Category: Epilepsy

And now for something different

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 38 Comments
Five Sibes Book badgeToday we are doing something different from our usual fare, we’re reviewing a book written by the award winning author, Dorothy Wills-Raftery. Dorothy is one of the premier lay people on canine epilepsy and one with whom I became acquainted with nearly 10 years ago following the rescue of Elsa, my Standard Poodle shortly after her epilepsy diagnosis came following her adoption. Elsa has now been a “Ninja Angel” for 5 months (gosh…where has the time gone?) and not a day goes by that I don’t think about her and still miss her every single day. Dorothy’s blog and all the resources she shared got me through some dark times trying to help keep Elsa well and live a good life despite the diagnosis. She made me realize that epi-dogs can live great lives despite the diagnosis. I shall forever be grateful for her support, knowledge and shared resources.
When Elsa passed away in early Spring, it was shortly thereafter that Dorothy released her latest book “Wolfie, What Is The Rainbow Bridge?” When Dorothy hosted a promotional drawing for a copy of the book, I entered, never imaging that I’d win and was beyond honored and thrilled to receive a copy, especially given that my great granddaughter’s own pup is now showing her age and our family will need for a loving explanation once Nala earns her wings. Knowing how hard Elsa’s passing was on me as an adult, I was thrilled to see a book written expressly for children to help them cope with this life inevitability. The fact that it was written by one of my favorite people in Blogville who just happens to be an award winning author and one of the kindest humans I know…well, I knew a review was in order and think this lovely and gentle book could be a wonderful resource to share with any small child when the time comes to address the loss of a pet.
When it arrived, I was excited to try to read it to my great granddaughter but being the independent little miss that she is, she sat down and carefully went through each page as if she was reading its message on her own.
Halia - book review
Wilson also took a gander and was particularly smitten with Dorothy’s co-author, her 7 year old grandson.
Wilson - book review
This book is ever so gentle and handles a tough topic about the passing of a beloved pet with the little people in our lives. I was quite touched at how thoughtful and tender it approached the subject. At just 50 pages it’s a small enough book to keep young readers engaged and it’s beautifully illustrated with precious photos as well as questions to answer that will help process the loss of a pet.
I cannot recommend this lovely book more. In the US, as adults we tend to gloss over the topic of death and it can be a challenge on how one should explain it to a child when their companion earns its wings. This book will make that hard topic more understandable on an emotionally charged subject.

About Dorothy Wills-Raftery:

Dorothy is a PhotoJournalist, Romance Author, K9 Author, Children’s Book Author and Editor
Romance Author at Woman’s World
Author – Chicken Soup for the Soul Book Series & Rosie the Riveter Book Series
Author/Creator FiveSibes.com
Book Author of the following:
Wolfie, What is the Rainbow Bridge?
EPIc Dog Tales: Heartfelt Stories About Amazing Dogs Living and Loving Life with Canine Epilepsy
Getting Healthy With Harley: Learning About Health & Fitness
What’s Wrong With Gibson? Learning About K-9 Epilepsy
Buddy, The Christmas Husky: Based on a True Holiday Miracle
Dorothy has been published in these publications:
Petful, 4Knines, AmericanPet Magazine, Hudson Valley Paw Prints
Sled Dogger Magazine, Kings River Life Magazine, The Wedding Journal, In Focus Magazine, Ulster Magazine, Times Herald-Record
The Daily Freeman
LiveGibStrong badge
She is the Founder/Author of #LiveGibStrong 💜 K9 Epilepsy Awareness & Education and a recipient of DWAA Maxwell Medallion “Excellence” for FiveSibes Blog & #LiveGibStrong K9 Epilepsy Resource Library and author of #Paws4Purple initiative for PurpleDay®️ Every Day/Anita Kaufmann Foundation and is an International PurpleDay®️ for K9 Epilepsy Ambassador Since 2012

