So about a year ago, my littlest maltipoo (formerly thought to be a choodle, but blood tests have changed our minds), anyway my littlest maltipoo began having seizures. Now that I think about it, it was more in the area of 1.5 years ago.
I remember sitting on the couch in my living room, the poo's (for lack of a better nickname I will call them poo's since they are all related to poodles in some way) were happily surrounding me and sleeping - something that the poos do very well - all except the littlest poo - my maltipoo, Cheddar. Just about the time I thought how odd it was not to have him nearby, I heard a very loud noise at the doggy door, which turned out to be Cheddar attempting to enter from the back patio. He made it through the door just in time for me to witness his complete loss of balance, falling over to his side.
Of course I ran to him and picked him up, hoping to sooth away any hurt of embarrassment he might have suffered, only to find he was stiff and unresponsive. His eyes were glazed, and his head was thrown back in what can now only be called a very disturbing angle. As I carried him to the couch, my mind was working 1000mph reaching through to my years as a veterinarian technician to discover what this could be. Had he been poisoned? Or was some unknown disease taking hold. My mind settled not on my experience as a vet tech, but even further back in my life to the memories of when I was a young girl.
My mother had poodles. Two little black females and their mother a chocolate poodle named Suzi. There were toy poodles. The largest of them all, Sweetie, had seizures and my mind latched on to these memories. All the usual signs were there - stiffening, glazed eyes, legs begin to paddle, drooling - all these things Cheddar was now doing.
I held him for several minutes as he completed his seizure and settled down into my lap. I have to confess I was afraid to put him down thinking that it might trigger another seizure or that he would no longer be able to walk.
As it turns out, he was just fine. Since that time a year and a half ago, we have relocated to Florida for good and not a month goes by that Cheddar does not have a seizure.
It's commonly called "white dog syndrome" and appears to be prevalent on several of the smaller breeds such as poodles, Maltese and no one can find a true cause for the seizures.
I have discussed the issue with my veterinarian and she and I both feel that if the seizures are not affecting him and he sticks to one per month, that there is no real reason to worry or to put him on anti-seizure medications. Many experts even feel that adding anti-seizure meds can increase the seizure activity - go figure.
So I continue with my little seizure prone Cheddar and he has learned to come and find me before the seizure hits. It must be a feeling he gets before the seizure activity begins. Sometimes he makes it to me and judging by the panic stricken look on his face I know what is to come. Sometimes he doesn't make it and I will find him under chairs, in hallways seizing.
But I always hold him quietly until it passes and after about 10 minutes or so he is fine and on his merry way to bark at the TV, or one of the ducks that roam the back yard.
This dog has it made, maybe he plays me with these seizures - but it works.
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