As Covid and The Dog Days of Summer continue, if we can’t dock dive together, we will 5K together (in spirit) …to raise money for animals in need!
The Liver Killers joined forces with a few other dock diving teams to participate in a 3-part Dog Days of Summer virtual 5k series (click HERE to see June’s installment and click HERE to see July’s installment) hosted by j&a racingand presented by Banfield Pet Hospital .
During the August installment of this series, Margarita and I walked Freedom Park to cover our 3.1 miles.
There are 3 medals: June (Retrievers), July (Bulldogs), August (Rescue dogs) that when fitted together form a dog bone!
A portion of our registration fee each month is donated to the Virginia Beach SPCA , who believes that the animal-human bond creates healthier, happier, more connected communities. VBSPCA delivers their compassion by providing pet adoption and sheltering, low-cost public veterinary clinic services, humane education programs, wildlife triage and canine pet training.
Here’s to hoping that every dog finds their forever running/walking partner!
National Dog Day is a very special day for us at Cello’s Corner as it is also the 2nd anniversary of Whiskey’s Gotcha Day! We adopted little Wish the Fish from Pointer Rescue, Organization during our 2018 visit to Canada for a dock diving event. This weekend would have been our annual trip back to Canada. This year we cannot make that trip because of Covid
In honor of Whiskey’s Gotcha Day, we did a Whiskey Run 5K together. We walked the 3.1 miles in 2 parts because of Whiskey’s bad shoulder.
It may be the slowest 5K in history, but we had a blast and enjoyed every second!
Margarita celebrated National Dog Day with her cousin, James, by completing a 5K together!
15% of their registration fee for Day of the Dog 5k was donated to Freedom Service Dogs , who rescue dogs and custom-train them for veterans with PTS, and for people with disabilities like autism, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and spinal cord injuries.
This may be the most fun I’ve ever had doing while exercising!
This event challenged us to collect points for the distance we walked every day in the month of August. The farther you walked (or ran), the more points you earned. We walked a total of 69.9 miles together for the month…But that wasn’t all! Each weekend in August, The Troubled Raccoon sent out the challenges for the following week and we had until midnight on Sunday to complete them!
A portion of each registration was donated to the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center to support its mission to save and protect Long Island’s native wildlife.
Within this park is a canoe that is wrapped around a tree. This canoe is from the flood of 2004 … when several dams broke and the lake water was this high running through the town, flooding houses, knocking buildings off foundations, and causing other severe damage.
A portion of all proceeds from this event went to K9s For Warriors , an organization that provides service dogs to military veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury and more.
Auscultation: Grade 2/6 left apical blowing quality murmur. Heart rate 100bpm and regular and occasionally with respiratory variation. Lungs clear.
Thrill: none
PMI: left
Femoral Artery: good quality bilaterally
Other Physical Exam Findings: Bright, alert, and responsive, friendly and relaxed
Release Notes:
Limoncello’s heart disease is stable on the current supplements. There has been a slight increase in the heart size from July 2019 and a trivial amount of mitral valve insufficiency as noted previously.
Supplements will continue with no changes and tracking the sleeping respiratory rates (SRRs) will also continue.
Limoncello will see Dr. Bossbaly again in May 2021
Never underestimate the healing power of dogs (especially now during Covid times)!
Rita and I participated in the Paws FUR Pink 5K while raising funds to beat human and canine cancer! A portion of our race fee went to Suzan G Komen, Keep A Breast, Be Well, and canine cancer education research at Clear!
You know what really helps with running? Water… Especially when it’s frozen into ice cubes, and blended with lime and tequila!
This week Margarita also completed the “I Run 4 Margaritas” Virtual 5K! This Challenge was hosted by I Run 4 Movement and supports Stand Up To Cancer in an effort to help SU2C get one step closer to its mission of making everyone diagnosed with cancer a survivor… just like our very own Señorita Margarita! 💖🐶
2020 has been one of the most challenging years ever. The global pandemic of COVID-19 has been difficult for everyone to handle. To combat the stress Rita and I hit the pavement in support of COVID-19 relief. This was a challenge hosted by Will Run For Bling and Charity to cover 20 miles between July 26th to August 8th.
