June 14, 2012

White Dog has learned to conquer her instinctive fear when Quinn, The Other White Dog, has a seizure. She immediately jumps into "nurse" mode and waits patiently at Quinn's side for clues or directions on how to help. WD has taught the others to give TOWD space and to lie quietly watching and lending White Dog Army support to a comrade in need.

It was about 3:30am when I heard him sort of stumble, pushing aainst things as he splayed out onto his belly. I was awake and sitting in the darkened living room unable to sleep myself, maybe somehow anticipating this event. White Dog, who had been asleep at my feet, sat up, alert, and we saw him together...at the hallway door. His eyes were open and unfocused, and he was twitching like his spine was a piano keyboard and the player was running a hand down the keys and back again. Even his tail moved from base to tip and then rippled back again. From a distance it looked like a dog dreaming of running but the movement was more frantic and jerkier.

White Dog body blocked YoYoMa who had awakened and was coming closer to investigate. He growled a question and WD made it clear he should SIT and STAY...he did. I was sitting at Quinn's side stroking and gently talking using his name. These are techniques we have read that help bring a pup "back" from a seizure. WD lay facing Quinn and rested her head on his front paw.

It only lasted a minute or two and then Quinn sort of looked up with a connection in his eyes. His body was calm; in fact, it was nearly limp. He was breathing heavily and I continued to run my fingers through his fur and caress his ears.

We were out of ice cream (the curse of living with a teenage boy) so WD and I decided the Mighty Quinn needed a strawberry smoothie made with frozen fruit and yogurt..slushy cold in its final form. I shared a bit with my capable assistant and with YoYoMa who was still in a sit/stay. TOWD lustily ate the freezy treat and then almost immediately went to sleep. YAWD followed suit, leaving WD and I as keepers of the watch until the dawn arrived and the birds sang.

We will be talking to Dr. Julia about this. I expect she will want to increase his Gabapentin which she attempted to do once but the dosage at that time proved too potent and Quinn was a bit too mellow. But now the time might have come. Quinn is up and about this morning, earlier than usual and fit as a fiddle. We are blessed that his seizures are infrequent but in some ways that makes it harder to medicate and manage.