look into making him some treats too. My parents always love to give him treats and I’ll have to make them some or show them what he can have – at this point I rather them just give him hugs and kisses – he has so much weight to lose.

 

I can give table scraps – that is fine. We have to avoid corn based ingredients and nothing like bacon, hotdogs, etc… nitrates/chemicals/preservatives.

 

He started Mason on milk thistle and I’m to pick up the rescue remedy today. The plan is to have him on skullcap when he is off the Phenobarbital. Well he said most likely on skullcap.

 

The vet said epilepsy has 3 main triggers – bright light, loud noises, and funky phases of the moon.  I have a neighbor who can read the moon/signs and she plans on getting me a calendar and highlighting what phases I need to be aware of.  So if I know in advance about a block party, homecoming anything that will have loud noises – I would need to give Mason a low dosage of Phenobarbital a couple of days in advance – once per day and then get him back off and it seems like a week – I’ll go back Friday with more questions (non-epi appt is Friday). Also storms/ pressure can affect them as well.  We’ve already turned off a large amount of lights in our house and we plan to install a couple of dimmer switches. 

In an emergency he said low light, calming music, and wrap him. He was fine with me using the valium since Mason had the clusters for so long.

 

Oh yes, calming music – very much needed. You have to create a calming environment – low lights, “mood” music basically.

 

He also said 80% of the pollution is in our homes – carpet, sheet rock, cleaning supplies etc… So it’s best if dogs are outside. I asked about our southern humid heat – and he said as long as they had a cool place to lay (mason and blue both have shaded areas where they are allowed to dig down into the ground) – if they can pant and sweat from their paws they should be fine with a large supply of water and a breeze.   So it’s healthier for them to be outside and not in the house.  Granted it’s 90 outside and both boys are inside taking their nap for the afternoon – oh well….  A fan is blowing on ‘em with the AC running. Oh and we did a bit extra the vet didn’t say – we have a hepa filter downstairs with the boys now.

 

Oh and a major thing that we have to start doing immediately is washing feet! When dogs walk across a just cleaned floor or walk in a treated yard – the chemicals are on their feet and normally they lick them – so they end up digesting the chemicals.

 

Oh the corn based foods I mentioned earlier – we have to get off that completely. He said commercial dog foods and even most of the foods in the U.S. are corn based – which is toxic – it has carcinogens – so even people with joint problems are affected – corn is an inflammatory – you want to stay away from it.  People or dogs with joint issues should have more oats. Solid Gold food is made of oats and a lot of other natural things.  

 

So at this point – I have the food, milk thistle, filtered water, and I’m washing feet.

 

Mason is also not going to have any more vaccinations – the chemicals and toxins when put in his system screws it up basically.  He said if we don’t’ have a problem with fleas then don’t give him flea treatment. And he mentioned the heart guard – they don’t tell you but Its good for 45 to 60 days – so start moving his heart guard back by 5 days at a time each month to get a larger gap.

 

The vet mentioned putting him on skullcap – which I haven’t looked up yet.

 

OH and he wanted me to buy a book – it’s already ordered and I’ll receive it from Amazon. It’s called Four Paws in Five Directions by Cheryl Swartz – she is also the one who taught him the acupuncture – he said the information in the book also can apply to us as people.

 

As for Masons being overweight – I said early he won’t be eating after 4 or 5 – that’s going to be a change for my boy but not as bad for Blue. Since Blue is active he said we can supplement Blue’s with more table scraps and it would be okay for him to eat at night due to him being so thin.  Oh and blue has hip dysphasia – his plan is to show me exercises to do with him and he won’t have his dysphasia anymore.

 

No blood work required right now – no point – we’re de-toxifying Mason – we’re going to eliminate anything environmental first.  We know we have it luckier than most of the epi-parents we talk to – and Mason’s only had 4 seizures in a year and a half and the triggers if we review his history tend to be environmental. The vet discussed how some are definitely genetic and nothing they can do will change it but considering Mason’s history this should work.

 

As for Mason’s on going ear troubles and infections – all of which are a food allergy – all that will disappear while taking Solid Gold.

 

I don’t want to leave anything out…. But for some reason I feel like I am. I know holistic isn’t for everyone but I truly want Mason off the Phenobarbital. I know I work in the health field and I understand its benefits but I also understand that it can destroy a dog’s system – it is after all a toxin – poison in his system.