A percentage of our registration fees went to the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC) . The mission of the NAFC is to ensure that the medically underserved have access to affordable quality health care especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is a log of Porter’s Seizure activity to provide a summary of how often his seizures occur, what types of seizures he has, and how long it has been since the last seizure.
Every dog’s seizures may look different, especially depending on what kind of seizure your dog has. Porter has had Grand Mal, clustering Grand Mal, Focal, and clustering Focal seizures. During Porter’s Grand Mal seizures, he has violent convulsions, and often foams at the mouth, clenches his jaw down on an object, urinates, defecates, or vomits. He is unaware during his this type of seizure. During Porter’s Focal seizures, he is very much aware, and looks to us for comfort. Porter’s Focal seizures cause him to have facial and ear twitching, full body twitching, and balance issues during or immediately following the Focal seizure.
I highly recommend using a camera that offers movement/sound notifications and constant record/play-back to monitor your dog while you are not home. There are many brands of cameras out there. However, after researching, we chose to use Google Nest cameras in our home and on our camper. This will allow you to get notified that your dog may be in danger, and also will enable you to save clips of your dog’s seizures to share with your dog’s medical team. I also encourage others to video the seizure when safely possible if the seizure happens while you are home so that you have actual footage to share with your dog’s doctors.
Seizure Log:
1/2/2019
3 am / Grand Mal
1st observed seizure
CBC
Full Chem
Urinalysis
fecal
2/26/2019 (55 days from last seizure)
1:50 am / Grand Mal / 30 seconds
5:10 am / Grand Mal /50 seconds
3 hours, 20 minutes from last seizure
Hospitalization required
started medication: Levetiracetam (Keppra)
5/8/2019 (71 days from last seizure)
1:48 am / Grand Mal / 5 minutes
1:57am / Grand Mal / 1 minute, 45 seconds
Hospitalization required
Porter was prescribed Midazolam injections for us to have on-hand for emergencies when Porter cannot come out of seizures on his own
5/26/2019 (18 days from last seizure)
2:30 am / Grand Mal / 30 seconds
Midazolam injection required
Medicine Change: Added Zonisamide
6/15/2019 (20 days from last seizure)
9:55 am / Grand Mal / 40 seconds
Midazolam injection required
7/9/2019 (24 days from last seizure)
2:15am / Grand Mal / 45 seconds
2:16 am / 30 seconds
2:17 am / 45 seconds
Medication change: Weaned off of Keppra / Started Phenobarbital
7/28/2019 (19 days from last seizure)
6 am / Grand Mal / 50 seconds
Medication Adjustment: Increased Phenobarbital
Started Melatonin at night
8/11/2019 (14 days from last seizure)
9:44 pm / Grand Mal / 32 seconds
8/13/2019 (30 hours since last seizure)
4:11 am / Grand Mal / 32 seconds
Medicine Change: Added Potassium Bromide
8/28/2019 (15 days since last seizure)
7:46 am / Grand Mal / 30 seconds
9/17/2019 (20 days since last seizure)
8:15 am / Grand Mal / 31 seconds
8:17 am / Grand Mal / 46 seconds
8:18 am / Grand Mal / 40 seconds
8:19 am / Grand Mal / 1 minute, 4 seconds
Midazolam injection required
8: 22 am / Grand Mal
8:23 am / Grand Mal
Hospitalization required
Medicine adjustment: Reduced Potassium Bromide
10/1/19
MRI
no abnormalities found
10/11/19 Medicine change: Added Gabapentin in evening
used as anti convulsant and also to help Porter sleep since he was not sleeping much through the night
10/14/2019 (27 days since last seizure)
1:04 pm / Grand Mal / 40 seconds
1:06 pm / Grand Mal / 49 seconds
1:20 pm / Grand Mal / 41 seconds
Midazolam injection required
11/1/2019 (18 days since last seizure)
11:14 pm / Grand Mal / 30 seconds
Medicine Change: Weaned-off Potassium Bromide and Phenobarbital. Reintroduced Keppra
Porter’s neurologist expressed that despite the medication changes, Porter is still having the same or similar cycles of seizures. However, due to the increased and severe anxiety that we observed, he feels it is best if we backed him off of both the phenobarbital and potassium bromide. He also feels that re-introducing Keppra again may be the best alternative since the anxiety and behaviors were not noted while he was on this medication.
