by Karl’s Mom
If you have a dog with epilepsy you already know that the seizure itself is not always the hardest part. The hardest part is learning to read your dog. That takes time and it takes paying attention, and even then you will not always get it right. But when you do, it can make all the difference.
Karl’s seizures are nearly always grand mal and they happen most often at night while he is sleeping. Because of that, his daytime symptoms can be easy to miss or easy to explain away. On a hot afternoon in Green Turtle Cay in the Bahamas, Karl started acting like an impatient dog who was done with his walk and ready to go home. He was pacing. He was not interested in sniffing around the way he usually is. He wanted to leave. Now.
That was Karl telling us something was coming.
Over the years we have learned to recognize a few key signs. Unexplained drooling is one of the clearest for us, because Karl is not a drooler unless there is food involved. A head twitch, almost like he is trying to clear his head, is another. Behavioral changes like fearfulness or urgency, the way he was acting that day in town, can also be a signal, though we rely on those less than we used to. As Karl has gotten older, he has become very sensitive to noise and even a door closing down the block can send him looking for cover, so behavior alone is not always a reliable indicator.
When we saw the signs that day we got him back to the boat as quickly as we could. Karl currently takes levetiracetam as his daily medication. When he shows pre-seizure symptoms I give him a supplemental dose of phenobarbital or potassium bromide depending on which we have on hand and which vet we have most recently seen. I also give him CBD oil, which Karl calls his juice and which honestly works remarkably well for him. Sometimes this combination stops the seizure course completely. That day in Green Turtle Cay it did. He had a long nap, woke up feeling like himself, and helped Dad make dinner.
Not every day goes that way. But that one did.
If you have questions about managing epilepsy in dogs while living aboard or traveling full time, feel free to reach out. We are not vets and every dog is different, but we are happy to share what has worked for Karl.
Karl’s Mom. Out.