#NEAM - Meet "Tucker" ~ A K9 Epi-Star!

Epi-Star, "Tucker"

by Dorothy Wills-Raftery

It's November, that means it is also National Epilepsy Awareness Month (#NEAM) and each year I'm pleased to highlight amazing dogs living with epilepsy (Epi-dogs) as part of my Annual #LiveGibStrong #Epi-Star Features!

All of these stories are also listed on my Special Series page HERE so you can read about all of our featured fabulous canine Epi-stars!

A brief recap for those new to my blog: I was inspired by my beloved Gibson, who was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy in 2009 shortly after his third birthday. I began the #LiveGibStrong Canine Epilepsy Awareness and Education Initiative, and also authored the What's Wrong With Gibson? Learning About K-9 Epilepsy children's book and the multi-award winning EPIc Dog Tales: Heartfelt Stories About Amazing Dogs Living & Life With Canine Epilepsy book that inspired this series. It is a 264-page beautiful coffee table book, where I share stories of amazing Epi-dogs from across the breeds and across the world. As a follow-up to all the amazing Epi-dogs and caregivers I've met along the way writing the book, this #NEAM series picks up where my book left, and I continue to feature annual stories each November about these amazing dogs who have Canine Epilepsy, but never let that stop them from living and loving life as only a dog can.

Today, I'm so pleased to shine a spotlight on handsome Pitt Bull "Tucker" of Tucker's Tail on Facebook!

Tucker is such a cute boy!

"Tucker's journey with epilepsy began when he was 1-1/2 years old," recounts his Hu-Mom. "My youngest son lives with me, but he was out with friends and Tucker was asleep in bed with me around 11PM. He stood up on the bed and looked frozen for a minute and then fell sideways onto the floor and started convulsing." At the time, she notes that she did not know what was happening to her beloved dog. "He was gasping for air," she recalls. "I didn't know what to do. I called my son and said, 'I think Tucker is dying! I don't know what to do!'”

That last quote brings back chilling memories for me as that is exactly what I thought when I witnessed my Gibson in the throes of his first seizure back in 2009. Tucker’s Hu-mom continues with Tucker’s story. “When he finally stopped flailing and was just lying there breathing heavy with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, I went to pet him and talk to him and he started growling at me. He had never growled or showed any signs of aggression since we got him at four months old, so it shocked me. I tried again, and he growled again, so I backed away from him. He got up after what seemed like an eternity, but was actually only a few minutes.”

“I never saw myself as having the capacity of being able to care for a special needs dog, but you do what you have to do when the love is so strong.” ~Tucker's Hu-Mom

Tucker’s Hu-Mom says she tried to talk to her beloved dog once again, but got the same response. “He started growling and barking at me and backed himself into the corner by my bedroom door which was closed,” she recalls. “Any time I tried to talk to him or approach him, he would start to snap at me. Since I couldn't get out the bedroom door I went into my bathroom, closed the door, and called my son again who was just about to pull into the driveway. I had him come help me out the bathroom window and we came back into the house. I called the emergency vet, who advised me that it sounded like Tucker had a seizure and that some dogs are blind and deaf for a period after, so his aggression was based on fear.”

“Your dog is not aware of their surroundings during a seizure, and they are not in control of their movements either. Furthermore, in the minutes to hours after a seizure (a period called the postictal phase) your dog may remain disoriented or confused, which can sometimes be expressed as aggressive behavior. You need to be careful.” ~Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center

Tucker’s Hu-Mom recounts that over the following half hour or so, they kept going back to the door and spoke to Tucker, but she says he continued with the growling and barking, until thankfully the next time was different. "We went back and said his name, and you could hear his tail thumping on the floor. So, we slowly opened the door, and there he sat happily wagging his tail like, "Hey, guys! What's up?"

“We hope that we can show people that even though a dog may have a disease or condition, it does not define them and that they can still live a full, happy life in spite of it.”~Tucker's Hu-Mom

After Tucker arrived at the emergency vet clinic, Tucker’s Hu-Mom says they conducted bloodwork and Xrays, etc., "We were told there was nothing medical that came back and that it was most likely idiopathic epilepsy.” Between that diagnosis and the fact of how Tucker came out of his seizures, Tucker’s Hu-Mom says they started her boy right way on Phenobarbital. “They didn't really explain much, just said ‘If you give him the Pheno every day, he won't have any more.’ Little did I know then how little they knew about Canine Epilepsy, and how wrong they were.”

