Bryn Wilby - Feeling in control

Bryn my lovely Border Collie had his first cluster fits last March. Like most owners, the reaction was panic and helplessness. My veterinary surgeon put him on Epiphen and after 6 weeks the fits came again. He went approx 6 – 7 weeks fit free and the medication was upped, downed and changed to Mysoline. I really had no idea what was going on until I eventually found the PCFCE. Armed with the information I had gained, my vet agreed to put him on Epiphen and potassium bromide. Bryn then achieved a period of 18 weeks fit free which is wonderful.

The information I had from the PCFCE enabled me to talk to my vet knowledgeably and discuss options for Bryn which made me feel more in control. I have just asked for his blood levels to be checked and also for him to be put on epilease capsules. Up until now I have had to have potassium bromide in powder form from the chemist and try my best to accurately measure 600mg then split that into 2 x 300mg to administer twice daily with his Epiphen. It has been very difficult to do this with spoon and bottle!

The PCFCE has been a god-send to me and to Bryn who is now 4. I wish all owners with epileptic pets had access to the Foundation. I personally thumbed through the yellow pages looking for a vet who specialised in canine epilepsy to no avail. After 20 phone calls a kind receptionist said she had a poster on the wall and hence I found you. It is just so upsetting and confusing when it happens to you and with no understanding of the condition it can be very hard to cope with. Just reading about other pets with similar problems has helped me to feel less isolated.

In between fits, Bryn is a healthy, happy, fun-loving dog who loves to run in the fields with our other dogs. The down side is that I won't go out for long as the thought of him fitting alone worries me (he has had to be sedated each time in order to stop the clusters). Fortunately, I have a husband and son who feel the same dedication to our pets and we work round this together. I am optimistic about the future and just to see him looking at me with his beautiful eyes makes it all worth while. I will let you know how things progress. Good luck to you all.

Lesley Wilby, Shropshire

Paddy's story - an owner's perspective

One of the great features when we moved to our new home some 10 years ago was that we backed onto 253 acres of parkland. Just perfect for us as potential dog owners.

My wife, Cheryl, who had been recently made redundant, had always wanted a Border collie. It wasn't long before we got in touch with a local animal rescue charity, looking for a rescue collie. As a result, Paddy (his original name) became part of the family. Some 18 months later we brought a second dog into the family, a Border collie pup called Tess. Both dogs got on well and were happy and healthy.

I remember Paddy's first fit as if it was yesterday even though it was actually 4 years ago. He was just 2 years and 8 months old. It's a haunting experience and one that never leaves you. Paddy's first fit was around 2 o'clock one morning. I remember waking up suddenly to a scratching noise. At first I thought it was Tess playing in her puppy cage. By this time Cheryl was also awake and she decided to go downstairs to investigate.

She turned the hall light on and walked into the living room, her eyes fixed on Paddy in his bed. He was thrashing about wildly, his legs were paddling and his teeth were gnashing, lips drawn back.

Cheryl shouted for me to come downstairs. As I came into the room and saw what was happening, my first thought was that Paddy might unintentionally bite us so we left him for a moment with the door just pulled to.

After a minute or so Paddy came round and wandered out to us, panting heavily for air. We noticed he had wet himself. He was unsteady on his legs and couldn't see properly as he kept bumping into things. He was clearly distressed by the experience as he continually paced up and down the hall, whimpering from time to time.

Whilst Cheryl comforted him, I rang the vet. I explained what had happened and he advised us to bring him to the surgery first thing in the morning. In the meantime he suggested to settle him down and to call him again if he had another fit.

The next morning, Paddy went to the vet. After a series of tests, it was confirmed that Paddy had Idiopathic epilepsy (also know as primary epilepsy), which basically means it has no known cause. The vet decided on a treatment plan to cover the next six weeks. In the meantime although we now knew the cause of the seizures was epilepsy, the whole experience left us with an overwhelming feeling of helplessness.

All this was four years ago, so where are we today.

Whilst Paddy still has seizures they have, over the years changed pattern. Initially he would have 1 seizure roughly every 2-3 weeks, which has steadily increased and changed over the years to what is termed as Cluster seizures. These kinds of seizures, in Paddy's case, have longer fit free intervals in between but when the seizures start, he has as many as 10 over a 3-day period.

Over the same period, Paddy's treatment plan has altered in line with the changes in his seizure pattern. He is now on a combination therapy of Epiphen and Potassium Bromide (a common combination of treatment). The addition of Potassium Bromide really extended his seizure free periods, the longest being 14 months, which was wonderful.

As for us coping with his condition, 2 months after Paddy's diagnosis we came across an advert for The Phyllis Croft Foundation for Canine Epilepsy (PCFCE) in a dog magazine.

The PCFCE continues to provide us with practical help and support, reassurance and lots of information on the condition. This has helped us to come to terms with Paddy's epilepsy and become more informed. We have also contacted other owners with similar stories and by just talking about the condition has helped us feel that we aren't alone. As members, we have access to free specialist veterinary advice from the PCFCE's veterinary advisors and we receive a quarterly newsletter called ‘Brainwave', which is packed full of information and practical tips. Most of all, the PCFCE has enabled us to cope with Paddy's condition.

Paddy lives a normal life just like any other pet dog, including holidaying with us. He has completed his Bronze, Silver and Gold Kennel Club Good Citizen awards and has taken part in basic agility classes. His fits are now under control and my wife and I have become quite accustomed to them. Yes, we have made slight changes and adjustments in our lives to accommodate his condition but I can assure you it is well worth it. We are fortunate that we have an excellent veterinary practice and we are very grateful to the support given by the PCFCE.

Paddy should be able to live a normal, happy life for many years to come just like any other dog.