#NEAM: #LiveGibStrong #EpiStar "Bjorn" Brings K9 Epilepsy Awareness Through Creativity
Epi-Star, "Bjorn"
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 fifth 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, and in my Gibson's name, 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 pleased to share with you a FiveSibes #LiveGibStrong #NEAM Epi-Star feature about sweet "Bjorn," whose hu-mom, Bobi Peavey, runs The Goof Trooper Chronicles: Living With Canine Epilepsy page on Facebook.
Bobi calls their journey, "Bjorn's Story: One Second Everything's Fine, The Next―Everything Falls Apart."
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"Bjorn Bjornsky Bjornson" or simply "Bjorn," is a handsome three-and-a-half-year-old Pomsky
(Pomeranian-Husky mix), who is cared by his hu-mom Bobi Peavy, hu-dad Todd, and his hu-Grammy.
Bobi says Bjorn has, “A big personality and an even
bigger fight—one that's his for life.”
At just 17-pounds, Bobi says “Bjorn has a very big opinion of himself. He's completely convinced he's the toughest, biggest, and smartest dog in the room, and he carries himself like he's got something to prove. If someone gave him a sled, he could pull it all by himself. He's tenacious, endlessly mischievous, and pretty much always smiling, especially right before he's about to steal my sock and run with it!”
“Bjorn actually started out as my son Joel's dog,” notes Bobi. “When unexpected circumstances meant Joel could no longer keep him, Bjorn came to live with Todd, Grammy, and me last November. We were told he'd been diagnosed with mild, non-life-threatening seizures, something we felt we could manage. We had no idea how quickly that would change.”
And that change is not unusual for dogs with seizures, especially if the triggers are not known, which is again, not unusual. So many things/causes can trigger a seizure. 
“The first status epilepticus episode meant an emergency vet visit that maxed out our credit card just to get him through it,” recalls Bobi. “We almost lost him before we'd even really gotten to know him.”
Bobi goes on to explain that less than a week later, “Bjorn went into another seizure that wouldn't stop. Minutes in, we started calling every emergency vet we could reach. Our card was already maxed from the week before, and not one of the vets we called would offer a payment plan. What we learned broke our hearts: if you can't pay for treatment, they will euthanize your dog for free rather than treat him.”
The next day, Bobi brought Bjorn to their regular vet, who gave them rescue medication to have on hand. “We started a GoFundMe to help cover what was coming. We thought we'd seen the worst of it.”
But that was not the worst of it for Bjorn and his family. “What came next was a neurologist, round after round of testing, and finally, a diagnosis: idiopathic epilepsy. He still has regular testing to keep an eye on things.”
The important thing to remember is that *managing* the seizures is very important. While currently there is no cure, sometimes finding not only the right medications, but also the right dose of medications to help your dog is important, but it can take some time. Also monitoring the dog's environment, as well as foods and treats to be sure they don’t have any ingredients that could possibly trigger a seizure, and looking into supporting supplements, all *with your vet's approval.* Patience is really important, but not always easy to have in these types of situations. This is another reason why journaling is so helpful as you can track everything from timing, length, and place of seizures, to what your dog ate or where s/he was beforehand. And...if you need guidance or have any questions or want to try something new―always speak with your vet. And if you feel your vet is not well-educated on seizure disorders, ask for a neurologist recommendation, or find a vet who is experienced with epilepsy.
“Finding the right medication took time and a lot of trial and error,” affirms Bobi. “Bjorn started on Gabapentin, but it didn't touch his seizures. He was switched to Phenobarbital, but he was still having cluster seizures, so his neurologist added Keppra, plus Valium to have on hand for emergencies. His dosages and medication times had to be tweaked as they worked to find what was right for him. At one point, he was taking medication five times a day.”
Bobi says that Bjorn’s neurologist has since been able to adjust his medications. “They are down to twice a day, but timing still matters enormously. It has to be given at the exact same time, every single day.”
“It may be necessary to adjust the dose, frequency,
and/or type of drug several times before determining the best treatment. This
process can be frustrating, but finding the right treatment is important for
your dog’s long-term health. Even with treatment, it may not be possible to
completely prevent seizures. In some cases, the goal is to reduce seizures so
your dog can have a good quality of life.” ~VCA— Animal Hospitals Courtney Barnes,
BSc, DVM; Malcolm Weir, DVM, MSc, MPH; Ernest Ward, DVM; Updated by Rania
Gollakner, BS DVM
“Bjorn actually started out as my son Joel's dog,” notes Bobi. “When unexpected circumstances meant Joel could no longer keep him, Bjorn came to live with Todd, Grammy, and me last November. We were told he'd been diagnosed with mild, non-life-threatening seizures, something we felt we could manage. We had no idea how quickly that would change.”
And that change is not unusual for dogs with seizures, especially if the triggers are not known, which is again, not unusual. So many things/causes can trigger a seizure.
Click on image to read a list of possible seizure triggers.
“Status epilepticus is an ongoing seizure that doesn’t self-resolve, typically considered more than five minutes,” says Dr. Peter Early, visiting clinical professor of neurology in the Department of Clinical Sciences. "If a dog is in status epilepticus for too long, they could die. There is so much intense, violent physical activity that the core body temperature rises to life-threatening levels. Status epilepticus requires emergency veterinary intervention with intravenous medication, usually a Benzodiazepine like Diazepam (Valium), to break the seizure." ~ Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine/ Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center DogWatch newsletter, published by Belvoir Media Group
Bobi goes on to explain that less than a week later, “Bjorn went into another seizure that wouldn't stop. Minutes in, we started calling every emergency vet we could reach. Our card was already maxed from the week before, and not one of the vets we called would offer a payment plan. What we learned broke our hearts: if you can't pay for treatment, they will euthanize your dog for free rather than treat him.”