11/11/2019 (10 days since last seizure)
8:49am / Grand Mal / 30 seconds
8:51 am / Grand Mal / 40 seconds
Medicine Change: stopped Gabapentin at night and started Trazadone
11/23/19
began CBD oil (Charlotte’s Web brand)
12/5/19 (24 days since last seizure)
10:51 am / Grand Mal / 30 seconds
10: 52 am / Grand Mal / 30 seconds
12/30/19 (25 days since last seizure)
9:58 am / Grand Mal / 38 seconds
9:59 am / Grand Mal / 10 seconds
10:00 am / Grand Mal / 51 seconds
1/28/20 (29 days since last seizure)
1:15 am / Grand Mal / 20 seconds
1:17 am / Grand Mal / 30 seconds
1:18 am First observation of what we thought was Focal seizures
1/29/20 (43 hours, 25 minutes since last seizure)
8:40pm clustering focal seizures / Clustering until 10pm
Midazolam injection required
2/1/20 (3 days since last seizure)
3:15 pm / Focal / 3 minutes
Midazolam injection required
Medication Change: Increased Keppra dosage
2/27/20 (30 days since last seizure)
4:49am / Grand Mal / 50 seconds
4:50 am / Grand Mal / 45 seconds
4:51 am / Grand Mal / 30 seconds
Midazolam injectionrequired
4:52 am / Focal / 3 minutes
3/23/20 (25 days since last seizure)
12:04am / Grand Mal / 30 seconds
12:05 / Focal / 30 seconds
4/8/20 (16 days since last seizure)
11:30 pm / Grand Mal / 30 seconds
11:31 pm / Grand Mal / 30 seconds
11:32 pm / Focal / 3 minutes
Midazolam injection required
5/3/20 (25 days since last seizure)
12:21 am / Grand Mal / 55 seconds
12:22 am / Grand Mal / 50 seconds
12:23 am / Focal / 3 minutes
Midazolam injection required
5/20/20
Veterinary Specialty Hospital of the Carolinas Nutrition Consult
5/23/20 (20 days since last seizure)
12:40am / Grand Mal / 30 seconds
12:41 am / Focal / 1 minute
3:22 pm / Grand Mal / 1 minute
3:23 pm / Focal / 2 minutes
5/24/20
clustering Focal seizures throughout the day
5/25/20
clustering Focal seizures throughout the day
Midazolam injection required
5/26/20
clustering Focal seizures throughout the day
Midazolam injection required
5/27/20
clustering Focal seizures throughout the day
Midazolam injection required
Medicine change: Increased Keppra and Zonisamide
5/28/20
clustering Focal seizures throughout the day
Midazolam injection required
5/29/20
clustering Focal seizures throughout the day
5/30/20
clustering Focal seizures throughout the day
5/31/20
clustering Focal seizures throughout the day
6/1/20
clustering Focal seizures throughout the day
6/2/20
clustering Focal seizures throughout the day
Hospitalization required
bloodwork
urinalysis
Medication change: Reduced Keppra and Zonisamide, and added Lyrica(Pregabalin)
6/8/20
Medication change: Poor reaction to Pregabalin(Lyrica) – tapering off by 6/10
6/9/20
Began transition to new diet, CBD (ElleVet brand), and supplements suggested by VSH of the Carolinas
***This protocol is what we follow for Porter. Please do not follow this protocol without first consulting your dog’s primary veterinarian and/or neurologist.***
