Meet Sadie
Sadie had her first seizure September 5th, 2016 only13 days after her father, Rumely, had his first seizure just a month shy of his Second Birthday.
Sadie was born to Rumely who was 1/2 Saint Bernard, 1/2 Great Pyrenees and Stella the Collie November 23rd, 2015 as puppy number #5 of 8 in an accidental litter.
We kept Sadie and placed the other seven pups in loving families that we still keep in touch with today.
When Rumely had his first Seizure our world was turned upside down. He was put on Phenobarbital for them after continuing to have them every 4 hours for an entire day. He seemed to be under control when we were woken up in the middle of the night to Sadie having her first episode. Just one seizure and then done, however, it was only 13 days after Rumely's first as well. What are the odds of this being genetic? The Vets all claimed it to be genetic epilepsy but we kept fighting to find the cause. Every 2.5- 3 weeks Rumely would have another seizure episode, each one worse with increased number of seizures than the last. Then, like clock work, 6 days later Sadie would have another episode also worse than her last. It didn't matter if we medicated them or not, we changed medications, foods, goat feed, ran blood tests, planned to test our homes air quality and for mold, test our water when one day, our world came to a screeching halt.
On Wednesday, November 9th I came home from work. I had developed a bad feeling earlier in the day around lunch time and I couldn't shake it. But here I was, 6 PM at my front door and with the turn of the door handle our whole world stopped. Stella did not greet me at the door with Rumely like they usually did, Sadie did not make a sound in her kennel as she always does. Instead, I was met with the smell you get when your dog has seizures. One of urine, saliva and poop from their loss of all control during these horrifying events. I called for them with no answer as I walked up the stairs. Looking to my right I see Sadie trembling in the back corner of her kennel, it wasn't her. Turning to my left I see a sight that my brain couldn't comprehend. Rumely and Stella laying there together. Stella's head on his side gently looking at me. I stared for the longest time waiting to see a breath from our big guy. Nothing. Dropping my purse at my feet I hit my knees next to them calling his name. As I laid my hands on his deep chest I felt that the life had left his body early on in the day. Stella was heartbroken and Sadie was scared. I was broken, shattered. My big lug of a baby boy was no longer with us.
With the sudden death of Rumely we were informed to up Sadie's meds so we did. However, six days later she still had another major seizure episode, this time needed a shot of Valium to get them under control.
Since then, she has had sudden bouts that will go controlled for 3 weeks before another more severe episode happens. It wasn't until another puppy from the litter began having them in December as well that we accepted that it was genetic.
All we have been informed to do is to enjoy our time with her and try to keep her at more good days than bad and be prepared for that day to come that we may lose her at an early age as well.