"Bjorn" spending some quality time with hu-dad, Todd.
Worried,
Bobi thought they were going to lose their boy. “We thought that was where this
was headed. We were on the phone with the third emergency vet, begging for any kind
of payment plan, when Bjorn finally came out of it himself, after more than an
hour of seizing.”
The next day, Bobi brought Bjorn to their regular vet, who gave them rescue medication to have on hand. “We started a GoFundMe to help cover what was coming. We thought we'd seen the worst of it.”
But that was not the worst of it for Bjorn and his family. “What came next was a neurologist, round after round of testing, and finally, a diagnosis: idiopathic epilepsy. He still has regular testing to keep an eye on things.”
"Bjorn isn't completely seizure-free. But the frequency and the severity have both come down a lot since those terrifying early weeks. He isn't fighting this battle alone."
~Bobi Peavey, Epi-dog hu-mom &Administrator of The Goof
Troop Chronicles: Living with Canine Epilepsy Facebook page.
“Finding the right medication took time and a lot of trial and error,” affirms Bobi. “Bjorn started on Gabapentin, but it didn't touch his seizures. He was switched to Phenobarbital, but he was still having cluster seizures, so his neurologist added Keppra, plus Valium to have on hand for emergencies. His dosages and medication times had to be tweaked as they worked to find what was right for him. At one point, he was taking medication five times a day.”
Bobi says that Bjorn’s neurologist has since been able to adjust his medications. “They are down to twice a day, but timing still matters enormously. It has to be given at the exact same time, every single day.”
“Giving him that medication was a whole other battle at first. Before we discovered pill pockets, we had to ram pills down his throat, or at least we thought we had, only to find them on the floor later, all slimy and rejected. We'd swear we got it down, then an hour later there it was, stuck to the rug or tucked in his bed like a little insult. And as I've already pointed out, the one thing you never want to happen with an Epi-dog is for them to miss their medicine.”
As Bobi mentioned, giving anti-seizure medications is not always an easy feat. Occasionally, I’d be stumped to find one of Gibson’s Potassium Bromide capsules stuck in his long chest fur, since I know I saw him swallow it! Dogs can be pretty tricky! But there are some helpful tips to be sure they take their much-needed meds. Below is a video on giving Epi-dogs medications that I worked on with Tracy Smith (administrator of Gibbs-erish: Living With Canine Epilepsy Facebook group).
Even with all the steps and precautions Bobi and her family takes with Bjorn, she says, “Bjorn isn't completely seizure-free. But the frequency and the severity have both come down a lot since those terrifying early weeks.”
"Bjorn" with packmate "Maximus Truffles"
Support is also important when caring for an Epi-dog. Something Bobi says they have. “He isn't fighting this battle alone. Our other two dogs, 'Maximus Truffles' and 'Stella Dot' are right there with him. Neither of them has epilepsy, but they've appointed themselves Bjorn's full-time support squad, always keeping close and doing their part to look after their brother, right alongside me, Todd, and Grammy.”
"Bjorn" enjoying some snuggle time with other packmate, "Stella Dot."
“When you've watched your dog fight for his life, you learn
very quickly that a good day isn't just a good day. It's a gift. I think that's
one of the biggest things Bjorn has taught us: to carpe diem—to seize
the day. To appreciate the good moments while we're living them, not someday,
not when things are easier, but right now.” ~Bobi Peavey
In the Canine Epilepsy world, when a dog has a seizure, we say s/he is battling the "seizure monster." Bobi has used creativity to share her message and awareness about her Epi-warrior battling epilepsy by making cartoons depicting her Bjorn along with his packmates Stella and Maximus a/k/a the Goof Troop. Below is one showing little brave Bjorn fighting off the seizure monster.... 
Adds Bobi, “When you've watched your dog fight for his life, you learn very quickly that a good day isn't just a good day. It's a gift. Because Bjorn doesn't take a good day for granted. And neither do we anymore.”
“For everything he's been through, he still gets up every day and chooses to be Bjorn,” Bobi announces proudly. “He still plays. He still smiles. He still gets into trouble. He still acts like he's the biggest and toughest dog in the world. And honestly? He really is the toughest, strongest, bravest little guy we know.”
“Because no warrior should ever have to face a battle alone, we created The Goof Troop Sanctuary: No Warrior Left Behind, a Facebook group where families navigating canine epilepsy can find support, share their stories, connect with others who understand, and know they’re not alone.” There, on their page, you can continue following Bjorn’s story, as well as his life with packmates Max and Stella.
“That's Bjorn's story so far,” says Bobi. “Still being written, one day at a time.”
“Living with an Epi-dog means learning to stay ready for anything, because with this condition, one second everything is fine and the next all hell breaks loose. It makes you cherish the good times even more,” offers Bobi. “And I think that's one of the biggest things Bjorn has taught us: to carpe diem—to seize the day. To appreciate the good moments while we're living them, not someday, not when things are easier, but right now. To enjoy the walks, the goofy smiles, the cuddles, the trouble he gets himself into, all the ordinary moments that might otherwise pass us by without a second thought, because sometimes those are the ones you end up wishing you could have back.”
“For everything he's been through, he still gets up every day and chooses to be Bjorn,” Bobi announces proudly. “He still plays. He still smiles. He still gets into trouble. He still acts like he's the biggest and toughest dog in the world. And honestly? He really is the toughest, strongest, bravest little guy we know.”
“That's Bjorn's story so far,” says Bobi. “Still being written, one day at a time.”
"For everything he's been through, he still gets up every day and chooses to be Bjorn. He still plays. He still smiles."~Bobi Peavey
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 slideshow "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.
💜
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
About FiveSibes and the Author HERE
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