My agility dog has epilepsy

You wouldn’t know if from looking at her now-waiting anxiously by the door to go outside and play and bark at the neighbor’s dog.  And for that I am thankful.  But that wasn’t the scene just 4 hours ago when Legend had her third seizure.  I was putting down food bowls (like usual) when she ran out of the kitchen into the living room.  That is not a normal behavior for her.  She knew what was coming and so did I.  When I got around the corner to look she was already starting to twitch.  Before I could get there she fell and hit her head on the brick fireplace and then knocked the fire screen over on her.  I wonder if she has a headache today?  But it seemed very short and she had a much shorter post-ictal phase this time.  She looked worried for a few minutes but did not spend 20 minutes growling at me and hiding in the bedroom.  Actually within a few minutes she was trying to get her food bowl down from the counter where I had left her uneaten breakfast. 

Obviously I’m disappointed.  This was not what I was hoping for.  I was still clinging to the hope that there would be no more, but certainly hadn’t planned on another one just 3 weeks from the last one.  So we are starting on Phenobarbital today.  Some people have asked me if I have considered other drugs but to be honest Phenobarb is cheap (not that that really matters), easily available and reliable.  All drugs can have side effects, some are just different.  So that’s where we are starting.  If we don’t like the side effects or the results we always have the option to switch to something else. 

We have a trial next weekend so I’m not sure if she will get to run or not.  I was hoping we wouldn’t have to start medication until later but that’s the way the cookie crumbles.   I know I could probably wait another week to start but with only 3 weeks in between I felt it was better to start her on something now.  Time will tell. 

I could spend a lot of time moping around doing the whole “why me, why my dog, why now” thing but I guess that doesn’t really change anything does it?  And Legend clearly isn’t spending any time feeling sorry for herself.  So if she’s ok, I am too. I guess.