 

The vet assures me that off the medicine and the weighing less he will be a different dog. We’re lucky Mason isn’t high strung like most huskies too – we have a lot of positives here – and nothing seems to bother him- he never gets upset – storms, separation, nothing – its like he doesn’t care – which is the best thing for us. If this had been my nonepi dog – it would be a mess because it would probably be emotional and environmentally based – but not worrying about something that isn’t a problem right now – stick to what’s going on or we will all get overloaded.

 

 

The vet did give him a regular examination and then felt his energy I’m assuming – there was one spot of concern above his left eye – and he asked about any injury as a puppy - or a bike hitting or something – and nothing like that has ever happened. The only thing could be in utero or within the first few weeks we didn’t own him or how rough he and his brother play that could cause injury.

 

The other concern which may or may not be related is his eyes. They did not respond to light quickly enough. He asked if he sees okay in the dark – which I guess – we live in suburbia and there is always light. He said some of it could be the Phenobarbital but even with just that it should have been quicker to refract I guess.  So that could be something we’ll be facing in our future – who knows.

 

Mason has 98% control of his ataxia today – he falls only about once a day for the last couple of days so that isn’t bad at all and with decreasing his Phenobarbital we hope all of that goes away. 

 

So now we’re cutting down a ½ pill each week to get him off the Phenobarbital. We’ll still have it to put him on when we need to give him a low dose of it if we know he’ll need some and we’ll keep the valium too. He will have seizures we will have to learn to deal with them. He is an epileptic and always will be – his threshold is lower than most and we have to accommodate that. 

 

So hear is to no fights, no yelling, no parties, no loud tv, no bright lights, ….. and to having a calm “groovy” lounge like feeling I guess. We’ll see… it’s going to be an adjustment for all of us but it is already.  I’m looking forward to becoming even more “green” I guess.

 

Our first plan is the food, supplements, water, and washing feet.  Once we have all that in place we’ll look into the natural stuff for house cleaning – you don’t realize how much toxic chemicals we live with every day – we have to but we also need to crate the best environment for our epi’s.   We wonder why we as people are always sick – we live in toxins 24/7.

 

So I still have a lot to learn and we’re still in the adjustment phase ….. one day maybe it’ll feel like it used to.  I did however fall asleep, dream and not worry and wake up to check on Mason.  However since sleeping a total of 4 hours per night for so long my body has adjusted to this 4 hour schedule – I’m not too happy about that but I hope that will change.

 

I’m picturing a brighter future again with plans for longer walks and faster walks – I’ll just have to be more prepared for the seizures – have medicine when we go off, have his music – protect his environment and to protect him. Dave is to talk to the neighbors soon so they can let us know in advance if they plan to have parties or such so we can know when to give him a low dose of Phenobarbital.

 

Of course with hurricane season starting here – we’ll be prepared for those as well he’ll need it then and if we know we’re into hot days and stormy nights he’ll need it then too. Yep a lot of planning, a few calendars, and food prep, etc… but it’s worth it.

 

If I have forgotten anything I’ll be sure to add it – and I’ll keep you informed of his progress! 

We are so changing vets now! The holistic vet is a genius! We plan to be off meds in 3 months - but Mason is high maitenance and expensive now. He is going to be on solid gold food, filtered water, no treats, natural greens and raw meats, washed feet (all the time). His biggest meal in the morning - nothing after 4 or 5. We'll also be making our own jerky and I'll be making natural treats for him.



OMG the things i learned... my boys will never have another raw hide, corn based foods, mass marketed treats, hot dogs or anything with chemicals or nitrates.

did you know the last known shipment of rawhides to the US came from cows killed with anthrax? yep that's right - and our dogs are chewing on thist stuff!

Mason has been a different dog since seeing Dr. Mclawhorn today - it's just amazing...he is back pretty much. However - he is worried about his eyes and their slow reaction to light - it could have come from the massive seizures the other night or the phenobarb but even then it wouldn't have been that slow with just the meds...so maybe some other damage.



Be aware that 80% of pollution is in our homes - carpet, sheetrock, cleaning chemicals - etc...etc.. etc... dogs are better outside - yes i even asked about our hot weather - as long as dogs have shade, somewhere cool to lay and are able to pant, sweet through their feet and have access to plenty of filtered or distilled water they're good - oh and a breeze. so when they want to stay out - we'll be letting 'em - it's healthy.



if you wash your floor with any cleaning chemicals - and your dog walks across it - wash their feet - and the same goes through walking through chemically treated lawns - they get this on their feet and then they lick them - so they digest all these chemicals.



