Post #3 Seeing stars

         Have you ever found yourself getting really sleepy and start rubbing your eyes? After rubbing your eyes do you sometimes see stars? Well, if so then you have just given yourself a small dose of ocular compression. Ocular compression is one of many techniques used to shorten, lessen the severity of, or stop canine seizures.  Before I go any further let me say this: I do not know if this works the same for human seizures. I have tried looking it up and haven’t been able to find much in the way of results for people.

         Ocular compression is performed as soon as your dog starts to show sign that they are going to have a seizure. It is performed throughput the seizure as well as into the post-ictal phase. I’m sure you are asking yourself what in the world is Ocular compression? Well, I will give you the best explanation I can.

        With your dog’s head balanced between both hands, use your thumbs to hold the eye lids closed and press steady gentle pressure to both eyes.  (The amount of pressure will be about as much pressure as you would put to your wrist when looking for a pulse.) Hold this pressure for a count of 10-15 then release for a count of 10. This process can be repeated until signs of the seizure have stopped.

         During a seizure there are violent neural discharges of electrical activity in the brain. These discharges bounce from one hemisphere to the other which cause the violent spastic movements often associated with a seizure.  When ocular compression is applied there is pressure applied to the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve releases the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-amniobutyric acid). GABA acts as a natural inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain that interrupts the flow of nerve impulses.

         All of that sounds really fancy but, it probably doesn’t give you any information at all. Basically, what it means is that when pressure is applied to the vagus nerve it briefly shuts off the electricity in the brain. Once the pressure is released the electricity starts flowing again and it follows the currents that it is supposed to follow.

         By stopping and restarting the electrical flow in the brain it decreases the heart rate, forces the bodies muscle groups to relax, and gives the brain a chance to regain control and stop the seizure.

Through all of the studies that have been done on this procedure doctors have been unable to determine the full extent of how much ocular compression helps dogs during seizures. Although they all agree that length and severity of seizures is greatly reduced with the application of OC.

         From my personal experience with Baron his seizures usually lasted between 2 to 3 minutes before using OC. Now, the lengths of his seizures have reduced to on average 1-1 ½ minutes and they aren’t as violent. It has definitely become a valuable tool in the battle against epilepsy. 

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Post #2 What goes in...

We all know that what we put in our bodies matters. We know that just because something tastes good doesn’t mean it’s good for us, and we know that some of the stuff that tastes the worst is exactly what our bodies’ need. The same holds true for dogs, especially our epi-dogs.

Many people consider Baron’s diet needs to be a little high maintenance. There is a running list of trigger foods attached to the refrigerator door, its right next to the list of emergency vet numbers, my emergency contact info, as well as a list of what to do in the event of a seizure.  Some think I’m being a little paranoid, I say I’m just prepared for the inevitable. There is always the chance of a seizure happening at any time and I need to know that my husband and the dog sitters all know exactly what to do when it is needed.

Anyway, back to the diet plan…Did you know there are certain foods that protect the brain? Others that hinder brain function? With epilepsy sufferers- whether they be dog or human, we are always trying to build brain strength, stability and nutrition. Now, I can’t give Baron a book of brain teasers to build up his neuro- strength but, I can feed him brain friendly foods.

I have found most dog foods are really nutritionally lacking (There are a few good ones) but, none are as good as real food. So I make all of Baron’s food for him, and because I’m not feeding three dogs different food the others guys get brain healthy food as well. Now, I know, you’re thinking this lady is nuts if she thinks I have time to make dog food. Well, it really is pretty easy.  At the beginning of every week I make a big bowl of food and just scoop out what is needed for each meal, the rest goes back in the fridge. Easy right? But, now you’re asking what are the good foods and how do I prepare them?

 The main ingredient is protein, during a seizure the body burns a ton of calories and uses up all of its energy so it’s important to ensure that there are always extra protein stores available in the body. Good sources of protein include fish (salmon and tilapia are great options). As well as containing lots of protein, fish is also rich in Omega- 3 fatty acids. These acids help coat the myelin sheath of neurotransmitters.  Another great option is black beans; they are protein rich and will also help stabilize glucose levels which can drop to critical lows during a seizure.

Carbohydrates are extremely important to an epileptic diet. As I have mentioned seizures use up lots of energy and calories so we need to ensure there is always energy to spare. The best source of carbs comes from potatoes (with the peel on- it’s a great source of iron), rice (mix white and brown) and pasta.  Dogs in general will do really well on a diet that contains equal parts carbs to protein, unlike people who need less carbs.

If you just boil your protein and carbs, everything gets cooked with the least amount of nutrient loss. I try to avoid the “raw diet” for Baron because it can cause some gastrointestinal stress and stress of any kind can be a seizure trigger.

Lastly add lots of fruits and vegetables. Some of Baron’s favorites include blueberries, apples, carrots, green beans and peas.  I like to buy them frozen and then I just mix them in uncooked. His least favorites include spinach, broccoli and squash. Those I usually run through the blender and mix them in- he knows they are there but aren’t as noticeable then.

All of this just gets mixed together for one big pot of brain healthy dog food.  

post #1 Who is Baron? What is canine epilepsy?

This is Baron and he is a four year old border collie. When most people see Baron they see just another cute dog. But, to me he is so much more. I was there when Baron (as well as his litter mates) were born; he was the one pup out of the litter of nine that I just knew I wanted to keep. I’m not really sure why but he was always my favorite. I have two other border collies- they are Barons parents Bubba and Maggie. While I love them to death there is just something about this little red dog that makes him special.

When Baron was two years old he had his first seizure. At the time I was terrified and didn’t know what was happening to my baby boy (yes, I am one of those people that refers to her dogs as her babies. I guess I could say I’m sorry but, I’m not so I won’t 😄). Anyway, this first seizure was awful; it was a Sunday night around ten o’clock, and my husband and I were just relaxing watching TV when out of nowhere Baron just started thrashing on the floor. It didn’t last long maybe only a minute or so and after he acted normal just a little tired. I’m lucky that I have a pretty good relationship with my vet so I texted her asking for advice. She said to keep an eye on him and if it happened again I should bring him to get checked out. Well as you can assume it happened again, about three days later.

While at the first of many vet appointments I learned that- just like in humans- sometimes there is a reason for seizures whether it be a traumatic injury, exposure to a hazardous chemical, or sometimes it’s even a genetic disorder. Unfortunately, all too often the cause is unknown. All the blood work and lab tests are normal and nothing unusual has occurred to cause it. This is known as idiopathic epilepsy- there is no known cause and no known triggers, it is simply a guessing game as to when or if another seizure will hit. This was Baron’s diagnosis and I felt so lost. My vet prescribed some medication and gave me some reading materials but, I felt like I had a million questions and didn’t know where to get the answers for my little guy.

It has been two years now since that first seizure and there has been many good days and many bad days. I have done a ton of reading and learning about canine epilepsy. I have learned about treatment methods, medications, foods and so much more. Through this blog it is my hope to inform and educate my readers about this disease. In the coming posts I will provide as much information as I can including different recipes for food and treats that will provide neurological health, treatment plans, as well as some of the day to day activities of my epi-dog. I invite you to follow us on our journey and I pray that while this information is interesting to you, that you may never need to understand it firsthand.