Live, love, bark! 🐾 💜 🐾

Purple Day ~ 2025

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 54 Comments

Although my precious angel left this earth just 16 days ago, I was and remain a big proponent of the Five Sibes’ Live Gib Strong Epilepsy Awareness Day. As many of you know, Elsa was adopted back in the autumn of 2016 and two weeks later was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy following several severe Grand Mal seizures. Having owned an epileptic dog before, I knew a little about what to expect. Because I was 100% committed to keeping Elsa and helping her enjoy a good life with me despite being offered the option of returning her to the rescue. That option never occurred to me. Instead, I became obsessed with providing her with the best life possible. Enter two fellow bloggers who are lay experts in providing the best life for their own epileptic fur companions. FiveSibes and Knotty Toys for Good Dogs became my go-to for info, tips and resources and I couldn’t have found two more dedicated advocates for the treatment of canine epilepsy. Both of these remarkable epileptic ambassadors provided Elsa and I with amazing info to manage her condition along with our vet. My vet once told me, the advice I was getting from them both helped me keep Elsa’s seizures manageable all the while providing me with some much needed hope when I needed it most. To both of them, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart. Please keep sharing your valuable info and resources for epileptic pets as well as their caregivers all over the world. Thank you for all you do.

Elsa, epilepsy

Many people don’t understand that epilepsy affects both the epi-warrior as well as the caregiver so having reliable and supportive info can make all the difference for us. I will always be grateful beyond words for their help as well as for all the resources they shared. Their advocacy makes me want to continue to be a supporter for Purple Day even though Elsa is now seizure free at the Rainbow Bridge.

For more educational information and a list of resources, please watch this  short video.

On a closer and more personal note, I also want to thank everyone who sent donations in Elsa’s name to RMOES Rescue as well as notes of condolences after she earned her angel wings. Your notes of gentle support have buoyed my heart and I know the rescue is equally grateful for your donations.  Your supportive thoughts of comfort have been so very appreciated. Blogville is the truly the best at supporting its own and especially at times of heartache. If only words of gratitude were as easy and heartfelt to express as what your support has meant. I’m truly at a loss for the right words of gratitude and will simply leave it with the humble but deeply sincere “thank you,” from the bottom of my heart.

Live, love, bark! 🐾

World Purple Day ~ March 26, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 49 Comments

Epilepsy

We don’t normally post on Tuesday’s but this year it seemed more important than ever to merit posting on a topic that is near and dear to my heart. Today we join our friends, Dorothy Wills-Raftery, the award-winning author, K9 Epilepsy Awareness Ambassador, and creator of the Five Sibes™️ blog along with CEO Olivia from Knotty Toys for Dogs  for this year’s annual celebration of Purple Day,® a global grassroots event created to increase epilepsy awareness throughout the world to dispel many of the common myths and fears associated with this neurological disorder. We can’t begin to thank Dorothy and Olivia enough for their ongoing advocacy, shared information and tips relating to seizures and epilepsy.

Purple Day® was created to reduce social stigmas many encounter while providing valuable assurance and resources to all those living with epilepsy by letting them know that they are not alone.  Purple Day® occurs every March 26 and honors all epi-warriors, be they 2 or 4-legged. Once again, we proudly support this event by wearing purple. As many of you know, Elsa, was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy shortly after she was rescued in 2016 as a puppy mill survivor with unknown lineage, (her story can be read here). Supporting epilepsy awareness and education has become a no-brainer for me and I continue to be committed to learning as much as possible about this condition, how to effectively manage it while providing a safe and loving home for this special dog by bringing attention to the condition. We are truly fortunate that despite some of the recent stressors she’s experienced that could trigger a seizure, my favorite ‘Ninja’ {knock on wood} has been mostly seizure-free of late.

Elsa
You woke me up for this?

So again for this year’s “Purple Day®” event you are invited to join us by wearing purple for everyone who is impacted by seizures and epilepsy. Please check out the Epilepsy Foundation’s website for useful information for people and pets who experience seizures with a worldwide resource database can be found here. 

