We’re in this together.
It’s January 9th 2024 and Riggs just had a seizure. This is the first seizure that he has ever had and as I sat holding him close while he got through it, I was almost in tears. The tears were right there but I didn’t let them come because I had a job at hand. But they were right there as Riggs seizuring brought me back to Luke. Riggs predicessor who had idiopathic epilepsy for 11.5 years of his 14.5 year life. The moment I sat holding Riggs until he came out of it was a surreal one for me.
Poodles of all sizes are prone to epilepsy.
Luke started his seizures at the age of around 3. It took us a while but we finally figured out his triggers and did our best to skirt around them for most of his life. Luke suffered from Grand Mal seizures, which were long and intense. Here is a link that will take you to a very old blog on Luke and his seizures.
What we discovered about Luke’s seizures was that they were linked to be very suddenly waken from a deep sleep or chemicals. A door slamming from the wind was the biggest issue with the sleep thing so we have to this day, many door stops around the house. I also do not use chemicals and have learned that baking soda and vinegar are great for cleaning pretty much anything. I also look for healthy alternatives to replace any chemical stuff.
So why did Riggs have a seizure this morning? I have absolutely no idea. He did turn 5 in October; the prime age to start epilepsy is between 3-5 years of age. Did he get bit by a spider in the garage? Did he pick up something when playing with his ball? I just don’t know and I will be keeping a very close eye on him now. I am hoping that this was a onetime thing; although I know it may be the beginning of something much bigger.
I’m a seasoned pro with seizures. I was in the midst of feeding Elsa and Riggs; ran upstairs for something (which I can’t even remember what now) and came down to Riggs seizing at Elsa’s gate at the bottom of the stairs. I got down the stairs in record speed and scooped him into my arms. I am very aware that the risk of being bitten during a seizure is high so kept my face away as best I could. The way I had Riggs in my arms I couldn’t see his eyes. It’s something I want to see as it tells you if they are still with you or in the deep throws of a seizure.
We sat there for 15-20 mins. with Riggs leaning into me for help. I wrapped my arms and legs around him and he buried his head into my chest. It took him this long to get to his legs and he was emotionally shaken. He is BY FAR the most emotional dog we have ever had this was very upsetting to him and me both.
For now I am going to try not to panic. Elsa had a seizure late lastyear from the effects of same pain medication she was on. It was a small barely visible one but I’m pretty savvy about seizures and body language so I saw it and stopped the medication immediately. She has not had another.
There can be exterior causes or causes that lead to idiopathic epilepsy. We will wait and see if there are anymore. Fingers and toes crossed that this was hopefully a bite reaction from a bug? Hopefully.