******If questioning at all – go to an emergency veterinary service.
Single seizure in a day with no differences or complications
just contact doctors to let them know
Contact Dr. C & Dr. E immediately and go to ER if the following occurs with Porter:
2 seizures within a day
Dogs that have more than one seizure in a 24-hour period are experiencing “cluster” seizures. This requires immediate veterinary attention, and you should take your dog to a veterinary hospital right away for examination
a seizure lasting 3 mins or more
not coming out of seizure at all or having difficulty coming out of it
comes out of one seizure and immediately goes into another
Postictal Phase
If Porter is no longer seizing, we still bring him to the ER if the following circumstances are occurring:
The postictal stage can last up to 24 hours in some dogs. However, if we still see postictal symptoms after 12 hours but no seizures – this warrants a visit to the ER
If Porter comes out of the postictal phase, and then seems to go back into the postictal phase
If Porter is out of the postictal phase and has another seizure
VERY important things to report to a doctor:
clustering
More than one seizure in a day
More than 1 seizure per month
***This protocol is what we follow for Porter. Please do not follow this protocol without first consulting your dog’s primary veterinarian and/or neurologist.***
***Please consult your dog’s primary veterinarian and/or neurologist about choosing the best medication(s) and/or supplements for your dog’s unique needs. Never give your dog a drug or supplement without first speaking to your dog’s medical team***
Not every medication is for every dog with epilepsy which is why it is very important that you carefully consult your dog’s medical team prior to starting any drug or supplement. Every dog can react differently to medicinal and supplemental changes. Porter was on Phenobarbital , Gabapentin, and Potassium Bromide in the past with no success. These drugs did not change his seizure patterns or frequency. In addition, Porter had severe negative medical and behavioral changes in response to these medications. These included:
ataxia
accidents in his crate that he was completely unaware of
dogs who typically have seizures at night or in the early morning can benefit from a small snack and some melatonin before bedtime. The food helps to keep blood sugar stabilized and the melatonin assists in maintaining a regular sleep pattern.
VSH of the Carolinas offer nutritional services that may benefit dogs with epilepsy. We decided to try a dietary change in hopes that this would reduce the severity and frequency of Porter’s seizures. VSH provided us with a diet and nutrition support plan that was recommended based on Porter’s medical records, diagnostic results, and dietary history. Consultations can be done online or by making an in-person visit.
We are not sharing the dietary suggestions that we received for Porter, as we truly believe that every dog’s dietary needs are unique and should be discussed with your dog’s medical team.
Nutrition Services Offered by VSH of the Carolinas:
Courtesy pDVM/ colleague commercial recommendations: Based on patients’ clinical problems and diagnostic results, a list of appropriate commercial options is provided via phone or email.
Voluntary commercial consultations: A list of appropriate commercial options are provided to the client with specific feeding guidelines and monitoring parameters. Anticipated turnaround time 5-7 business days once all information (medical records, dietary history questionnaire) is collected.
Weight loss consultation: Individualized weight loss plan provided to the client. Includes bi-monthly weights and check-ins to monitor progress, in addition to addressing any nutrition-related concerns or questions. Anticipated turnaround time 7-10 business days.
Assisted feeding consultation (any type of feeding tube/ port): Based on patients’ disease processes, appropriate liquid diets/ liquid diet blends (for nasoenteric or jejunostomy tubes) or slurried diet blends (esophagostomy or gastrostomy tubes), feeding guidelines, and monitoring parameters are provided. Additionally, commercial options for volitional intake will also be provided (if applicable). If/ when the patient goes home, at-home guidelines will be provided to the client. Direct follow up with the client for any nutrition-related concerns or questions it available. (Anticipated turnaround time same day if before 2 pm, otherwise within 24 hours).
Homemade diet consultation: Two patient-specific homemade diet recipes are formulated and provided to the client based on the patient’s individual disease states. Additional recipes can be requested ($80/ recipe). Specific cooking directions, feeding guidelines, and monitoring parameters are provided. Use of human supplements (+ $40). Anticipated turnaround time 10-14 business days.
Combination Homemade diet + commercial: Please see option 2+5.
Homemade diet analysis: Technical analysis of client’s homemade diet using recipe/ information supplied by the client. Often needed to demonstrate nutritional deficiencies/ excesses in online recipes. Does not include “fixing” the diet to make it appropriate.
Combination homemade diet analysis and reformulation of up to 2 recipes: See option 5+7.
Homemade diet reformulation: FOR ESTABLISHED CLIENTS -In the event that an existing patient with a VSH homemade diet develops new medical problems and a reformulation is required. Ex. Renal disease and then develops pancreatitis; use of human supplements. Within 2 years of initial consultation. If outside of2-yearr window, new homemade diet consultation fee applies.
Supplement/ nutraceutical evaluation: depending on the number of supplements – Using existing medical records and product information, recommendations are made regarding dosing, continuation, and/or discontinuation of supplements.
