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.