For Mason - he is epileptic so he won't be taking any more vaccinations, and since we don't have a flea problem - we won't be using that either. Oh and heart guard - the things is good for 45 to 60 days - so not once a month forMason on that one either.



Oh and the trouble with his ears - all a food allergy.

That should go away with the change in food!

I'm so excited - but we'll be reducing bright lights in our home, create a more calming environment - with calming music, low lights - geez you think we'll be creating a lounge type house - haha funny... but you get the picture.



so much to share and yet.... I'll try to get it all up on his blog tomorrow... www. masonmoonshiner. com I could type for days with all the info I have in my head now. so much to buy and get started on here..... I'm excited to get him off that toxic med of phenobarb - he'll still have to take it sometimes.



Thanks for checking on him and all the support!

HEY!!!

 

Sorry it's so late udating!  It's been a whirlwind day to be honest and I'm just sitting down for a minute here then I'm off to start the weekend clean.

 

we just got back from a walk - it's still a very slow walk and he is tired - but you know he is still sitting here at my feet begging - he has his paw going on - so he is back.

 

It's hard to explain our day - but I'm going to give you the short version and then my plan is to fill you in on all the details from our holistic visit - so it can help you too.

 

There was so much information - of course the vet said I took good notes! I can't wait to share what I've learned!  But the plan is to have Mason off phenobarb within 3 months - but to have it on hand and give him some when I know what's coming.  He basically said loud noises, bright lights, and phases of the moon effect Mason - our first thing is to remove all environmental factors - if he still has 'em with all that removed then we have to look at other areas of health...

 

talk about high maintenance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but it's going to be worth it.

 

i'm happy right now... first time in a while.  Thank you aunt Barbara and uncle Nick for making us go.  Blue has a visit next Friday - and we'll learn exercises to get rid of his hip displaysia!

 

 

well the walk was okay - he did very well - he only about fell down Barbara's steps - he kind of wanted to hop up a bit to beg and when he did - he sort of fell down 2 steps - he landed on his feet - that was a definite positive. He did fall down completely but he was on grass - and close to home.

 

but overall okay - he came in still wanting to play so that's good.  

 

I had to fuss out my neighbor when I went on the walk though - Dave will have to talk to him - I personally don't care if he does or not - I'd do it again. He had those stupid puppies running loose in my yard again and they started coming toward my two and of course I can't pull Mason at all.  I'm pretty sure I told him we had a leash law about 4 times and to keep his dogs out of my yard that he needed to come get them cause my dog has seizures.  I'm so upset with them about their dogs - the german sheppard is back - the one that barks 24/7 - ask mom - she was here and heard it too.  oh the fun....

 

i'm kinda upset i guess - other things...vet stuff - neighbors dogs, lack of sleep - oh wait - lack of sleep makes you irritable right?

 

well I better turn in  - need to be at work by 6 and I have a meeting at 830 - pick up food at 2, vet at 3, dinner with lisa at 5.... but the good thing is we may be over in the new fence at my parents hanging out in the shade - we'll have to see... :)

 

Oh and I'm so jealous - that's another thing..... oops.... heading into that self crap again - sorry- just wish i was heading to the hard rock park tomorrow too.... it'll have to wait.... one day maybe.... maybe one day I can actually get out of the town...

 

okay night guys.... it's FRIDAY in less than hour! thank goodness!!! Mason has crashed out and Blue just settled down too.

 

 

How absolutely funny is the fact that my Mason that we've been watching 24/7 actually was checking on me!  I laid my head down for 10 minutes and Dave came over and Mason popped his head up and was like how is my momma. It was cute to think he was checking.

 

He is doing okay - sleeping allot more than he has though - kind of has a drugged look but it's odd because he looks and acts better - one day at a time a bit at a time. He still has the ataxia but he is walking more with his tail up than he was - he is a lot more sucky than before - it's kind of cute but he has his normal moments. He grabbed his bobo and was holding it in his mouth forever again - so that was normal.  a little bit at a time..... we have to get through this one day at a time. I pray and hope he is "normal" again.