Word Cloud

Live, love, bark! ❤︎

Monday Musings ~ February 12, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 89 Comments

It’s Monday.  Again. How did this happen to us?

Monday smiles

We hope you all survived the weekend and enjoyed an exciting Super Bowl. No doubt many were disappointed by yesterday’s outcome but if it was an exciting game you wanted, I think you will admit, it was a full serving. Can anyone explain to me how in the world Patrick Mahomes managed to pull off that win? Maybe another ‘conspiracy’ I’ve heard over the years that suggests he’s a witch, is true? I dunno. I think that’s the longest I’ve held my breath watching a game. On another note, were there any notable commercials that tickled your fancy? Was it just me or were there LOTS of them? What did you think about the half-time show. If you didn’t watch the Super Bowl, did you manage to catch Puppy Bowl XX? It definitely had a great outcome with more pups and kitties finding their fur-ever homes. Whether you were rooting for Team Ruff (with its own exciting last second win) or Team Fluff, you couldn’t help but enjoy the all the canine and feline fun. For highlights of the game, you can click here and to see who won the MVP, click here.

International Epilepsy Day

Today is also International Epilepsy Day where there is a concerted and worldwide effort to bring awareness to this terrible health condition for both people and pets. As the parent of an epileptic pet, it’s a topic near and dear to my heart. If epilepsy has touched your life there are organizations who can help by provide awareness, info and resources. You can read more about it and our story here. And don’t forget to wear purple today. Stay safe and strong epi-warriors and have a great week.

Elsa, epilepsy

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Epilepsy Awareness Month ~ 2023

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 40 Comments

Epilepsy awarenessHello, Elsa here. We normally don’t post on Thursday’s but because today is the last day of November, we are focusing attention on epilepsy  (especially after the recent return to Standard time which always winds up my Mom as she tries to phase in the meds to keep my anti-seizure medication as level as possible so I don’t seize). Mom hates having to figure out when to integrate those incremental shifts in time to keep things on an even keel since my meds must be administered every 12 hours at 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM.  Sometimes she’s better at it but it gives her heartburn nonetheless and she always worries it might trigger a seizure. Luckily we got through it unscathed again but it’s always a colossal hassle. Can anyone tell me why we still do this stupid “spring forward/fall back” nonsense?

Originally we had hoped to have had this post prepared during the Thanksgiving holiday week rather than on the last day of the month but we were hampered with poor cell phone coverage and no Wi-Fi while visiting Mom’s Dad and we only just returned yesterday afternoon. As a blogger, this is as troublesome as trying to deal with the whole WordPress block editor garbage, and ranks right up there with Daylight Savings Time in dumb things you shouldn’t have to deal with. Between you and me, Mom’s bandwidth to deal with such junk is pretty slim so I knew we’d have to publish today.

When you’re a dog like me, you become pretty used to taking your meds. Mom has become quite creative in wrapping my pills in a very tasty treat so it’s not like she has to hog-tie me and pop a pill in the back of my throat. Having that happen would be weird, not to mention rude.

I began having seizures shortly after Mom rescued me over seven years ago (you can read about it in the highlighted link) and she’s been educating herself ever since.

My diagnosis came two weeks after I was rescued. There I was, a completely feral dog started having seizures getting used to being around people. I was fortunate to have Sam and Norman as my brothers-they taught me how to be a dog. I mean, I didn’t even know how to accept food from my Mom’s hand I was that shut down. Grand mal seizures started at first and following a short stay at the emergency vet clinic, I was treated and diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy which meant the vet wasn’t sure what the cause was. A likely factor was believed to be most likely was genetic (all the dogs seized after the owner of the puppy mill passed away had various conditions and he didn’t keep health records of any of us). Initially it was challenging determining what the right dosage of anti-seizure medication should be. I was placed on the least potent dose of Phenobarbital as well as given CBD oil but the dosage proved to be inadequate. The Phenobarb had to be adjust several times and for the most part I’m happy to report that Mom has been pretty good keeping me seizure free since late May {knock on wood}. Having a dog like me who has seizures can be a terrifying thing to witness.  Even with treatment, seizures are no picnic in the park and there are always challenges. Despite a few hiccups along the way like determining what the right dosage would be for my situation, Mom and my vet have seemed to hit the sweet spot and manage to keep the seizures mostly at bay. Even when I do have one, Mom has learned various techniques which make them fairly minor compared to when I first experienced them. I even went over a year without a single one. 

