EDITOR’S NOTE: This post is a continuation of our guest author series. Kaydee’s Story follows Kaydee and her health as she switches to a raw food diet.
It was New Years Day I was in the kitchen bustling about making dinners for the coming up week and chocolate chip cookies (a surprise for hubby). Brent was napping as was Kaydee. I couldn’t find my recipe card for the cookies and hurriedly went into my office and back out again. By the time I got back to the kitchen I realized my mistake…. Kaydee was laying upon the bed in my office sleeping. Fear gripped at my heart as I rounded the corner of the kitchen ….. To only hear a “THUD” and see Kaydee’s body beginning to seize.
I kneeled down to my little girl cradling her and whispering to her it was okay. I checked her nose/mouth to feel for her breath and there was – RELIEF! She was whimpering I kept telling her over and over “Good girl, good girl…. Then I got mad – I got mad at this monster – All my primal motherly instincts/energy flowed through my body as I softly commanded “You are all done!
Maybe it’s just me…. but for a split second I felt Kaydee’s body relax…… then go rigid. Softly but firmly I repeated “All done.” I could sense Kaydee warring with this monster. Fighting to break it’s bond over her. She moved — wanting to get up. Still trembling and shaking she tried to take a couple of steps. I held my breathe as I feared she was going into another seizure. I jumped up and hurried to the kitchen and grabbed the honey. I gave her a dab and then another. Then she looked up at me and gave me that precious look as if to say “Mommy I’m okay now.” She looked at the jar of honey I was still holding and said “Hmm.” then looked at the jar again. I offered her another dab. The twinkles beginning to shine in her eyes again. “Hmm.” More,” I asked. “Hmm.” I chuckled as I gave her three more dabs of honey. My little girl was her happy self again!
NOTE: Kaydee has been tested for hypoglycemia several times and each time the result is negative. I don’t know why (neither does the vet) but the honey seems to give her a boost and she revives quicker when given.
About an hour later Brent awoke from his nap. I told him Kaydee had a visit from the “UGLY MONSTER” he said “its time, we need to have the dr. do what ever he needs to… an MRI.” IT’S TIME!
Two weeks later after scheduling an appointment, we drove to Purdue University Animal Hospital. I was afraid we were going to have to cancel our trip as we had a “ lake affect snow advisory” Brent was watching the weather on all 3 news stations, I called the hospital to find out what the weather was like and that we may be late in arriving. We decided to take the chance and headed out at 8:00 a.m. for our appt. at 11:30 a.m. The roads on the main highways were pretty good till we hit one patch of country road. THAT WAS PRETTY SCARY! You could feel the car glide across the icy wind blown road. I was very fortunate that my husband agreed to drive. Anyone who knows me, knows I do not drive in the winter time unless the roads are absolutely clear!
2 ½ hours later and 2 pit stops we finally arrived at the clinic. Within a few minutes of our arrival/check-in a man hurriedly came into the facility carrying his limp and what appeared to be a lifeless German Shepherd. I immediately began to pray! This beautiful dog we found out later was heavily sedated but was in grave danger of losing its life. The dog had wondered off. When the owner found him, took him to his office where the dog then keeled over. The dog had suffered neurological (seizures) problems since it was a puppy. I never found out if the dog survived or not…. During the span of time we were there we would see 5 other cases of dogs afflicted with seizures each stemming from a different trigger. My husband was astounded and could only ask the million dollar question “WHY?”
Knowing our appointment would be delayed we took turns taking Kaydee outside. When our name was called a student led us to a room where she took down Kaydee’s history. Once completed the student explained to us she would speak to the clinician (resident dr.) to go over the history and symptoms. Next she and the resident dr. would come back into the exam room and let us know what tests they would like to have done if any.
After waiting what seemed like an eternity and multiple trips outside for Brent and Kaydee. The student and resident dr. came back into the room. The dr. asked a few more questions and then wanted to take Kaydee in the back room for observations i.e., walking, running etc. No, I was not allowed to go into the back (not happy). Kaydee happily trotted off with her new found friend (the student) while Brent and I returned to the waiting room.
20 minutes had passed when Kaydee came through the double doors of the waiting room all wiggles and waggles happy to see mommy and daddy again. We were shown into another room where the resident dr. was waiting for us. She explained her findings stating that Kaydee was epileptic (idiopathic). She suggested we start Kaydee on a anti-epileptic medication for therapeutic treatment to minimize the frequency and the severity of the seizures using either; Keppra (Levetiracetam); KBr (Potassium bromide) and/or Phenobarbital. That’s when I brought up alternative methods; Gold bead implants, acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, the RAW diet. The resident dr. stated she was not familiar with these alternative methods and to go with what my vet suggested for treatment. But HER final recommendation was to start Kaydee on the anti-epileptic medications.
She felt having an MRI done was unnecessary at this time. She stated if we really wanted to have one done she would and also recommend a spinal tap BUT she felt the results would come back negative and therefore unnecessary. Brent was relieved as he was apprehensive to have Kaydee sedated. He just had a feeling something might go wrong, so I agreed not to have the MRI done.
I did request to have blood work done to recheck her BUN and Creatinine levels which I am extremely happy to report her numbers were well within the normal range (happy dance). I also asked about having her hips/low back looked at as I still feel there is a connection between Kaydee abruptly waking up, jumping off the bed and then going into a seizure.
The resident and student took Kaydee with them again to the back (no I was not allowed back there this time either – Again not happy). But within 30 minutes, she came back to us happy go-lucky as ever. The resident dr. came out into the waiting area and let us know that the orthopedic dr. did notice a lameness with her right rear leg and that she is a little bow legged. Which most likely was present since birth, but other than that he did not notice any other abnormalities or effusion (hip dysplasia). If we wanted to be 100% sure he suggested to have our local vet perform an x-ray.
We were both relieved in hearing this news! It was 4:30 p.m. and Kaydee was more than READY to go home! She had been a real trooper throughout the day! One look at her and you could see she was at a point she had, had enough and wanted to go HOME.
The ride home was difficult for Kaydee to get comfortable. She was exhausted! It took her about an hour before she finally settled down, and laid on her blankie to try to sleep. Thankfully the trip home was a faster! We were ALL glad when we arrived HOME!
As I reflect upon this day I asked…….“God where do we go from here?”