Commercial diet evaluation: Based on the patient’s medical problems and diagnostic results, evaluation of the appropriateness of current / potential diet is provided. Does not include feeding recommendations. If feeding guidelines are desired, voluntary/ commercial consultation fee applies.
In person appointment: Discussion of client concerns and goals, nutritional physical exam, etc. Written consultation not included.
Porter has had extensive testing throughout his battle with epilepsy.
CBC
blood test that provides information about the different cell types in blood
there are several abnormalities on a CBC that might explain seizures
Porter’s CBC was normal
full chem profile
Analyzing various substances (such as proteins, enzymes, fats, sugars, hormones, electrolytes, etc.) provides information about the health of the body’s organs and tissues such as the liver, kidney, and pancreas and aids in detecting diabetes and other metabolic diseases
Porter’s chem profile was normal
urinalysis
evaluates the chemical and physical properties of urine.
necessary for the proper interpretation of the biochemistry profile, especially in a dog that might have seizures due to kidney disease, diabetes, or other metabolic disorders.
Your dog has a seizure… what do you do (or NOT do)?!
These Do’s and Don’ts are just suggestions. As always, what is best for you and your dog should be discussed in detail with your veterinarian. Also, these are not listed in any particular order.
DO:
DO remain calm (as hard as it may seem). This can be difficult, but your dog’s health depends on your ability to focus.
DO contact your vet or bring your dog to the ER if you are questioning in any way if the dog needs medical attention
DO contact your vet and/or bring your dog to the ER if
the seizure lasts more than 3 minutes
your dog has 2 seizures within a day
your dog is having difficulty coming out of a seizure
your dog comes out of one seizure and goes immediately into another
DO time how long your dog’s seizures last and record them in a seizure diary. Knowing when your dog’s seizure started and how long it lasted will give your veterinarian important information about your dog’s symptoms.
DO film your dog’s seizures when safely possible and show the videos to your vet. This will help you time the seizure. It will also assist the doctor in identifying the type of seizure and better equip them to advise you.
DO remove as many sensory stimuli as possible such as turning the television off and turning down the lights
DO try and make sure that your dog is not in a position to injure themselves. Keep them away from stairs, cushion their head if needed (Be sure to keep hands away from the dog’s mouth), and move furniture or dangerous objects, etc. away from the dog
DO monitor your pet closely so he doesn’t injure himself; he will be disoriented and unsure of what is happening.
Don’ts:
DON’T put your hand near your dog’s mouth while it is having a seizure. Do not put your hands near your dog’s mouth or put their tongue back in their mouth. Your dog is unconscious during this time and has no control. You could be badly bitten.
DON’T give your dog additional medication without speaking to your vet first, unless this protocol was already set in place as an action plan by your dog’s medical team
DON’T try to move the dog unless the dog’s safety is in danger (going to fall down stairs, etc)
DON’T try to restrain the dog
DON’T try to give the dog food or water until they are fully alert
1) The pre-ictal phase(aura), is a period of altered behavior in which the dog may hide, appear nervous, or seek out the owner. It may be restless, nervous, whining, shaking, or salivating. This may last a few seconds to a few hours. This period precedes the seizure activity, as if the dog senses that something is about to occur.
2) The ictal phase can last from a few seconds to several minutes, and can vary in appearance. The ictal phase can range from mild changes in mental awareness, such as a dazed look, mild shaking, staring aimlessly, licking lips, to a complete loss of consciousness and body function. If the dog experiences a grand mal, or full-blown seizure with loss of consciousness, all of the muscles of the body move spastically and erratically. The dog usually falls over on its side and paddles its legs while seeming to be otherwise paralyzed. The head will often be drawn backward. Urination, defecation, and salivation may occur. If the seizure has not stopped within five minutes, the dog is said to be in status epilepticus or prolonged seizure (see below).
3) During the post-ictal phase or the period immediately after the end of the seizure, there is confusion, disorientation, salivation, pacing, restlessness, or even temporary blindness. There is no direct correlation between the severity of the seizure and the duration of the post-ictal phase.
As a pet owner, seeing your dog have a seizure can be one of the most frightening experiences you’ll have. Seizures are often sudden, seemingly occur without reason and leave you feeling helpless as the owner.