Mom says she’s lucky to have been part of an amazing blogging community who are far smarter and more knowledgeable than her when it comes to epilepsy and is particularly grateful for loads of advice from our friends over at Knotty Toys for Good Dogs and The Five Sibes who have shared amazing and informative resources and tips that have helped me. Remember that epilepsy is not a death sentence by any means and it is super important to get accurate information when treating epilepsy. There are also various epilepsy websites including Canine-Epilepsy as well as generalized info found at the Epilepsy Foundation and The Wally Foundation for educating oneself if it ever happens to you or your pet. I’ve certainly learned a lot since that first seizure and hope, with proper nutrition and the right balance of medication, I will live a long and happy life. If chewing on various items like reading glasses is any indication of happiness, Mom thinks I’m in hog heaven.

Did you know one in every 100 dogs is affected by epilepsy? Idiopathic epilepsy (the most common cause of seizures in dogs), is an inherited disorder, yet its exact cause is unknown. Other causes may include liver disease, kidney failure, brain tumors, brain trauma, or toxins. Onset in dogs usually beginning sometime between 2-6 years. As I mentioned, my onset episodes were quite severe, life threatening in fact and required emergency vet intervention but are now mostly  managed. I live a good life and enjoy things considered normal for dogs now and when the epi-monster hits, Mom knows how to treat me and get me through it easily. Do you know  anyone who is epileptic?

Again, many thanks to Knotty Toys and the Five Sibes for their counsel and support along this journey. With their help and info they share, Mom hopes to have me around chewing on her things for a good long time.

We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and are making ready for Santa Paws.

Elsa💜 Live, love, bark! 🐾 💜

Nature Friday ~ March 24, 2023

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 44 Comments

Nature FridayWhew…we made it…it’s Friday and that means my oaf of a brother and I join those cute pups from Adventures of the LLB Gang. This week we’re going to take a gander at nature from our ‘Hood and also to bring attention to this weekend when people all over the world will mark Epilepsy Awareness Day which falls on Sunday, March 26. Mom will be tied up helping her son move into his new home over the weekend so she decided we should make today’s post a “twofer” and hope you don’t mind. Even though the topics are not related, both are very near and dear to our hearts, so let’s get to it, shall we?

Elsa: Well brother, What have you got for me? Notice I’m being nice by letting you go first?

Norman: Umm, I did notice that but I can’t help but wonder “what’s the catch?”

Elsa: No catch, Big Guy, I just thought I’d do you a solid and let you go first. That way you can’t say I never do anything nice for you.

Norman: Hmm, o-kay {spoken tentatively}. Well, as you know Spring arrived officially in the Northern Hemisphere and although it remained a titch on the chilly side, Mum found some colorful slices of spring that gives us hope. Considering that things are mostly drab and dry here, these little pops of spring color were most welcome. Just check out this sprite bouquet of yellow crocus. I could spot these lovelies from half a block away.

Crocus

Elsa: N-i-c-e. And I’m proud of you for not trying to pee on them.

Norman: {embarrassed and blushing} Umm {changing the subject deftly} we saw our first dwarf daffodils in bloom. Mum says these beauties are easy to grow; are deer resistant and naturalize easily. They’re perfect to include in rock gardens, look terrific under shrubs, and mix nicely with other small bulbs such as Crocus, Scilla and Grape Hyacinths. At only about 4 to 6 inches tall (10-15 cm.), they are perfect for planting in pots or even for forcing them for a spot of Nature indoors during Winter months.

