[jenniferny]

Hello everyone. I have a 16 year old black lab that has been my companion for over 13 years. Friday night, with no warning, had a bad seizure. The actual seizure lasted for 5-10 minutes, but the aftermath of strange noises, uncoordination, disorientation and overall very strange behavior lasted about 1 1/2 hours. During the rest of the night she had 4 more of the same severity and length of time. She went almost 24 hours without another one, but the next night had one more of the same severity. Almost 24 more hours passed and she had another bad one with the same duration. It has now been 24 hours and she has been seizure free. She now acts completely different, wants to hide in a dark corner. A companion that had been by my side almost every hour of every day for 13 years now walks the house and will stop and just stare. It has now been over 24 hours without another seizure, but my concern is that the last one was triggered by a slight amount of stress. She slept all day today and did not wake up until 8pm tonight. She eats and drinks as normal. At 16 years of age is there any chance that she could recover and live a comfortable life, or will the seizures continue and one of the seizures cause her to to pass on. I have never had any experience with anything like this and hope that someone reading this can offer some sound advice. It has been less than 2 weeks since I lost her daughter to liver disease and spinal problems and want to make sure that I do the right thing for her mother. The moment she saw me at the breeders over 13 years ago, she walked to my side and followed me all around the breeders out door area and has never left my side in over 13 years and I want the right thing for her. Other than these seizures, she has been completely healthy for her entire 16 years, and as you can imagine both her and her daughter have been spoiled rotten all of their lives.

 

[spotted nikes]

You need to get her to a vet and see if they can put her on something to stop the seizures. Could she be blind now? the stopping and staring makes it sound possible.

 

[jenniferny]

Thank you for answering. No, she is not blind, but does have cataracts in both eyes that do limit her vision and she did lose her hearing a year or so ago. I am going to the vet Monday, but was hoping that another pet owner had been in this situation so after I see the vet I make the best decision for her in case the vet recommends letting her go to heaven.

 

[Roloni]

My Black Lab had her first Seizure at 15 years old...and another one a few days later.
She forgot all of her tricks , but she remebered the very basic training of pp outside..

about a year later she had a major seizure and collapsed on the living room floor.
For 2 days I watched her trying to get up on her legs to go outside..and she would just fall to the ground.
Her eyes would dart back and forth quickly and another attempt to stand..she just crashed into a wall and collapsed to the floor.

Putting her to sleep was probably one of the hardest things I ever had to do.

 

[jenniferny]

Roloni, Thank You so very much for your message, it really meant a lot to read your story and helps a lot to hear from you. How bad were her first two seizures, were they as bad as the ones that I described? I am trying to decide if she has enough quality of life to let her remain with me or if it is best to let her join her daughter in heaven. She has been the most special campanion I have ever had. The moment she saw me she came to my side and in 13 years has never left it, it almost felt like we were somehow linked on some level, and I have never had that with a companion before. She still engages me with her eyes when she is near me and I truly want what is best for her. My friend keeps pushing me to let her go to heaven but I am having a hard time doing that because she has not had a seizure for almost two days now. Right now she has some difficulty walking, sometimes more than others, but when I woke from a nap a few minutes ago her head was on my lap and she was looking right into my eyes as she always has. As I said I lost her daughter a couple weeks ago and that was very difficult for me. I live alone and if I lose Shadow I will be coming home to an empty house for the first time in over 20 years and it will be difficult getting use to not hearing her toenails on the floor, but if it is what is best for her I will comes to terms with it. I am having a hard time because I do not know exactly how to tell how much quality of life she has. With Jesse, her daughter, I knew. It came to a point where she was no longer really here with us and I knew what I had to do. I cried in the room for a half hour after she left me and went to heaven, but I knew it was the right thing to do. With Shadow, it is not so clear cut because she is still here with me mentally to a major degree. I know there was some brain damage, but she has gotten a little better each day, like her brain might be doing some remapping. I know she will never be 100% and she tends to spend more time by herself than she use to but she still loves any attention that I offer her. I just fed her and her appetite is just as voracious as it always was and when she finished she was walking ok. I wish there were some guidelines for when quality of life was good enough for her to remain with me and at what point it was no longer the best thing for her. Thank You again for sharing your story with me, it was a huge help for me, although I can imagine that it was a very sad time for you. Losing a friend and companion is never easy! God Bless

 

[Tankstar]

Is there no way to get her to a vet sonner? I think at her age and the amount os sezing she has been doing, this is a emergency visit, not a wait a week visit.