 

So today on the yahoo groups for epi-s I've learned more information. Until we know how Blue will act if Mason has a Sz' while we're away from home (no plans to do that yet) then we'll have to keep them separated but they need to be able to see each other.  the parents of epis on this group are life savers - they know so much have and are going through so much. Many of the dogs live very normal lives and some suffer so much more than my boy - my heart breaks for them. It's terrible to think that if you hear that somebody is worse off than you - you become more appreciative of your own situation. oh well - beats a pity party????  I still hate the idea of feeling better when others are suffering like we are but worse.  Parents of epis are so encouraging though!!! I feel more informed and they don't mind answering the same questions over and over again so we understand what we are dealing with and what comes next basically.

 

there is so much information on the net yet I don't see a lot of places to support canine epilepsy reserach - only one place that I've founds so far - I'm considering ordering a tshirt to help support the program.  If you'd like to help you can go to http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/ and order a shirt too!  I emailed them today and they said they're about to do another batch of shirts very soon. 

 

if you find anything else out there email me smartdiva@suddenlink.net

 

 

quick note before I head into work (which takes twice as long to now since my maemae wants my attention.... but this morning - when he gets up it's normal  with hind leg weakness and walking a bit sideways at first.  I'm come to accept that now -waking up from a druggy sleep or something.  This morning that was the same but when he came back inside to see me this morning the tail was finally up and really curled tight.  He hasn't done that except maybe twice when his grandparents were here.  Its nice to see it up in the morning - that was new today and a good sign.

 

He still has the ataxia though - and I'm thinking that is starting to look like it's not going to go away or get any better - thats a shame but it beats the alternative. He still can't jump and he isn't agile but he is walking okay.

 

He slept all night too - so things seem to be looking very good.  I'm still going to ask about the thyroid issue though and send the blood sample to california.

 

okay - short note - gotta get to work - rounds day and i'm still behind since i was out last week.

 

thanks for checking on him :)

wow - the boy is crazy! mom and dad showed up - and Mason was a nut case - on and on and on - howling and carrying on - dad had to come into the living room and sit down and he kept on - it was crazy - Blue just got up beside mom on the couch for a nice calm loving but Mason went nuts... He played and begged - and you'd almost think he was the same as always before the seizure - well except his begging is 100x worse but he was good!  they left and he played a bit more and is now relaxing - he doesn't last too long but a bit longer every day.

 

The Mason journal is coming along - I keep up with his physical abilities, food intake, exercise, and possible triggers. so we'll see how this goes.

 

Oh after the last blog entry - sneaky boy decides he'll try to get on the antique sofa - his favorite spot actually - and he couldn't do the jump - talk about pissed at himself when he realized it - so he took it out on Blue and bit him.  yep - that's my boy - he was so upset he couldn't get up. I even removed the extra cushions I have on it so they won't ruin the springs but I think it scared him now.

 

well - we won't be getting any exercise by walking tonight.... still raining :(

 

we hate rain days - it's sooooo boring!

 

 

Well that's about all he did today - sleep while it rained - and it's still raining! I think he saved up his energy for when I came home - we played and...positive news... when he shakes that duck he normally loses his balance - well he did it a few times without falling. 

 

he did fall mind you - when he is facing one way and he wants to flip around and go the other - opposite direction he falls - he used to be so agile like a cat - not anymore.

 

We had a good night too - after the walk he took his pill and went to bed in the kitchen floor -  dont' think he moved all night. I had to wake him up this morning to go out. it was nice being able to sleep in my own bed the entire night and just roll over and see him - granted I probalby could have slept more myself but now I'm so used to waking regularly to check on him.  Now he did go out about 5 and i got him right when it started raining - I heard him move. Now of course he didn't make a sound but he was standing there waiting to come in - and once in fussed me out - I'm like fuss at me while you're standing in the rain to let you back in - not when I get you back in you turkey.... he normally would have pounced the door - guess he is going to have to learn how to let us know how to come in - blue barks - but Mason doesnt.

 

 

So overall - nothing to report today - just sleeping - bored.   Granted he won't be bored long - his grandparents are coming over for dinner - we're having Parkers tonight since we missed out on it the other night. So at the moment both boys appear to be looking for them - there is one in each window  out front in the living room.   they're funny that way - sitting at the window - watching the world go by. Boring with the rain - not even a kid walking by.

