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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

One Sick Puppy

This is my puppy dog. He is a 4 year old Schnoodle (Schnauzer/Poodle) and he's really cute.

He's also really sick.

About 3 weeks ago when my sister-in-law was taking him outside, he started shaking and then threw up. We thought he must have eaten something that didn't agree with him since he's always sniffing around in the kitchen for any tiny thing that might have fallen on the floor. A few days after that, I was walking down to our basement and he followed me. I thought he wanted to go outside so I called him to go out. Instead of running to the door like usual, he turned and went back up the stairs. When I got upstairs he was shaking and going to the bathroom on the floor. At this time I suspected that something was wrong. Well, sure enough a few more days after that we were standing in the kitchen and out of nowhere he began shaking, twitching and acting like he was trying to bite or chew on something in mid air. That's when I knew he was having seizures.

That was a Friday. I called the vet right away and scheduled an appointment for the following Monday. He went in and had blood tests done, and then didn't have any more seizures all week. The blood tests came back with some high enzyme levels that led the doctor to want to do some more blood work. So we went back on Friday of the same week and he had a bile acid test done to check his liver function. Over the weekend he did fine with no seizures until Sunday afternoon. He had another one when we were visiting my in-laws. It was really disappointing for me because he hadn't had one in over a week and I guess I was hoping he wouldn't have any more.

If I thought that was bad, on Monday morning (yesterday) when I was home by myself, he had the worst seizure yet. This time he not only started shaking and twitching, but he lost his muscle tone and his bladder. So he fell down on the floor and made a big mess. I was able to kneel beside him and pet him to try to keep him calm. It was scary though. I called the vet to check on his liver tests and the doctor wasn't in yet, so I had to keep waiting. I decided to run some quick errands to pass the time. The doctor called while I was out and it wasn't good news. His liver tests showed that his liver is not functioning normally. The doctor kept asking if it was possible that he had eaten any chemicals, but I explained that I'm home with him all day in a townhouse. He follows me around and goes outside in our 20x20 back yard only to potty and comes right back in the house. I stand at the door and wait for him. Either way, she was certain that the liver problem is what is causing his seizures, and of course wanted to do some more testing.

I was upset at this news, to say the least. I was really hoping and praying the liver tests would be normal and he would just be able to go on some anti-convulsant medication and we could move on with life as usual. No such luck. When I got home, I let him out of his crate and within 1 minute looked over to see him seizing again. It was bad, and I lost it. It ending up being a huge mess from him losing his bladder and the baby was crying while I was trying to help him. I decided to call my husband and ask him to come home and help me. We ended up going back to the vet right away where he had to have x-rays of his abdomen. The x-rays showed that his liver is abnormally small. That can mean a variety of things, so we are seeing a specialist tomorrow for him to have a more in-depth exam including an ultrasound to try to figure out what's going on.

In the mean time, the vet prescribed him a medication that will take care of what she believes is causing his seizures. She thinks due to the liver not functioning properly, he has a buildup of ammonia in his system and that is getting to his brain and causing the seizures. The medication she gave him helps absorb the ammonia and lets him get rid of it instead of it staying in his system. Today was a good day. He was his usual happy, playful self. Now we're just hoping and praying for answers from the doctor tomorrow.

If you don't hear from me for a little while, it may be because I'm dealing with a very sick puppy. I will do my best to update you on his condition though.

3 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh...I am so sad for you guys. I can't imagine how scary it must be to watch your poor puppy have a seizure....and even more scary that you cannot do anything for him. I am so sorry! I will pray for him and for you all as a family to find strength. Hugs!

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  2. Awwww Sheppy :'( I'll be saying prayers for him, and for you! He's such an amazing little guy.

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  3. I found you via Laura. I hope they find a fix for your pup. I'll be praying for your family. It's difficult to have a sick pet in the family.

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