 

[Roloni]

jenn
For me ..The decision was made when I couldnt take another moment of watching my best friend suffering.
I took her to the vet in her favorite blanket... and cried all the way home alone...

2 years later I got another puppy...and I dont belive in reincarnation but ...Shes back.

 

[jenniferny]

jenn
For me ..The decision was made when I couldnt take another moment of watching my best friend suffering.
I took her to the vet in her favorite blanket... and cried all the way home alone...

2 years later I got another puppy...and I dont belive in reincarnation but ...Shes back.

Roloni, Thank For Your Post!! I am looking for a Chihuahua now and hope to find one soon. When my Jesse went to heaven she had gotten so bad the night before I had to carry her into the vets office. I cried for half an hour in the room before I could leave and cried at home for days. I wrote a poem in Jesse's memory, which I will post below if anyone would like to read it.

I am beginning to wonder if my Shadow ate something poisioness. She had 4 bad seizures the first night, none for 24 hours then one the next day, then another 24 hours before another one. Then it was two days and this time it was a VERY mild one, no body movement, no excess salivation, just her mouth opening and closing and instead of the after effects lasting 1 1/2 hours it was completely over in less than 5 minutes. The problem is that she eats anything. She is over 16 years old and has some incontiness issues and when I clean up after her I use Odo-Ban to neutralize the smell completely. I never looked at the ingredients until now, I started using it when I owned a few apartment buildings and someone told me it really worked. Reading the label it is definitely poisioness and not good for any living creature, so I will not be using it any more. If her seizures stop and she continues to get back to being her old self over time I will count my blessings that I may have found the cause. It is also possible this had nothing to do with it, so I have to bide my time and hope.

Thank You to every one that responded!! You thoughts were greatly appreciated!!!!

My Jesse​

My Jesse was My Friend
My Jesse Is My Friend
My Jesse Was My Companion
Always Offering Her Unconditional Love
My Jesse Never Asked For Much
My Jesse Never Complained
My Jesse Always New When I Was Sad
My Jesse Always Brightened The Darkest Days
My Jesse Is Like A Ray Of Sunshine
That Is Never Behind A Cloud
My Jesse Could Always Turn My Tears Into A Smile
My Jesse Was My Companion For 13 Years
My Jesse Is Now In Heaven
Where Suffering And Pain Do Not Exist
My Jesse Is Always Happy,
As My Jesse Always Was
My Jesse Is Still Looking Out For Me
My Jesse Just Does It Now From Heaven
I Hope That My Jesse Knows That I Would Have Done Anything
To Take Away Her Suffering And Her Pain
In The End All I Could Do To Take Those Things Away
Was To Let My Jesse Take A Long Journey
To A Place Where Pain And Suffering Do Not Exist
My Jesse Is In A Place
Where She Can Watch Over
Both Me And Shadow, Jesse's Mom
My Jesse Is Still There In Our Hearts
Where She Has Always Been Where She Will Always Be
My Jesse Is Waiting For Us To Be Together Again
Until That Day Shadow And I Will Have Each Other
To Comfort To Love And To Remember
And When We Are Together Once Again
It Will Be With No Suffering And No Pain
The Only Thing That We Will Have Will Be Each Other
Which Is As It Should Be
Three Companions Together Forever
And Happy Once Again
​

 

[Pawzk9]

jenn
and I dont belive in reincarnation but ...Shes back.

Lucky you. My dog came back as a cat - but she told me which cat to look for. Said cats have better mind/body integration

 

[Abbylynn]

I wish you luck and your poem to your loved one is wonderful. I hope you also find that little dog you are searching for ... I am sure is waiting for you out there somewhere.