Tucker's Hu-Mom says he went a couple of months doing okay on the Pheno, but, says Tucker’s Hu-Mom, “Until he had them again, and this time a few back to back. He wasn't aggressive when he came out, but was very frantic and blind, and his postictal phase lasted quite a while. We took him to a different emergency vet because the seizures weren't stopping. They kept him overnight because even with the IV meds they were giving him, he was still having seizures.”

Then came the dreadful statement. “They suggested we consider putting him down. I said 'no.' I wanted to give him more time. So, they kept giving him IV Clorazepate overnight, and the seizures eventually stopped. They added Zonisamide at that time. They seemed to be a little more knowledgeable, but not a whole lot more,” recalls Tucker’s Hu-Mom.

"Each time, we were encouraged to give up on him,

which I just couldn't do because in between events

he has such a love for life that I could never take from him.”~Tucker's Hu-Mom

As a result of her experiences, she said they began searching their area for a new vet skilled in the area of seizures and epilepsy. “We found very few and the nearest neurologist was over an hour away and booked out several months. In the meantime we joined Facebook Canine Epilepsy groups to see what others had found to be helpful and did other research to learn as much as he could about his condition.”

As we know, support, research, and a vet with epilepsy experience or a veterinary neurologist, is of utmost importance when caring for an Epi-dog. As a result, Tucker’s Hu-Mom learned new information. “We tried CBD that is made specifically for dogs, but unfortunately he had an opposite reaction to it and had a bad event. They had given us Valium to use nasally as his cluster buster, but he had an opposite reaction to that as well and it heightened his anxiety and triggered more seizures. Tucker had several bad events over the next year or so and had to be hospitalized a couple times. Each time, we were encouraged to give up on him, which I just couldn't do because in between events he has such a love for life that I could never take from him.”

“Finally, Tucker had a severe event and we got him to the emergency vet here and they kept him overnight. They said we needed to pick him up and take him to South Carolina to the emergency vet there that has a team of neurologists, and that they were waiting for us. The ride was about an hour and 15 minutes, and Tucker was hard to control in the car because all the meds had him so anxious. But, we got him there and they took him right in. It was during Covid, so we were not allowed in with him. They told us the neurologist will call. So, we came home and I honestly thought that was going to be the last time I ever saw my boy.”

When Tucker’s Hu-Mom returned home without Tucker, she remembers, “It was so quiet in the house and all I kept thinking was how will I get through it if he never comes home? And, I was not there with him if something happened. Would he think we abandoned him?”

The neurologist called Tucker’s Hu-Mom the next day. She said she was advised that "Tucker was still having seizures, but not as often and that he was eating and drinking.” They did an MRI, and when the neurologist called back, the news was positive. “The neurologist said the MRI was clear and that it was just epilepsy, with no known cause. She advised that larger dogs can be harder to control and that he had refractory epilepsy, and would never have total control. He was a difficult case, but that she was going to add Keppra, as that and the Clorazepate was what was starting to work for him. The next day she called and said he made it through the night and that day with no seizures! He was eating and playing, so we could come get him. They gave us prescription for the medications, which was his new cluster buster.”

The news gets a little better! “Thankfully, Tucker has not had an ER visit since. He has had some episodes that we thought may go that way, but he pulled out of them. The Clorazepate seems to have helped us be able to stop them.”

Besides the few times when he showed aggression postictal, another symptom Tucker experiences is the temporary blindness many dogs do after seizure. “Every time he has one he is blind for about 15 to 30 minutes afterward, so we have to get him on a leash and guide him around the house so he doesn't hurt himself or destroy everything since an 85 lb. Pitt Bull at full charge can do a lot of damage!” Tucker’s Hu-Mom notes that “He paces for an hour or two after, and then sleeps most of the day. A lot of his seizures happen when he is asleep, but they can be day or night.”

Always check with your vet about adding CBD or any type of supplement to your Epi-dog's regimen. Want to check with a holistic veterinarian? Please check HERE on the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA) site for one nearest you.

