For those of you who are moms, I commend you for what you do. It's a thankless job that requires lots of hard work!
Although I'm not a mom to a real baby, I am a doggie mommy. We don't have kids, but to us, our dogs are our kids.
For those of you who don't have pets, I don't expect you to understand. You might even think I'm crazy. But I love my dogs, and I would do anything for them. If you don't, you may want to stop reading now, because you might think my level of craziness has gone off the deep end!
On Thanksgiving of last year we were at my parents house. My sweet Sadie Lady was outside playing and suddenly dropped down and started seizing. We rushed her to the emergency vet with a lot more questions than answers. It was the most terrifying day of my life so far. Holding my dog in my hands, racing to the vet, not knowing if she was going to die right there or not.
She's generally a very happy and healthy dog, so this has caught us completely off guard.
Saturdat night at 3 am Sadie woke me up by pawing at my face. She's never done anything like that before. She started vomiting and it went downhill from there. as I was cleaning it up, she started having a massive seizure on our bathroom floor.
Once again, that completely helpless feeling came over me. The vet said there was nothing we could do. Nothing. We laid on the floor with her and stroked her and just loved on her.
Once she stopped, we again put her in the car and raced to the emergency vet. Tears streaming down my face, covered in vomit, and pee, I didn't care. I would have literally paid any amount of money to make this stop.
They checked her out and sent us home a few hours later. They gave us a few options for treatment, but after doing some extensive research after the last round, I elected just to take her home.
For now, she's ok. We still have lots of questions and no answers. The unknown is what upsets me. We work full time and have no idea if she's been through this experience while we were gone. 
I have no idea if we made the right decision. How do you decide what's best? I can't imagine parents who sit in hospital rooms with their children and have to make treatment decisions for their children.
I know mommies of real babies have felt this way too.
One day, when I have real kids, I know my fur babies will take a back seat.
But for now, they are my real babies, and I would do anythig for them, just like real moms.
I understand completely and as a parent of both you never know what the right decisions. We took Kaitlyn to the ER Friday when she woke and could not breath. You are doing a great job and will make the right decision trust yourself.
ReplyDeleteI am also have a fur-baby. She is honestly everything to me, so I totally understand, and I pray that things get better. Growing up we had a pug who after taking her to our family vet for years, learned from a different vet she had a genetic disorder. She was in pain for most of her 10 years, and we never knew. Nothing could be done and we had to put her down. It was the hardest thing my family ever went through, but we grew closer because of it. When/if the time comes, you will make the choice to do what is best for her, and she will know it because she loves you.
ReplyDeleteSadie is sooo sweet! I'll be thinking of you all!
ReplyDeleteThis is heartbreaking. I'm a mommy to both kids and fur babies, and 4 years ago, while being 9 months pregnant, one of my fur babies had a seizure on the kitchen floor. I called my hubby at work and by time he got home my doggie had 3 more. we took her to the vet, and they basically said she was going to die. We could keep her at the vet and have her die in a cage, or we could take her home. We took her home and neither me or my hubby slept and by 6 am she died. Worst day of our lives. We kept our kids home from school, and just had a family day. My other dog was so lonely for such along time after. You do the best you can. and you make choices that make sense to you. The fact that you care so much is the most wonderful thing, and you fur baby kknows that.
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about your dog Sadie. I know what you are going through. It is a horrible feeling to see your dog seizure and not able to help them. My dog has had multiple seizures and I took her to the vet and they put her on a med to help control them. She has improved and is doing so much better. She has not seizured in almost one year. My dogs are like my kids and mean the world to me so I understand what you are going through. The med. is phenobarbital and she takes a quarter tab/....praying that this is helpful.
Lisa
I can completely relate. We have four kids, two dogs and a cat. Of course, I do put my kids first (that is just how nature ends up working), but the animals are a close second. They are such a loving, giving part of our family and it is so hard to look at them when they are suffering and scared - you can't really use your words to explain and they depend on you to take care of them. Hang in there, and I am sure she is comforted by your presence and love.
ReplyDeletePoor Sadie :(
ReplyDeleteWe don't have kids either, but we do have a puppy. And we are getting another puppy on Friday...so I know exactly how you feel about them being your babies.
We had Ringo neutered on Friday and it made me so sad to see him in pain and drugged up. He was throwing up that night and looked so pitiful. I ended up staying up with him part of the night just petting him and telling him he'd feel better soon. Anyone without dogs would probably have thought I was nuts!
So this may seem like I am a crazy but here it goes...I am a second year chiropractic student at Parker College of Chiropractic. The dean of my school was a man that goes by Dr. G who is a Vet and an animal chiropractor. He dropped down from this position so he could focus on teaching the animal chiropractic program at my school =) Anyway, he tells the story of this pup that had seizures and was on a lot of medication and was about to be put down by its mom if her last hope, Dr. Giggleman, didn't work. Long story short, it did and the puppy lived a happy seizure free, non medicated life. (the story is published in Chicken Soup for the Chiropractic Soul) My fur baby also sees Dr. G and is happier because she walks a great lot better (she has always walked with her tail end to the side of her) and amazingly has less allergies after only 2 adjustments. I know it sounds really nuts, but I was just letting you know there is another option that may work that doesn't require doping your baby up on drugs. Hope Sadie gets better though! Kiwi and I will be saying puppy prayers!! <3
ReplyDeleteI am a mom and a mom to several fur-babies. We had a dog, Maxwell, who by all accounts was healthy his first couple years. Then the seizures began. I know the terror and helplessness you felt. They had know idea what was causing the seizures after extensive and expensive testing. We put Max on phenobarbital. He seldom had breakthrough seizures. Sometimes by removing him from the stimulus (TV, lights, excitement) we were able to avoid the onset of seizures. Then the seizures stopped. But he began losing weight. Alot of weight. The pain--it was evident on his face. He went in for surgery because I had myself convinced it a blockage because he ingested something. I soooo wanted to believe that. Sadly it was not to be. He was filled with cancerous tumors. We were lucky enough to have him for 5 wonderful years.