Spring bulbs

Elsa: They sure are cheerful looking but I think I smelled that a cat had checked them out before us. No, I’m certain a cat had walked around those guys.

Norman: You always think a cat or a squirrel has walked through gardens like this.

Elsa: And I’m never wrong about that, am I?

Norman: No comment. You know I spotted a few blooms from a forsythia bush amongst some dead leaves and branches on one of our walks.ForsythiaElsa: You’ve gotten pretty good finding yellow plants lately. Did Mom trim your bangs or what?

Norman: {ignoring the snark} It’s hard not to see those yellow blooms. But I know for a fact that Mum really enjoys seeing blooms that are blue or purple. She’s been watching the blue grape hyacinths in the ground cover for days now. She even thought about cutting some for a teeny tiny bouquet.

Grape Hyacinths

Elsa: What’s that plant begin those Grape Hyacinths? It sure looks robust.

Norman: Mum thinks it’s a volunteer Allium. Once it starts to bloom she’ll know for sure. It smells oniony to me {head shaking in disapproval} so I avoid it.

Elsa: Oh you big baby. Just because Allium is part of a botanical family that includes species of cultivated onion, garlic, scallion, shallot, leek, and chives isn’t a reason to be afraid. Like all spring bulbs, it’s toxic for us canines but Mom keeps us from getting anywhere near it. Maybe Mom should plant some of those next to her peonies to keep you from ‘watering’ them.

Norman: Hey, I’m just trying to help. Besides, Allium smells bad, in my opinion. Even the squirrels avoid them and they’ll eat anything.  But I do have to admit they are rather beautiful when they bloom looking like giant dandelions.

Elsa: I’ve started noticing that different Spring bulbs looks really nice planted together. Crocus really stands out when planted near Scilla, or what some people call, ‘Squill.’ Mom really loves them and gets very excited whenever she sees them in our neighborhood.

Spring bulbs

Norman: They’re barely tall enough to peep over dead leaves but always provide a lovely pop of bright color. Scilla are easy to miss because they’re so small.

Elsa: Like you’d ever notice them with your gigantic paws stomping through the garden!

Norman: Be nice, sister. It’s not nice to make fun of someone’s size. I could report you to the neighborhood security system company-I’m sure they’d teach you some manners.

Ducks

Elsa: Bring it on Bucko. I’m not afraid of those ‘security’ guards.

Norman: You should be…they are quite fierce-even more so than the Canadian Geese from Sloan’s Lake and what a ruckus they make. Besides, it’s better to be respectful of all wildlife, wherever they live.

Elsa: Pfft. They’re just lucky Mom doesn’t let me off leash.

Norman: {eye rolling} You talk a good game but I suspect when push comes to shove…

Elsa: {interrupting} Dream on, dude. Just because you’re a coward, don’t extrapolate your shortcoming on me.

Norman: ‘Extrapolate?’ Where did you come up with that word?

Elsa: I’ll have you know I’m quite the avid reader. And I’m very inquisitive about the world. Which segues perfectly to the second part of our post, Epilepsy Awareness Day. Why just recently I was reading up on epilepsy which happens to fall on this Sunday. Have you read up on it, dog breath?

Epilepsy

Norman: As a matter of fact, I absolutely have. We’re big fans of Olivia from Knotty Toys for Good Dogs as well as the Five Sibes “What’s Wrong With Gibson” book. I know it’s helped Mum when you have a seizure and she’s always glad to let people know there’s lots of info out there to help them by providing guidance and resources for people/pets who suffer from seizures.

Epilepsy

Elsa: Thanks, I appreciate you reading up on the condition that vexes me sometimes. You’re a good dog, Stormin’ Norman and I am grateful for you even when I don’t show it; I love ya, bruh.

Norman: Thanks, sister. I hope others check it out-it might help them better understand this condition.

