by Dorothy Wills-Raftery
W elcome to National Epilepsy Awareness Month, also known as #NEAM! November is a special month here, as it is where I highlight not only information on Canine Epilepsy, but also
share amazing stories about Epi-dogs (dogs who have epilepsy). Inspired
by
my own Epi-dog Gibson’s story, I wrote the book multi-award winning EPIc Dog
Tales: Heartfelt Stories About Amazing Dogs Living & Life With Canine
Epilepsy, where I share stories of amazing Epi-dogs across
the world. This all launched my Epi-Star series here on my blog that is now in its 3rd year where I continue to feature stories about these amazing
dogs who have Canine Epilepsy, but never let
that
stop them from
loving life. Through this, we have formed a unique and caring community
where we connect with with other Epi-dog
caregivers, rescues, and veterinarians who care for them. We have become
a wonderful network of vetted information and a network of support and
camaraderie.
I'm so pleased to kick off this year's FiveSibes #LiveGibStrong #NEAM Epi-Star feature with beautiful Siberian Husky "Bear," whose hu-dad Joe Giordano adopted from The
Last Resort (TLR) Animal Rescue. Joe tells me that his Siberian Husky, "Bear," who has called "Bear Bear," story began on March 28, 2010 when he adopted Bear from The Last Resort (TLR) Animal Rescue in New Jersey.
"Approximately two weeks later, Bear had his first seizure while I was
present," recalls Joe. "I immediately rushed Bear to my vet on April 13th, and he started him on
60 mg of Phenobarbital twice a day. Bear remained on Pheno with very good
results until about the third week of December. At that time, Bear had a grand mal seizure, so I brought him to AERA (Animal Emergency
& Referral Associates ) for a full
medical workup. The results of all tests were that Bear was diagnosed with
Idiopathic Epilepsy."
What is Idiopathic Epilepsy?
According to Dr. Karen Muñana, Professor of Neurology at The Companion Animal Epilepsy Research Lab at North Carolina State University-College of Veterinary Medicine, and member of the International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force, "Epilepsy is a general term, so anything that causes an abnormality in
certain areas of the brain can cause epilepsy. If a dog has a brain
tumor, it can develop epilepsy. But specifically, what we tend to see
most commonly in dogs is a disease called “idiopathic epilepsy,” and
that is where the brain appears structurally normal — from what we can
tell with testing such as MRI — but at a microscopic level or cellular
level, there are some abnormalities. Idiopathic epilepsy can occur in
any breed, but we see it more in certain breeds where it has been shown
to be inherited. In general, idiopathic epilepsy usually does not affect the lifespan
of affected dogs."
"The combination
of Pheno and Zonisamide kept Bear’s incident of seizures under control for
the rest of his life." ~Joe Giordano
Joe continues with Bear's story, "I was told by some
people that the best thing to do was to euthanize Bear because there wasn’t
much you could do to give him a good life. However that scenario was not in my DNA. I could not give up on Bear, and not giving up on him was the best decision
I ever made."
"At this point, beside Phenobarbital 60 mg, Potassium Bromide liquid form
was added to Bear’s daily regimen. This combination was quickly discontinued
because Bear had a bad reaction taking Potassium Bromide. So we then made a
change by discontinuing Potassium Bromide and added Zonisamide 100 mg capsules, four capsules in the morning and four capsules in the evening. Thus, the combination
of Pheno and Zonisamide kept Bear’s incident of seizures under control for
the rest of his life. With the Pheno and
Zonisamide, he very seldom had an episode and if he did it was normally a mild
one."
Although
dear Bear crossed over Rainbow Bridge February 22, 2020 when he was
"close to 12 years of age," it was not from epilepsy, but also like
Gibson, he passed from Hemangiosarcoma.
"I could not give up on Bear, and not giving up on him was the best decision
I ever made." ~Joe Giordano
In true Husky style, Bear loved life. Joe says, "Bear never let epilepsy get him down." Like Gibson, he "had a zest for life."
"Bear loved to Husky
wrestle with his sisters Mieshka and Ember and his brother Juno," remembers Joe. "And, of course,
he loved to run and play in snow, and Bear enjoyed going
for walks. Once he saw a leash he was ready to go!"
"Bear never let
epilepsy get him down in all the years he was with us," says Joe, proudly remembering his boy.
Joe entered Bear in
the Rescue to Royalty Challenge "to pay it forward to The Last Resort
for rescuing him and all the support they gave him." And, the best news was Bear was voted the Third Grand Prize Winner, getting his story of living and loving life with Canine Epilepsy out there and offering hope to other Epi-dog families.
Summing up life with beautiful Bear, Joe says, "Bear was strong and
gave me 10 years of love, many smiles and of course a few scares occasionally
thrown in before he crossed over Rainbow Bridge in February of 2020. My life
would have been empty without him by my side. I feel very blessed that I had him
with me all those years and I think about him and miss him dearly. Bear will
always be in my heart."
"I feel very blessed that I had him
with me all those years and I think about him and miss him dearly. Bear will
always be in my heart." ~Joe Giordano
If you are looking for information on Canine Epilepsy, check out our FiveSibes #LiveGibStrong K-9 Epilepsy Online Resource Library
where you will find accurate and vetted information you can trust
including links, articles, podcasts with vets and veterinary experts,
helpful tips, bookmarks, where to go if you need financial help with
epilepsy medications,. Epi-Star success stories, and much more. It's a
great place to seek out information so that you can have an in-depth
conversation with your vet about your Epi-dog's care.
💜
The Inspirational Book Behind
This Epi-Star Feature Series
To purchase my book, go to our FiveSibes
A percentage of sales will be donated to Canine Epilepsy Research.
If you prefer, you can Email me at ArcticHousePublishing(at)gmail.com
and put EPIc Dog Tales in subject line and I will send you an invoice where you will have a variety of ways to pay. Please note, there is a limited quantity of print books.
💜
Note: These
are the personal stories of Epi-dogs as told by their families. As
always, discuss any medications, alternative treatments, new foods,
etc., with your veterinarian first before giving to your dog.
Other Stories in the Epi-Star Series:
✭Epi-Star Gibson of FiveSibes, go HERE
✭All Previous Epi-Stars, go HERE
Click on graphic above to visit our online resource library.
Back
to our Home Page and Don't Forget to Visit Our Other Pages, including
Our #LiveGibStrong On-Line K-9 Epilepsy Resource Page, About the
Siberian Husky Breed, Rescues, Lost & Found, Other K9 Articles by
FiveSibesMom, ArcticHouse Gifts & Books Shoppe, and more! Just click
on "More" Pages at top of blog.
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