ReplyDeleteI HOPE so much you find a treatment for Sadie. I hope she lives a long wonderful life. If that is not to be--enjoy her and make wonderful memories. Give her comfort and love.
My thoughts with you and yours.
OH Lisa! I am so sorry to hear this about your baby! Y'all are in my thoughts & prayers! & I'm right there with you about your fur babies being your children. We've had a pup for about a year & a half now & I don't know what I did without him!
ReplyDeleteShayna
mykitchenhomelife.blogspot.com
Oh sweetie, I'm sorry you are going through this with your sweet canine friend. We have had five dogs over the course of 40+ years and each one was a treasure to us and an enormous loss when they died. I hope Sadie gets better very soon.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there is one little word you wrote that I just can't let go by. You said, "For those of you who are moms, I commend you for what you do. It's a THANKLESS job that requires lots of hard work!" Hard work? Yes! Difficult, frustrating, expensive, nerve-wracking, exhausting, never ending, challenging, sometimes even overwhelming?? Oh yes, without a doubt!! But THANKLESS?? Oh no, my dear! The very first time you hear your child's little voice saying, "I love you Mommy." you will know what true joy really is!! And you will know that you are the one who is the most thankful of all!
That is terrible and so heartbreaking, I definitely teared up because I know that helpless feeling so well. I hope that things work out for you and your babies
ReplyDeleteAsk your vet if phenobarbital would help. I know quite a number of dogs who stay seizure free with it.
ReplyDeleteI completely understand. We lost our sweet puppy girl to cancer just 2 weeks ago and I am completely heart broken! She was my baby! The hardest part too was that she was only 8 years old and it came on so fast. One day we thought it was an infection, the next day we took her to the doctors and found a massive tumor in her tiny stomach. We had to make the hardest decision ever, but it was the best for her. It is SO hard watching your sweet little puppy go through so much! Some people just don't understand how much you can love a dog! They aren't just a dog, they are your family. I hope your sweet puppy gets better soon! Just know there are people who won't understand, but there are a lot of people who do. Just kiss your doggy lots and give them lots of love! That's the best thing for them and for you.
ReplyDeleteOh Lisa, I'm so sorry you had to go through all that. What a scary experience! Hope Sadie is okay!
ReplyDeleteLisa you and your babies are in my thoughts and prayers. I know how you feel we just had to put our baby down this past weekend and that was one of the hardest things I have had to do!! Big hugs to everyone and extra special hugs to Sadie!!
ReplyDeleteI just started following you, so I don't know where you live. If you live in an area that there is a University with a veterinary school within traveling distance, you might consider taking her there. Medical schools have the best equipment and aggressive thinking. Do you have copies of the tests that were done on her by the vets? I guess you saw two different vets? Is your ER vet also your regular vet?
ReplyDeleteI have a Yorkie that has seizure-like episodes. He does not lose control of his bladder and bowel function. His seizures are more like he just falls over to one side and cannot move other than to twitch. He almost seems like he is hyperventilating during them. They last about 8 minutes.
The first time it happened, I put him in the car to take him to the closest vet (also his regular vet). By the time we got there, he had stopped seizing, nothing for them to see. They did some bloodwork, etc. Did not find anything. A month later he had the same thing. Still the vet found nothing. They even did a pulmonary function test.
Anyway, nothing really was showing up it the tests. I just started a log on my PC with the details - how long it lasted, what he had been doing before it started, what he was doing during it. Almost like clockwork, he would have one.
The vet mentioned putting him on seizure meds, but I am not ready for that. I don't want him walking around in a stupor all the time. My vet mentioned perhaps he might have a brain tumor causing it, but I have not pursued trying to have a CT scan done (would really be nice if I lived by a veterinary school).
Suggestions - keep a log so you can give the vet a record of what is going on to help them diagnose and treat her. Keep your dogs in a "controlled" area - kind of like people do when they are housebreaking a dog. Then perhaps if Sadie Lady has a spell while you are gone, you may see evidence that she had a spell. You could get some kind of nanny cam to surveil the room.
My heart is with you. I know how upsetting this. Our pets are never "just a dog" or "just a cat."
I am so sorry to hear that about Sadie! My doggies our my babies and I worry about them just like a mommy worries about her children.
ReplyDeleteI had a friend who's yorkie had two seizures 2 years ago but hasn't had one since! I hope you find the answers you are looking for!
Just came across this post. My heart goes out to you on this. We are going through some issues with our 2 dogs also, and it so hard. Pets become members of the family, even when you have "real" children too. I hope everything turns out ok and that sweet Sadie will live a long, happy, healthy life!
ReplyDelete-Erin Spain
DIYOntheCheap.com