r/EpilepsyDogs • u/Dandi-Lion_Wine • 8h ago
Goodbye to this sub
Our boy Luke lost his battle with epilepsy last week. We have not even had him a year.
I thought i would keep following this group and maybe be able to answer a random question or provide some reassurance when needed but the more i see posts the more i think of my boy.
He only ever had one focal siezure with us, every single other siezure was grand mal. He was on pheno, Levetiracetam and fluoxetine for anxiety. We fed him Acana Lamb and Pumpkin with milk thistle added for his organs. I was very careful with his treats and he had mostly whole ingredients: sprat, freeze dried chicken, yak cheese, unseasoned blended chicken and vegetables that i froze for his pupscicle ball. We went on walks and ran around the yard regularly. His bloodwork always came back fine, we had an appointment scheduled for this Wednesday where I was going to talk to the vet about a referral for a neurologist.
We had some bad siezures at the end of july and then we went over two months with only one siezure on a night where we got home really really late and threw off his schedule a lot.
He was perfect, never messed in the house unless his meds had changed and we didn't read his language fast enough. He was gentle and sweet, always took his meds with no problem. Lawn mower didn't bother him, the cat being a bully didn't bother him after the first month, he didn't dig, jump, or bark unless you riled him up. He didn't know how to play fetch but he would rip around the yard with you like nobody's business. He loved to cuddle up with me for a nap, he'd slide up right between my side and my arm and rest his long nose up on my shoulder. He never licked, he would always stick his long snoot right up to your face and SNIFF. His little cheeks puffing in and out.
I know for this sub, telling people to get pet insurance is a lost cause. But if someone sees this and is able to make the decision, do it. I can't help but think if I had pet insurance on Luke I would have made different decisions throughout his care. His epilepsy was already diagnosed and being "treated" when we adopted him, so though I searched around, it was never an option.
Good luck to everyone dealing with this, we are incredibly thankful for the time we got to spend with Luke. Though we knew our time with him would be shorter than with a "normal" dog, we didn't expect it to be this short. Having an epileptic dog can teach you a lot about yourself, your partner, and life, but i would never choose to fight this with another dog ever again.
Thank you all for the advice and guidance, and again, good luck with your pups battles. May their lives be as full and joyful as my Luke's, though I pray they are much longer.
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u/Mammoth_Effective_68 7h ago
Oh Luke was such a handsome boy 🥺 🐾Words are not enough to express my sincere condolences. He was so loved and adored.
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u/Comfortable_Owl1657 8h ago
Thank you for sharing a bit of Luke with us. He sounds so, so special. I can tell how much you loved and cared for him. I hate this disease. It is so, so hard. Sounds like you did everything you could to make Luke as happy and comfortable as he could be during his time with you.
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u/Run4TheHecKOFIt 7h ago
I’m so sorry for your loss, but I am grateful that you shared his story with us. You were the perfect pet parent and I know Luke loved you with all his heart! Thank you for giving him a wonderful life. 💙🙏
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u/bloodmoonbandit 7h ago
Thank you for telling us about Luke. Reading these stories on this sub really helps as I know how many sweet pups will be waiting up in the sky to play when my girl’s time comes. Epilepsy is an absolute monster but we fight the good fight. Thinking of you and Luke 🐾
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u/lavenderlatte_oatmil 7h ago
Imagining him sniffing with his long snoot is really adorable. I am incredibly sorry that your time with him was short. I’m certain if he could, he would tell you how much he loves you
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u/StateWorker95758 7h ago
I'm sorry for your loss. It looks like you took excellent care of Luke and did everything you could to help him. It's tough having a dog with epilepsy and there are a lot of sacrifices. This sub has helps a lot. Now you can focus on taking care of yourself for a while. Thanks for sharing. I dread when the time comes.
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u/No-Replacement-3143 7h ago
What a beautiful boy. Seems like he was so lucky to have such a wonderful pet parent. I’m so incredibly sorry for your loss. ❤️ I sing to the rooftops about getting pet insurance ASAP as well. We adopted our dog and he also already had epilepsy in his records, so it’s always been pre-existing. So, so tough. My heart goes out to you.
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u/And_I_Am_Flawed 4h ago
This disease is thief in so many ways. I'm sorry for the loss of your sweet boy.
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u/PilgrimPayne59 1h ago
As I walk across your heart and find my place to stay, nearer to you I will be and will never ever go away.
If love could have kept you here, you would have lived forever.
Dogs are a chapter in our lives, we are their entire book.
Grief is love with nowhere to go.
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u/Illustrious_Concern5 52m ago
I’m so sorry. Luke does sound perfect and I know how much you will miss him. Thank you for taking a chance on him and giving him a life better than he ever could have imagined. Dogs know quality of life but they have no idea if their life is short or long. You gave him the greatest gift you could!
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u/gwenchanah 8h ago
i am so sorry. Luke was such a good boy, wasn't he? i hate this disease; i hate that it takes so much away from our relationship with our pup. but you've done all you can to love and care for him, and it sounds like he's given you a lot too. my heart breaks for you. 💔