Elsa:  Well that’s it for us this week. Hope you enjoyed seeing glimpses of Spring and are able to check out nature in your hood. We also hope you will check out the links regarding epilepsy. And don’t forget to wear Purple this Sunday.

Epilepsy

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Purple Day ~ 2022

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 35 Comments

Purple Day

This weekend we are honored to join Fur Angel Gibson from the FiveSibes blog and fellow epi-warrior, Olivia at Knotty Toys for Good Dogs for the 2022 edition acknowledging Purple Day for Epilepsy (with apologies for being a day late of the actual date, March 26-I got my dates mixed up).

Elsa
The Ninja rocking her purple bandana

You may recall, the Ranch’s resident Ninja (aka Elsa) was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy a couple of weeks following her adoption. You can read part of her story here.

We are so grateful for all the info Gibson and Olivia have shared on their respective blogs about epilepsy and remain appreciative for their leadership in sharing information and resources. Please visit the Purple Day website for additional information about epilepsy. Elsa is living proof dogs who have been diagnosed with this condition can live relatively normal and productive lives.

Epilepsy
Elsa ‘reading’ the”What’s Wrong with Gibson” book

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Purple Friday ~ 2021

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 60 Comments

PurpleRather than post more images of snowy urban scenes with emerging spring bulbs (you’re probably as tired of seeing my spring storm photos as I am posting them), today we will be joining and supporting our ‘fur-iends’ from Knotty Toys for Good Dogs and the Five Sibes in a blog hop (click on the links for additional info), by participating in the annual international grassroots effort known as “Purple Day” which was created to increase awareness about epilepsy worldwide. If you make a donation of $5* or more at The Wally Foundation (who provides financial assistance to the owners of canine epileptics and dog rescue groups to obtain medications and veterinary services), you will receive a Purple Ribbon decal  in the mail (*minimum donation of $6 outside of the USA).

Elsa

As the parent of an epi-warrior, I have found a supportive and diverse network of people, dogs and informational resources since Elsa’s diagnosis just 2 weeks after she was adopted. Although I have owned dogs who suffered from epilepsy over the years, I’ve become far more educated about treatment for these special pets and no longer feel totally isolated. Educating myself to help Elsa has been a passion and both Knotty Toys for Dogs and the Five Sibes blogs have provided tremendous information that has definitely improved her life with  ‘pawsome’ tips I never knew about previously.

Epilepsy
The Ninja ‘reading’ “What’s Wrong with Gibson”

Life with an Epi-Warrior can have its ups and downs but it  doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy life like any other pet. Elsa may has her quirks due to her years of life in a puppy mill, but she still enjoys life being a sweet snuggler who loves playing with certain toys (apart from the well documented eviscerating of others).

Elsa

Every year on March 26th, people from around the world are invited to wear purple and participate in events that support of epilepsy awareness. It is estimated that as many as 50 million peeps and 4% of all dogs have epilepsy. By bringing awareness to this disease, those who participate with Purple Day events hope to bring much-needed info to those who need it. There are many groups who can provide informational resources, such as The Wally Foundation and The Anita Kaufmann Foundation, among many others. Please check them out and support their efforts providing information to sufferers of this dreaded disease. We hope you’ll join us as we rock purple today.

Epilepsy

Live, love, bark! 💜

International Epilepsy Day ~ 2021

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 76 Comments

EpilepsyWelcome to Monday where I usually share a smile but since today is International Epilepsy Day (a joint initiative created by the International Bureau for Epilepsy and the International League Against Epilepsy), I wanted to shed awareness on the condition since epilepsy has personally touched the Ranch  and to encourage everyone to advocate for legislation guaranteeing the rights of all those who suffer from epilepsy. International Epilepsy Day is a global event which is celebrated annually on the 2nd Monday of February. It’s also the day when those who live with epilepsy share their experience with a global audience and encourage and remind anyone who lives with this condition to live life to their fullest potential.