Tucker’s Hu-Mom has noticed some triggers that affect Tucker. “The full moons are hit or miss. We have tried a variety of natural things over the years—ocular compressions made no difference with him, nor did MCT oil, probiotics, or many of the other things others have had success with. Tucker has opposite reactions to a lot of things so it is tricky with him even when he has to go on antibiotics or anything else. He also has a lot of food allergies, so his diet is limited. The only things we have found that helps some is adding Taurine to his food and letting him sniff Frankincense oil. Sometimes it will pull him out of it, or stop one from happening if we catch him soon enough.”

To view my FiveSibes blog article on possible triggers, please visit HERE.

Tucker says, "Let's play ball!"

Even with seizures, Tucker enjoys life! “As I said before, in between seizures, Tucker is the happiest, sweetest boy with a love for life that is infectious. He loves to play ball, swim, go to his favorite sniff spot, destroy stuffies, and all the other things dogs love to do. He also has the stubborn side and can be a little much at times. He is not a fan of other dogs, and is selective with people, but part of that is due to his condition. He doesn't get to get out and socialize as much as other dogs because over-stimulation is a big trigger for him. So it is always finding a balance.”

"When we started this journey we really didn't know if we could handle it or not. It has been a lot of sacrifice. I am fortunate to work from home, so I can be here with him and most of my life is spent inside the walls of my home, the yard, and the sniff spots. But I wouldn't trade it for the world. His love and loyalty is everything and he has taught me so much about patience and accepting life on life's terms. I have promised him that as long as he is fighting, we will be fighting right beside him."

“In between seizures, Tucker is the happiest, sweetest boy with a love for life that is infectious. He loves to play ball, swim, go to his favorite sniff spot, destroy stuffies, and all the other things dogs love to do.” ~Tucker’s Hu-Mom

“We have friends that have epilepsy and they have all told me they don't feel pain during a seizure and don't remember it after, so I take comfort in that and assume dogs are the same. Also, dogs live in the moment, so they have no clue that another one is coming. We carry the stress because we worry about when it will happen. I added up the time he spends having seizures and recovering versus the hours between events, and it is less than three percent (3%) of his life, so that also helps me to put it into perspective. We used to get super stressed when the seizures would come, but I realized us getting stressed only made him worse because he feeds off our energy. So, now we remain calm and just move things out of the way, close off rooms, and do all we can to prepare and then just talk to him calmly and work through it.”

Tucker sure knows how to have fun! Here he is pictured in one of his Halloween costumes, a fave as voted on by followers of his Tucker's Tail Facebook page! (I voted for it, too!)

“This is never what we would have wanted for Tucker," says his Hu-Mom. "We know that it could shorten his life, but so could many other things. So we don't focus on any of that. We just try and make every day the best it can be for him and do all we can to get him through the tough ones. I never saw myself as having the capacity of being able to care for a special needs dog, but you do what you have to do when the love is so strong. I don't regret any of the choices we have made with Tucker.”

“I added up the time he spends having seizures and recovering versus the hours between events, and it is less than three percent (3%) of his life, so that also helps me to put it into perspective.”~Tucker's Hu-Mom

Tucker, in his cooling vest, is all ready to go out and play!

As a result of their journey with Canine Epilepsy, Tucker’s Hu-Mom started the Tucker’s Tail Facebook page. “I am overwhelmed at the support Tucker has received, and it has really touched my heart. We hope that we can show people that even though a dog may have a disease or condition, it does not define them and that they can still live a full, happy life in spite of it.”

Tucker, you stay tough!

You have a great hu-mom supporting you!

Epi-Dogs Rock!

Note: These are the personal stories of Epi-dogs as told to me by their families. As always, discuss any medications, alternative treatments, new foods, etc., with your veterinarian first.

Caregivers of dogs with epilepsy are amazing folks. It's so important to remember to care for yourselves, as well as your Epi-dog! Please be sure to watch my special presentation in partnership with The Companion Animal Epilepsy Research Lab at North Carolina State University~College of Veterinary Medicine

"Caring for the Epi-Dog and Caregiver: The Importance of Self-Care"

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.

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The Inspirational Book Behind

This Epi-Star Feature Series