 

I'll update later - I'm getting the kitchen and living room ready - we'll probably all eat in the living room so Mason can sit on the carpet - he just has more traction on the carpet - and i rather him fall on his blanket or pillow bed than the kitchen floor when he is trying to beg. I did feed him some green beans a few minutes ago to hopefully decrease some of the begging when my parents get here - so who wants to make a bet that won't work?

 

Thanks for checking on him!  We're all still just hanging in there - and absolutely dead butt tired. 

 

Play time - Mason is in his toy box! I should take a picture of that later so people understand SPOILT when they see it!

 

OMG it was so funny!!!!!

 

We have a rabbit - we knew it had been back because as soon as the dogs went out of the gate they started sniffing. they were all over the yard - and when I mean all over the yard - I mean it.  

 

so the walk was wonderful! Mason did so good - he was on go from the start even though i kept telling him to slow down!  We let him dictate the pace of course - and I was so proud of him - he even stopped and sat down in the grass of some neighbor's yard for about 5 minutes and rested!!! so blue sat down beside him - it was cute. I took water with me but he wouldn't drink it - which is odd considering he is always thirsty.  I only saw him trip about once - maybe a half trip another time but otherwise he did so good.

 

Although I probably always wished he'd be better to walk - I just didn't expect it to be this way. He is a different dog to walk - I'm not used to not being pulled around the neighborhood. He is friendlier too - it's hard to explain - he goes up to people and wants love - it's kind of cute.  I'm thinking he is the same but who is this red headed boy at the same time.  Granted he is a love bug when he wants to be - he is even more of one...I got kisses every day but now it's all the time - I love that part of this. :) Hey you've got to find the silver lining somewhere right?  Maybe I can start a positive list.... nope not there yet. :)

 

So we get back to the yard - and they're sniffing the rabbit again - and of course so funny to watch - and here comes the bunny....sitting at the edge of the yard watching the boys... and inside i'm kind of freaking out - because I can see disaster written all over the scenario in my head...but the rabbit had some sense - he hopped away before either one of the boys caught sight of it.

 

We have a run of rabbits around here I guess. My parents - a block away - have a baby, and another or the same one I saw tonight has been seen in our yard as well as a adult rabbit in the neighbor's house across the street from us.  I think it's just as funny as the time i saw the turtle in the neighborhood - suberbia...what's wrong with this picture?  Granted its not like our neighborhood was woods or anything - it was a soy bean field once - I grew up a block away and road these fields almost daily on a 3-wheeler.  It was the occassion when we saw wild life even then.

 

Well I just wanted to share the good news about the walk - he was more of himself - granted he came in and has already crashed for the evening. I still think it's positive....but we'll see when we look at how he is doing tomorrow. The last time we walked the larger block he had a bad day the next day.

 

oh....and the boys met all those young guys hanging out at the neighbors tonight.... not so bad  - but still a problem with them being so unsupervised I'm sure.

 

the rabbit was a nice change of pace......

 

we're hoping for a good night... although Mason is sleeping in the kitchen - I have my ear turned that way listening as I type this and watch tv - good thing I can multi-task.

So here is the email I got from Carrie on the k9epi list in response to my email to the group - this is totally making sense to me!!!!!  I mean seriously if I can lose all thi weight with exercising these guys and you know he wasn't getting extra food cause I sure wasn't eating....he should not have gained the weight.  I hate to say it but I hope it's a thyroid and he can get off this phenobarb.... and lose the weight!   this actually gives me some hope here guys!!!

 

 

So now he is on 90mg of phenobarb (he is a big boy who needs to lose
weight) twice per day. We may think the heat triggered the seizure the
other night. We had been walking 60 minutes 5 days a week but he
gained weight...have no idea how....he is 88 pounds!
>
> So we're still dealing with the effects of phenobarb in his system.
He has a lot of hind leg weakness - that's very heart breaking to me.
I wish I knew what to do about this constant hunger and begging though.

My first suggestion is that you need to have your vet check his thyroid
levels. My non-epi,Zoe, has gotten really fat despite being on low-cal
food and getting tons of exercise. Sure enough, her thyroid function is
low, so we just started her on medication for it.

For the insatiable hunger, try adding canned veggies to his food. It
helps fill them up without adding to their weight.

Good luck.

Carrie and epi-Charlie

Okay so I'm reading my emails from the group I joined and this is an email that grabbed my attention...  A possible thyroid issue??? I"m serious - we were exercising an hour 5 nights a week - I had him running and he still gained weight???? And believe me when I cut back eating so did he!  it could be a thryiod issue!!! I'm going to have to research this one more! I really want him off phenobarb!