There are a variety of different types of seizures found in dogs. However, one very important type of dog seizure to be aware of is cluster seizures.
What are the types of seizures in dogs?
Unfortunately, there are actually several different types of seizures found in dogs, and they can vary greatly in severity. It’s valuable to be able to differentiate the different types of dog seizures so you can have an idea of what type of treatment and outcome to expect.
Epilepsy in Dogs
Believe it or not, epilepsy itself is actually NOT a type of seizure, rather a condition that often causes repeated bouts of seizures. The term “epilepsy” refers to recurrent seizures that originate in the brain. There are different forms of canine epilepsy as well, but again, these are not types of seizures themselves.
Grand Mal Seizures
In a generalized seizure, the dog will fall, lose consciousness, and extend his limbs out rigidly. The dog may also have sudden apnea, meaning he will briefly stop breathing. This will generally last for around 10 to 30 seconds. Afterwards, the dog will begin paddling his limbs or start chewing. He may also have dilated pupils, salivate, urinate or defecate.
Mild Seizure
A mild seizure begins the same way as a grand mal seizure but will typically not involve the extension of the limbs or paddling. The dog usually will not lose consciousness. Mild and grand mal seizures are most often associated with epilepsy.
Petit Mal Seizure
Also known as an absence seizure, petit mal seizures are very rarely recognized in dogs. These seizures are very brief, lasting just seconds, and can manifest as a brief period of unconsciousness, loss of muscle tone, blank stare, or possibly even an upward rotation of the eyes.
Partial Seizure
During a partial seizure, the associated movements will only be seen in one area of the body. This can be the movement of one limb, a muscle jerking, a turning of the head or bending the trunk to one side or even facial twitches. Partial seizures can progress to generalized seizures and are associated with secondary epilepsy.
Complex Partial Seizures
These seizures are notable for the strange or complex behaviors that they repeatedly cause. In humans, complex partial seizures cause us to distort our thought perception, and certain emotions, like fear.
When they happen to dogs, they might be displayed as lip-smacking, chewing, fly biting, aggression, vocalization, frightened running, covering or hiding. Dogs may also experience vomiting, diarrhea, salivation, blindness, unusual thirst or appetite or biting.
These can last minutes or even hours, and can be followed by or progress to a generalized seizure. Like partial seizures, complex partial seizures are also closely associated with secondary epilepsy.
Status Epilepticus
Colloquially known as simply “status,” this type of dog seizure can occur either as a series of multiple seizures within a short timeframe with no periods of normal consciousness in between, or as one continuous seizure that can last up to 30 minutes.
Although closely related to primary and secondary epilepsy, status can sometimes occur suddenly in dogs that have no history of seizures or brain injury. Status can often be difficult to differentiate from cluster seizures. These seizures are considered life-threatening emergencies.
Cluster Seizures
Cluster seizures in dogs occur when a dog experiences multiple seizures within a short period of time, generally considered within a 24-hour window. Like status epilepticus, cluster seizures should be considered life threatening. These seizures are typically brief and isolated, but can also be more serious. Large breed dogs tend to be the most susceptible to cluster seizures.
When a dog experiences cluster seizures, he will usually have one, seem to recover, and then have another a few hours later. However, the dog never fully recovers from the first seizure before the second strikes. This can continue on and on until the dog is in critical condition. With the aforementioned status epilepticus, these seizures won’t be spread out, but will be one long seizure that doesn’t stop. Both are true emergencies.
Cluster seizures can be managed with medication, but the cause of the seizures must first be established before any medication can be prescribed.
What causes cluster seizures in dogs?
Cluster seizures in dogs are often caused by a problem in the dog’s brain, such as a tumor that interferes with the communication between parts of the brain. They can also stem from a lack of oxygen in the brain, low glucose level in the blood, known as hypoglycemia, or hypothyroidism, which is a deficit of thyroid hormone production.
If the seizures seem to happen for no apparent reason, then idiopathic epilepsy may be the cause. This type of epilepsy is difficult to detect because it leaves no lesions or lasting damage on the brain. Genetics can also be a factor in dogs having seizures, but this is not yet absolutely proven.
Here’s to hoping that every dog finds their forever running/walking partner! 
