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Try to stay positive as your dog will pick up on your stress and that is not good. My friends border collie had seizures for about 1.5 yrs. They only semed to happen when she got real excited about something ( like when I would visit )They did not have the money to spend on testing nor did the vet think she had them often enough for medicines to be used. Towards the end she then developed vestibular disease but the sezirue type attack from that was different then her usual seizure. Then they were down in LA one weekend ( they live in the SF bay area) and their oldest daughter came home from college to stay with the dog and she had a massive nose bleed. When they got home they took her to the vet . Nose still bleeding alot so the vet figured maybe this was all either a nasal cancer or brain cancer. She was not getting better so they took her home and loved her all night then had her put down the next morning she was about 15. I tell you this so you can see a seizure may not mean that the end is right around the corner.
We also had a dog when I was a kid that had seizures for about a year and they never found a medicine that really controlled them. It was in the early 70's and the only place that could do a CT was UC Davis and my parents did not have the time or money so we never knew what was causing them but for that year he was a pretty normal dog that just had seizures ever now and then. Dash's oncologist also told me that dogs with nasal cancer that spreads to the brain can live for quite awhile and have seizures controlled with medicine.
I know it is hard as I live with two older dogs with cancer now but try to not let it become your every thought and treat him as normal as possible so he does not know how stressed you are. Love him and cherish each day he is with you. Don't waste time with the" why my dog?" or wondering what you could have done different as that only takes away time form the here and now that you have with him.And do not let guilt take over as you have done nothing wrong this is just how life is, we don't like it but we can't really change it.
Last use this thread to come vent or even just talk about him as you will find that it is very healing for you to just talk about it. Everyone here loved tgeir dog big time and knows what you are going through as we have either been there or are there now. I will continue to send prayers your way. Jan
Thanks Jan - I really appreciate the support and kind words. Today was rough because Dakota had another seizure. I really didn't expect to see him have another one so soon. I was a little more prepared this time but it didn't make it any easier. It didn't seem as harsh as the first one but I'm not sure if that is because I already saw him go through it before and sort of knew what to expect. My vet and I decided to continue with our plan regarding the use of Prednisone, Ciproflaxin, and she also prescribed Phenylbarbital. She said it might make him a little 'dopey' but that it would take a few days for his system to adjust to it. I'm praying this will help. I just constantly worry about Dakota everytime I leave the house. We don't have any family or support where we live since we are new to the area so it just hurts not to have people around to help out and to lean on. I am very thankful for this forum and I truly appreciate everyone's concern and supporting advice. I pray tomorrow is a better day.
I know exactly what you are going through. Coco's symptoms started the exact same way. I will try to post a pic of what Coco's nose looked like when this all started with the dry/scaly thing so you can compare. Coco's seizures, I thought, were in a cycle, but after writing them down each time with length of time, they really aren't. We tried Coco on phenobarbital, but he seems to be extra-sensitive to it and he never stopped stumbling around and with his nose so bad he bumps into it and parts fall off. I posted a pic earlier of Coco's nose and today it is approximately the same, with the edges perhaps a bit worse. We are in a day-to-day mode now with Coco. We are very close to having to take the ultimate step, but we ain't there yet. In-between seizure episodes (he now has 3 in a row, once a week and they are exactly as you describe them), he plays, he eats/drinks/pees/poops on his own and his days are spent as any 'ol old dog's should be. We are also on prednisone, but specifically tailored to Coco because the other seizure meds just weren't an option for him and I hesitate to post what it is since it is specific to Coco and I don't want someone just trying it out because they read it. Call me cautious, that's OK. I had found this forum when I was looking for anyone with a dog with these particular symptoms and everyone here has been incredible, but you're the first that describes almost exactly what we have, unfortunately. Hang in there---We are on month 5 or 6 from 'official diagnosis' and probably you could add another 2 months to that when I started trying to find a vet to listen to me and not tell me that I was either crazy or it wasn't a seizure or he had allergies to it's a dental infection. Our vet we have now did a rhinoscope for us because I was so adamant that it was NOT those other things. The tumor is there, far up there. We opted out of having anymore diagnostic testing simply because it is so far along, there really is no treatment other than palliative care at this point, which we do with love and fear and apprehension of "Our we doing the right thing?"
I just constantly worry about Dakota everytime I leave the house. We don't have any family or support where we live since we are new to the area so it just hurts not to have people around to help out and to lean on. I am very thankful for this forum and I truly appreciate everyone's concern and supporting advice. I pray tomorrow is a better day.
I said it before, and I'll say it again. Enjoy your time with him and try and live in the moment. You don't know how much I regret those few times I was too lazy to take my dog out on the extra walk she wanted. Dogs live in the moment, so make those moments count....
This is the best not blurry picture I could find of Coco's nose so far that is on my PC. You can sorta see a brown 'line' starting. This progressed to a scaly look pretty quickly.
Last edited by dogmomof11; 02-04-2009 at 09:00 AM..
Reason: Because I can't seem to operate today well.
The dog that I take of that's had nasal cancer for 18 months -- or more, I've lost track -- is looking very ill today. Lots of terrible diarrhea and just very uncomfortable and bloated looking. This dog has been on prednisone for so long, and I wouldn't be surprised if that powerful drug is finally taking a toll. The dog is starting to look worn out. She's been sleeping longer and harder and today I found her on the floor in a corner. She ate a little this morning, but I'm with holding food until her stomach settles down. I gave her some anti-diarrhea medicine earlier, but it's not working. I guess a vet visit is in order.