 

 

I second the recommendation for a thyroid test. When a dog is on Phenobarbital, you need to get a SIX PANEL thyroid test and have
Dr. Dodds review the results. She is a specialist in this area of expertise. There is information about her and thyroid testing at
http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/HEMOPET.HTM

For some dogs, if they have a thyroid problem and it is corrected with meds, they will stop having seizures. Others will have fewer seizures, or require fewer meds.

We couldn't get my pup's seizures under control until we addressed the thyroid issue. Gaining weight without an increase in food intake is one of the
markers for a low thyroid, in dogs as well as humans.

Sue and epi-Jill

Carrie and Charlie wrote:
My first suggestion is that you need to have your vet check his thyroid
levels. My non-epi,Zoe, has gotten really fat despite being on low-cal
food and getting tons of exercise. Sure enough, her thyroid function is
low, so we just started her on medication for it.

Well I can't log in to this from work so it'll be an evening post except weekends I guess.  So today was my first day back - and I missed the boy and worried about him. I called home maybe 7 times??? I dont know - Dave could probably tell you how many. Of course when the alarms go off I'm right on the phone saying it's pill time. Dave knows he better answer the phone or I'm rushing to the car to drive home. I can get home in 7 to 10 minutes depending....

 

Mason did pretty good today. I was worried since we walked last night and the oter night when we walked he had a bad day the next day. I've seen him lose his blance about twice but that was while playing - if he shakes a toy - the death shake - he can fall easily.  right now it must still be afternoon nap time - he is crashed out in front of the fan.

 

We have our appt with Dr. McLawhorn on Friday at 3. Looks like I'll go it alone to this one with Mason. Dave will need to stay with Blue - he has such severe separation anxiety - you can't leave him alone. Maybe from being abandoned on the street as a puppy???? my little rescue dog is always attached at the hip. Dave is still wondering if he can train Blue to alert us if Mason needs us.  we'll see.

 

As for now - we're looking back at some of our notes - the triggers we think so far was spiral ham, coated raw hid, and this time the heat or a fever.  Mason always has bad ears - and if he had an ear infection it could have given him a fever which would have lowered his threshold. My boss - mentioned fevers can do that. He seemed to agree with me on the ataxia - that if I didn't see an improvement we may be able to reduce the phenobarb.   I've read both positive and negatives on the yahoo group I joined - I love hearing the positives - it keeps me focused on what I'm doing.   It's nice to also know that you're not alone in what you're going through that others are and have been through it - and unfortuantely some of them are worse off than Mason - we're pretty darn lucky.

 

So we're still both very tired - VERY TIRED..... you can hear it and see it in us. Dave due to his hearing issues needs to stay close to Mason during the day - that means working in the kitchen instead of his office - I'm sure that's not a good thing for him.  Maybe when we become less concerned we can stop watching so much. I actually feel guilty if I wake up from a dream in the morning  - thinking if I was dreaming that means i wasn't listening too close to Mason - what if... what if...what if....

 

Oh and my parents they're building a small fence off their deck - that way they can have the boys over on the warmer days - they have shade trees where we don't have anything - we'd have a canopy but now we're waiting on a replacement part - this canopy is going to be the canopy from hell - I can hear of describing it as that from here on out.  Once it's up it'll keep the kitchen and deck cool and Mason will have somewhere to be to cool down and lay out when it rains.

 

he slept out all night - we had a bit of excitement around midngith actually so I may have gotten to bed about 2. The neighbors teenage daughter was out in the middle of the street with guys in her nightgown - and this one boy was a bit too close and taking pics with the camera phone...okay so I'm not a parent but I know something needs done here..... any recommendations on that one? talk to the girl or the mom? Worst - it's a school night - where are her parents? ....working....

 

so finally - i ended up keeping the lights on outside - so that way they'd go back home or something.... and finally Blue got over it and went to sleep so I was able to get some rest.

 

i've had to cancel a lunch date with a high school friend tomorrow - I have so much to get done at work plus I need to take my coworker to a med. appt. it's odd - i figured I wouldn't be able to really work that much today but I got a lot accomplished to be honest. I'm shocked.

 

so as i'm typing this I'm truly thinking of taking a nap... I'll need to wake up for his pill and a walk later but right now -- I"m so tired and the boys are sleeping - I might as well.

