Cole aka Mr. Wigglebutt

[SuzyM]

Cole’s Story

A few weeks prior to my lovable, sweet-temped, all out fun Cardigan Welsh Corgi had his second birthday he had his first seizure. It felt like an eternity before it was over when in reality it was probably less than a minute. I took him to the vet the next day and we started with Phenobarbital and a very low level. After 17 seizures in one month several phone calls to the vet and one trip to the neurologist, we upped the Phenobarbital and added Potassium Bromide. Months and months of seizures we have finally been able to reduced them to about one per month, which I think is about as good as we are going to get. It has now been over a year since his first seizure.

Recently we have had a new issue that has sent us back to the vet and then back to the neurologist. Cole started losing the ability to use his back legs. He stumbles, he falls, his back legs are wobbly, he has trouble getting up and sometimes has to drag himself by his front paws. I took him to the vet and had x-rays done of his spine, the vet thought it was a slipped disc but the meds did nothing so we ended up back at the neurologist. The neurologist thinks his potassium bromide might be causing the problem so we stopped it all together and are slowly introducing it back. We have had good days and we have had very bad days, so bad I thought he would be gone when I got up in the morning. He is still having problems with his back legs but there is a sparkle in his eyes again and he has even picking on his bratty big sister Annie a German Shepherd. Since Cole is a Cardigan Corgi the neurologist also recommended we do a DNA test for DM, I should have the results back in about 4 weeks.

I am worried the decrease of the PB will start a new round of seizures so I am having him sleep with me since he seems to have his seizures in the very early morning hours. There is nothing like a wet nose first thing in the morning to wake you up

I have read everything I can get my hands on and I finally found this site. It is comforting to know that you have been in my shoes and you understand the heartbreak and frustration this disease can be.

Thank you
Suzy

[Gentle Jacob's mom]

Hi Suzy,
I'm a little confused. Not that that is so unusual. I thought it was Potassium Bromide you'd reduced and not Pb. Jake's not on Potassium Bromide but I know a lot of dogs that have had issues with it that sound exactly like Cole's. Why is the neurologist putting him back on it instead of trying Keppra or Zonisamide? I know of two dogs locally that had problems with it and they were taken off and put on Keppra and are doing very well. Nothing's a guarantee but I don't understand putting him back on something that causes such severe side effects for him.

Lynne

[SuzyM]

It is the potassium bromide the neurologist reduced and she wants to put him back on. I am confused too because it doesn't make sense to me either. We are supposed to talk today so I will ask why.

Good news he is doing better, his little feet seem to be staying underneath him and he seems to be able to move around easier. So maybe the my vet was right and it was a slipped disc - who knows at this time all I care about is seeing the twinkle in his eye and him feeling like his oldself again.

[ShilohsMom]

Suzy, welcome to the boards although I'm sorry it's under these circumstances.

Shiloh injured one of the disks in his back, which while not 100% sure, it's my best guess that it happened during a seizure. He had hind leg weakness and when he walked he scissored his back legs and walked like a drunken sailor. He had an MRI last year that diagnosed his issue. While there wasn't anything they could do for him, he does get around a lot better, but still scissors and drags his back legs a bit. I haven't noticed that when Shiloh started the Potassium Bromide that it had any affect on his walking although maybe the combo of PB and KBr is causing Cole's issue. Shiloh was pretty lazy when he was on the PB.

Keep us posted on what the vet says. Wet noses aren't that bad in the morning, but where they sticking their nose that can be the issue!

[cesullivan]

Cali was a drunken sailor for about 3-4 months, it was horrible, the Santa Ana winds would blow her over. Her body finally got used to the Potassium bromide and she got her sea legs back.

Jim had his Potassium Bromide and Pheno increased 2 weeks ago and is on Keppra XR and Zonisamide as well. This past week, he has become a drunken sailor as well. Feet drag, back legs cross when he walks, stumbles and falls.
Chris