ElsaYou may recall that shortly after adopting Elsa (read her adoption story here or another post about some of the trials and tribulations here) from the puppy mill she had been in, she started initially having severe life threatening Grand Mal seizures. The diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy was personally devastating, however I was determined to make her life better after all she’d already endured. Epilepsy can be managed. Elsa’s on anti-seizure medication as well as receiving multiple doses of CBD, spread throughout the day. It has taken many months to get the dosage for both appropriate in order to reduce the frequency and intensity of the seizures. With epilepsy there can be lots of trial and error. Once the anti-seizure medication dose seemed appropriate, her vet recommended adding CBD. Initially, she continued to experience seizures at the rate of about every 6-9 weeks although the intensity was reduced. After switching to a locally sourced organic CBD, her seizures came far less frequent and were minor in their intensity.

Once a year Elsa has her blood levels tested to determine the impact of the medication on her liver. While reducing the number of seizures, CBD is metabolized the same way in the liver as anti-seizure meds so her blood is monitored closely. For the most part, they’re fairly good and she had been been seizure free for 15 months but then suffered a minor seizure last month so the clock restarts but the vet is reasonably pleased with her progress. We’re working on her diet to help her shed a few pounds and to reduce slightly elevated cholesterol levels. Overall she’s doing well, giving her brother a run for his money and bringing joy to me with her sweet ways and always entertaining behavior with toys where she frequently stands over them, barks and then pounces, as if trying to cow them into submission.

Elsa is the second dog I’ve owned as an adult who suffered from seizures and while I’ve  learned a lot since adopting her, I certainly don’t have all the answers. Luckily there are many online resources and forums available to help epi-warriors’ families with ongoing questions and tips.

Did you know one in every 100 dogs is affected by epilepsy? Idiopathic epilepsy (the most common cause of seizures in dogs), is an inherited disorder, yet its exact cause is unknown. Other causes may include liver disease, kidney failure, brain tumors, brain trauma, or toxins. Onset in dogs usually begins sometime between 2-6 years. Elsa’s first episodes were quite severe, life threatening in fact that required emergency vet intervention but are now mostly well managed. Her life is relatively normal, all things considered and when the epi-monster hits, I know how to proceed to treat her. Do you know  anyone who is epileptic?

In honor of International Epilepsy Day, I hope you’ll wear something purple today to honor and support anyone who suffers from this condition, be they two or four legged.

Elsa

A partial list of resources:

Canine Epilepsy Network (http://www.canine-epilepsy.net/basics/basics_index.html)
The Wally Foundation (https://www.facebook.com/thewallyfoundation/)
The Epilepsy Foundation (https://www.epilepsy.com)
AKC Canine Health Foundation (https://www.akcchf.org/canine-health/top-health-concerns/epilepsy/

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Purple Day ~ March 26, 2020

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 94 Comments

EpilepsyToday is Purple Day,® a global grassroots event created to increase worldwide awareness of epilepsy and to dispel common myths and fears of this neurological disorder. Purple Day® attempts to reduce the social stigmas associated by the many individuals afflicted and provides assurance and advocacy to those living with epilepsy by letting them know that they are not alone. This day occurs annually every March 26 in honor of all epi-warriors, whether they are 2 or 4-legged. Once again, we proudly support this event by wearing purple. As you may know, Elsa, as a puppy mill survivor with unknown lineage, was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy shortly after she was rescued nearly 4 years ago (you can read her story here). Supporting epilepsy awareness and education is a no-brainer and I’m committed to learning as much as possible about this condition and how to effectively manage it while providing a safe and loving home for this pill of a dog. I can {knock on wood} report Elsa has been mostly seizure-free for almost two years through a combination of anti-seizure medication and organic, locally sourced CBD oil.

Elsa
You woke me up for this?

So on this year’s “Purple Day®“, we invite you to wear purple today. If you or anyone in your family are impacted by epilepsy, check out the Epilepsy Foundation’s website or check the “About” tab at PurpleDay.org website for valuable information.

Word Cloud

Live, love, bark! ❤︎