 

thats about all i can remember - it'll be dificult to remember everything if I have to wait to come home to type it but oh well do what we can.

 

okay nap time.... thanks for caring!

did I happen to mention the side effect of RESTLESSNESS????

 

I can't get him to settle down and I need to go to bed so I can go to work in the morning.

 

the worst part - every time I head to the bedroom he comes and gets me - and after I read they seek you out if they know they'll have a seizure I go where he needs me.  so i may be sleeping in the living room for a bit before I can head back to the bed.

 

oh well..... it's never ending

 

but we had a nice slow slow slow walk around the small block and he was good when I took blue out for a longer walk.  that's a positive but I do miss being pulled down the street. :(

 

Aunt lisa brought some good questions up to us.... and i should probably explain a few things as I understand it so far.... remember I'm a newbie at all this and a lot more people know more than me.

 

The phenobarbital he takes is to control the seizures. He'll always have epilepsy and there is no cure. The phenobarbital in the case that he hasn't had seizures since Tuesday is working.  The drug is toxic to his system and he'll have numerous blood tests. Right now we're getting the Pb to a theraputic level and he is more prone to have seizures for the first few weeks. The phenobarb also has some major side effects - the permanent effects is the constant hunger, thirst and urination. The ones we hope goes away is the mucscle weakness. Mason has a pronounced head wobble - less today but he doesn't have a lot of hind leg control either.  I've read where some have it within 3 days some 3 weeks. I'm unsure if his might be more permanent since he ended up seizing for so long - but if that is the case I can be okay with it - he is alive.

 

so yes the phenobarb that he is taking so far seems to be working - no seizures (yet). He can still have them with the phenobarb and if he does - there are other options to increase his dosage, or add her medications.  There are a lot of families going through much worse and some having much better luck than us - so it appears it's different for everyone and we all seem to just take it a day at the time and love 'em as much as we can as long as we have them.

 

I hope that answers some of the questions I got. It's how I understand it but I suggest if you have a canine with epilepsy you do more research rather than just reading this. - I myself am still learning - and there is so much information to read!

 

as for the rest of the day - I'm still sleep deprived. I had planned on having dinner with my parents but apparently while I was napping my hubby decided I needed to sleep more and called my parents to cancel out (I'm not to happy about that but I also have to remember to keep a calm house for Mason's sake) Dave gets his sleep most of the time - you know how it is for a momma.  I did get out of the hosue for a couple of hours today and went for some retail therapy with my mom. Of course Mason and Blue got new toys. Not that they need them - but it's one of the pleasures right now to see Mason get excited over a toy and want to play. He lasts about 15 minutes and crashes out (like now). I dont think I bought a single thing for myself - figures. I did get a pill organizer for Mason as well as pill cuter. Those are just two things you never think you'll need for your child.  *yes Mason is my child - he just has 4 legs and has fur*.

 

so besides my dad having to shoot a snake in their yard when we got back from shopping today has been an okay day... wish I could stay home again tomorrow but I've got to go back to work to pay the bills. I'm just going to have to trust the hubby to be able to look after my son to the level that I do.

 

I just hope I concentrate on work instead of Mason most of the day.....so much to do tomorrow - I just want to survive as for now I guess I'm just going through daily life like some sort of zombie now.

Well our normal life is looking after the boy... He is having a so far good day ....like I said so far. A bit better than yesterday considering he had such a bad day yesterday.  if he is up to it - we'll try another small walk tonight - I did read where I need to make sure he has a walk to keep his muscles strong.

 

I just got him inside out of the sun a few minutes ago - it took me a bit to actually wake him out of that drug sleep. We used to have to bribe him with a treat to come inside - we have to stop that... but today I used a tiny piece of non-fat cheese (ick)... and I mean a tiny piece.  so much to do, learn, and train apparently.

 

A friend of a friend is a dog trainer - he is to call us today - we have questions of course. Dave wants to know if we can train blue to alert us if need be when he notices something is wrong with Mason.  Such responsibility on the Blue son.....He is being so good with all this - he knows something is different and he misses the amount of attention he used to get. Mason was always the independent one - and Blue the "clingy" one.  Its changed - now we have two clingy ones that want our attention 24/7.

