Update: A pot-bellied pig named Wallace got surrendered at the shelter today!
He's so cute! I want to take him for a walk on 4th ave in Berkeley... wouldn't we get some looks? haha
I wonder what size collar he would wear?
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Can't sleep & killin' time until I have to give my dog her "every 12 hours on the minute anti-seizure aka zombie" medicine at 6am.
The last two weeks have been hell, as AnnaBoo has had four seizures while I was out of town. The last one was on Friday right in the middle of me supervising the move (FINALLY) of my storage unit belongings from NYC back to CA.
Nice.
So, to make a long story short: after a few very basic tests and spending about 5 minutes observing her/ talking to me, several vets think Annabelle has epilepsy and have prescribed her to be on phenobarbital for the rest of her life, which will kill her liver eventually. They are urging me to spend ANOTHER $2K, this time for an MRI and spinal-tap something or other to rule out a brain tumor. I may or may not do that.
I refuse to take the "most logical lazy easy diagnosis" of "oh we can't figure it out" so it must be epilepsy.
THANK DOG I took her to a holistic vet here in Pacifica yesterday. He sat on the floor with her for 45 minutes while we brainstormed every thing about her life, changes, etc. that could have triggered these seizures Then the correlation hit me/us:
Her problems arose starting in Feb with her last dose of annual vaccines. At the time, I asked the vet about spacing out vaccines b/c I had been hearing of dogs that were having severe reactions to vax. She looked at me like I was from Mars & condescendingly told me that no, that was nonsense & that "she" vax all her dogs all at once. Going against my gut, I said ok.
Funny that right after her vax, Annabelle got a lump under her skin RIGHT where the vax were given. It took 6 months to go away. Meanwhile, she frequently got severely ill, internal infections, fevers, chills, which built up to violent SEIZURES!
And the inability to keep one eye open.
Her eye about 9 mo ago after a seizure:
Fast forward to now:
Her eye - yes - it's the other eye this time - after four witnessed seizures (we could have missed some):
Explain to me how THAT is a symptom of "epilepsy" ?!
The holistic vet & I are 99% sure that AnnaBoo's last bout of vax crashed her immune system, opening her up to all sorts of bad bad stuff.
Her lymph nodes have been swelling up off & on... so he took a cell sample & I am waiting for the results of that. He said something about testing to rule out leukemia? good lord.
Upside is, after her first acupuncture treatment, she FINALLY opened her eye. I'm positive with my new dr's help, we will get to the bottom of this.
We're tryin' our best to keep our chins up around here, thinking about happier times.
Another upside, is that Apple products are giving me some sort of a life back. Instead of being housebound 24/7, waiting & watching for the next seizure of my practically-comatosed dog , I can leave my house now. Thank you iPhone apps! I plan to test this out soon!
1. Download Babyphone app on iPhone #1:
It monitors your baby (or pit bull
) for sounds & dials(changeable) phone number programed & you can listen in.
2. Put dog in crate with little xmas bells on collar (and maybe her feet?) How festive.
3. Place iPhone #1 on top of crate.
4. Put MacBook in front of crate, turn on iSight.
5. Download AirCam app on iPhone #2
6. Leave the house, take iPhone #2 with me.
If she starts to seize, the bells will activate the Babyphone app & call me on iPhone #2 which will allow me to view what is going on... record how many seconds/minutes the seizure lasts... and I will know to rush home & give her valium
He's so cute! I want to take him for a walk on 4th ave in Berkeley... wouldn't we get some looks? haha
I wonder what size collar he would wear?
****************************************************************************************************
Can't sleep & killin' time until I have to give my dog her "every 12 hours on the minute anti-seizure aka zombie" medicine at 6am.
The last two weeks have been hell, as AnnaBoo has had four seizures while I was out of town. The last one was on Friday right in the middle of me supervising the move (FINALLY) of my storage unit belongings from NYC back to CA.
Nice.
So, to make a long story short: after a few very basic tests and spending about 5 minutes observing her/ talking to me, several vets think Annabelle has epilepsy and have prescribed her to be on phenobarbital for the rest of her life, which will kill her liver eventually. They are urging me to spend ANOTHER $2K, this time for an MRI and spinal-tap something or other to rule out a brain tumor. I may or may not do that.
I refuse to take the "most logical lazy easy diagnosis" of "oh we can't figure it out" so it must be epilepsy.
THANK DOG I took her to a holistic vet here in Pacifica yesterday. He sat on the floor with her for 45 minutes while we brainstormed every thing about her life, changes, etc. that could have triggered these seizures Then the correlation hit me/us:
Her problems arose starting in Feb with her last dose of annual vaccines. At the time, I asked the vet about spacing out vaccines b/c I had been hearing of dogs that were having severe reactions to vax. She looked at me like I was from Mars & condescendingly told me that no, that was nonsense & that "she" vax all her dogs all at once. Going against my gut, I said ok.
Funny that right after her vax, Annabelle got a lump under her skin RIGHT where the vax were given. It took 6 months to go away. Meanwhile, she frequently got severely ill, internal infections, fevers, chills, which built up to violent SEIZURES!
And the inability to keep one eye open.
Her eye about 9 mo ago after a seizure:
Fast forward to now:
Her eye - yes - it's the other eye this time - after four witnessed seizures (we could have missed some):
Explain to me how THAT is a symptom of "epilepsy" ?!
The holistic vet & I are 99% sure that AnnaBoo's last bout of vax crashed her immune system, opening her up to all sorts of bad bad stuff.
Her lymph nodes have been swelling up off & on... so he took a cell sample & I am waiting for the results of that. He said something about testing to rule out leukemia? good lord.Upside is, after her first acupuncture treatment, she FINALLY opened her eye. I'm positive with my new dr's help, we will get to the bottom of this.
We're tryin' our best to keep our chins up around here, thinking about happier times.
Another upside, is that Apple products are giving me some sort of a life back. Instead of being housebound 24/7, waiting & watching for the next seizure of my practically-comatosed dog , I can leave my house now. Thank you iPhone apps! I plan to test this out soon!
1. Download Babyphone app on iPhone #1:
It monitors your baby (or pit bull
) for sounds & dials(changeable) phone number programed & you can listen in.2. Put dog in crate with little xmas bells on collar (and maybe her feet?) How festive.
3. Place iPhone #1 on top of crate.
4. Put MacBook in front of crate, turn on iSight.
5. Download AirCam app on iPhone #2
6. Leave the house, take iPhone #2 with me.
If she starts to seize, the bells will activate the Babyphone app & call me on iPhone #2 which will allow me to view what is going on... record how many seconds/minutes the seizure lasts... and I will know to rush home & give her valium
Technically, I guess if she barks, she'll be calling me too! 
I thought up this techo monitoring system myself, and am quite proud of that fact, however I can't help but wonder if there is a simpler way to do this?
VIEW 4 of 4 COMMENTS
Poor Annab. I bet she has no idea which was is up right now. Or you for that matter. I hope they figure it out soon.
"F" is such a sweet heart. A doll, even. She can be in love with you as long as I get to make out with her at least once.
I am taking off tomorrow morning. I will be back sometime after Christmas. I will be in touch with you to see how Annab is doing. And I am taking my computer with me, so keep me updated.
*hugs* to you and AB. Hang in there, kiddo.
♥