Hi dogmomof11,
Thanks for the post. It sounds like our situations are very similar. We still don't have a true diagnosis as none of the tests that Dakota had undergone clearly said nasal cancer. The only test that showed an obscurity was the xray where the right side of his nasal cavity was 'cloudy'. None of the bone structure was distorted or 'eaten through' which my vet was very happy about. I always wonder if a nasal polyp could be causing this? I wonder if it really is cancer? Our vet said even a nasty infection would look cloudy on an xray. Dakota has been antibiotics for about a month and the only improvement we have seen is that he no longer has the clear (and at one point greenish) nasal discharge. I guess prednisone could be helping with that too but the whole thing just seems weird. Up until he had the seizure - my vet really wasn't saying cancer. But I guess my question is could something other than a cancerous tumor cause seizures? Could a benign growth cause the same symptoms? When they do a rhinoscope - what are they able to determine?
I was also curious about when you mentioned the seizure cycle...so far the two seizures Dakota has had have been in the morning. I was wondering if seizures can be cyclical? Dakota hasn't had one today (so far). I am hoping it's because the Phenlybarbital is working? He only had 3 doses so far...not sure if that is enough time to see improvement. I have noticed though that his back legs sort of give out on him...if he tries to stand still his back legs almost seem to slip back or slip widely apart and he just constantly paces from one room to the other. It's almost as if he has to keep walking around to keep from losing his balance...not sure if that makes any sense. I thought maybe it was the Phenylbarbital but this was happening on Monday right after his first seizure and he hadn't started the Phenylbarbital until Tuesday evening.
Woof, Woof, Woof,
I agree with you 1000%..we have been spending every waking moment with Dakota. I have been taking pictures and sleeping by his side every night. I tried taking him for a walk but we have so much ice and snow here that he was slipping all over the place and it's just too dangerous for him given he doesn't seem to have much balance. We're also dealing with a possible cervical disc issue which limits his activity...He used to love going for walks and being outside...but now he doesn't even like being outside for more than a few minutes...it hurts seeing him like this. We are just taking each day at a time....I appreciate all of the advice and support.
Trevi,
One thing to consider about the rhinoscopy is that they can only "reach" up so far. When Scout had one, the vet thought he had gotten all of it and that it looked really clean and benign. He was able to get a biopsy, though, which told us that it was cancer. The CT scan then told us that there was more tumor--he just couldn't reach it. Have you looked into a consult with a veterinary oncologist? He or she might be able to help you figure out what it is you are dealing with and help you best treat Dakota. I know they are hard to find in some areas.
Also, from my understanding of seizures from my parent's dog, they are very cyclical. It sounds weird, but brains learn to seize, so the idea is to use meds to stop the cycle of seizing before the brain creates a cycle out of it. Having three seizures within 24 hours is called clustering and is an emergency that should be treated. My parents will give extra doses after each seizure to try to stop another from happening. The seizure meds that my parent's dog using (Zonisamide and potassium bromide) causing weakness in the rear legs, but it takes time to build up in the system. I know they have been hesitant to use phenobarbitol because this med makes the weakness worse. Perhaps that's what you are seeing. They are being treated by a veterinary neurologist, which may also may make a difference.
One other thought is that some antibiotics don't work as well as other for some dogs. Clavamox does nothing for Scout--we always use Clindamycin. If the one doesn't seem to be working, maybe ask to switch to another to see if you see any changes. I hope I'm not giving too much overwhelming information--you have enough on your plate right now. I hope Dakota gets a good night's sleep tonight.
Jan, thanks for asking about Scout. He's doing well. I haven't seen any bleeding since I got the prescription for the prednisone (doesn't the figure) so I haven't given it to him.
Woof, you have had a tough winter. I hope your friend's dog simply has a bad case of the craps and that it clears up quickly.
Woof, your friend's dog couldn't be affected by the salmonella in pet food/treats could he? I was just looking on the recall list again and thought of you.
Woof, your friend's dog couldn't be affected by the salmonella in pet food/treats could he? I was just looking on the recall list again and thought of you.
Which ones have salmonella? Is it the Trader Joe's brands? That's what she eats. Anyhow, she is definitely not right. She is going to the vet tomorrow, so I'll have an update then. I'm not attached to the dog, but my friend is. I just look after the dog. I just can't believe this dog has lived this long after a diagnosis. I'm sure she's beat out all the dogs on this board.
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)They did not have the money to spend on testing nor did the vet think she had them often enough for medicines to be used. Towards the end she then developed vestibular disease but the sezirue type attack from that was different then her usual seizure. Then they were down in LA one weekend ( they live in the SF bay area) and their oldest daughter came home from college to stay with the dog and she had a massive nose bleed. When they got home they took her to the vet . Nose still bleeding alot so the vet figured maybe this was all either a nasal cancer or brain cancer. She was not getting better so they took her home and loved her all night then had her put down the next morning she was about 15. I tell you this so you can see a seizure may not mean that the end is right around the corner.
I had found this forum when I was looking for anyone with a dog with these particular symptoms and everyone here has been incredible, but you're the first that describes almost exactly what we have, unfortunately. Hang in there---We are on month 5 or 6 from 'official diagnosis' and probably you could add another 2 months to that when I started trying to find a vet to listen to me and not tell me that I was either crazy or it wasn't a seizure or he had allergies to it's a dental infection. Our vet we have now did a rhinoscope for us because I was so adamant that it was NOT those other things. The tumor is there, far up there. We opted out of having anymore diagnostic testing simply because it is so far along, there really is no treatment other than palliative care at this point, which we do with love and fear and apprehension of "Our we doing the right thing?"