 

So I'm going to try to run a few errands while the boys are napping. I have to go grab some more bandages for Dave's injured leg and pick up that journal calendar thingy I talked about last night to keep a record of possible triggers and behavior changes.  The canopy we started on - still not finished... we now need a replacement part so it may be next week before we get to it.  one day at a time at our house - that's all we can ask for... if it's messy, dusty, whatever we'll get to it - Mason comes first.

 

Looking forward to dinner with my parents later - the boys will love it when they come over - I'll have to prepare them for the wolfy child though - and they thought his begging was bad before.

 

Happy Memorial Day - and to all the military & vets - Thank you!

 

I read this tonight... this morning whatever time it is....

and it's so true. I found someone else's blog tonight of her dog's journey and it fits what we're going through right now and pretty much what we face from here on out. I thought I'd share it so some of you can understand a bit more.

"here are just a few things you lose when your life is invaded with Epilepsy.

1. A good night’s sleep

2. A sense of security

3. An objective view of the future"

That is so true - what is sleep?  It’s like you never sleep soundly again "pre-seizure day sleep" - you wake to every sound, movement, - anything.... cause you never know. Someone described it like the monster under the bed visiting. Cute way to say it.  Some sleep on floors, couches anywhere so they can be close to their baby- and I'm like that - I slept on the couch today for a nap beside Mason - but I sleep better when I know Dave is up and is able to watch out for Mason while I sleep - night time is the worst for me cause I want to watch him all the time. I don’t sleep - can't sleep..... This is so not healthy and I know it.

My life is changed - I know there are going to be nights to the vet clinic, emergency calls form home to leave work, sleepless nights,  I know there is going to be more trips to the vet for more test, I know there is medication to be given daily, more research, more natural eating and supplements, cooking meals for him, falls, lack of coordination, behavior issues, weight issues, and  expenses, ....whatever it is Mason is worth every dollar, every moment, every breathe. I'm pretty fortunate that I have a husband that can work from home to look after him during the day - if not He'd have to have a sitter or a doggy daycare provider. I have great parents who are supportive both emotionally, physically, and financially - and especially who can care for blue while one drives a hysterical parent to the vet clinic in the middle of the night. And I'm so lucky to have a great co-worker and boss who understand my passion and love for my son Mason.  I have wonderful friends who care and love us all and who are there to help any way they can. Over all I'm one lucky girl!  And my wolfy boy is one loved pup!

time to check on him again - he likes to be outside on these nice cooler nights..... probalby okay since he drank a full bowl of water before going out there. :)

I dont know if anyone else will find this blog and if it's helpful to them with their canine epilepsy but i must say reading other's journeys and blogs is very helpful to me knowing I'm not alone.

 

 

 

 

I tell you I've learned allot from http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/  Really if you want to know more about canine epilepsy and what to do - this is the site! I'll have to get some natural ice cream now. I'll need to home cook - there is so much info - even what to talk to the vet about - what test they should do and how often.  this is from other epi- parents and they've been through it all - this is a great site to learn - why not learn from others who have gone through it - good and bad apparently.

 

read more of what my Mason is going through - this is the site.  I don't want to experience the clusters again - but from reading this site - and talking to my vet when I picked Mason up on Wednesday he prescirbed the rectal valium for him - and the pharmacy acutally had to figure out how to make it - so this site has come in very handy for me and Mason.  If it wasnt for this site I wouldn't have know that this protocol could stop or reduce clusters.

 

There is so much to do - I'm going to buy a good calendar or something tomorrow - a seizure journal. The blog is helping but after reading things that could cause seizures I need to document everything just in case - and we all know nobody wants to know my daily schedule at home!

 

I so wonder if I can leave him = I have/had such high hopes for this summer  - and my whole life has been turned upside down - this really sucks but you know - I have faith that everything happens for a reason and if this had to happen - something good will come of it.  who knows what that is yet but something.... I have faith.

 

I hated that I missed David's sermon in church today - it was his first Sunday back from his trip and I so wanted to hear about it.  Maybe next week I can sneak away from Mason - he'll be better I hope and i won't be so sleep deprived.  I actually took a nap this afternoon when Mason napped - geez it's the same advice I always give new parents.

 

Well Dave turned off the tv - it must be bedtime in the smart house.... Mason is sleeping and blue has settled in on the couch.. okay spoke too soon - Mason just stretched his paw into my foot nails and all - he wants my attention so I beter sign off.    yep Mason wants mommy time..gotta go!  wish he'd sleep!