St.Bernard with bad seizures.

Question
WELL MY KEYBOARDS NOW BROKE SORRY FOR ALL CAPS LILLY IS UP TO EIGHT SEIZURES TODAY I TOOK HER BACK TO THE VET AND THEY PLACED AN IV PORT BACK IN HER ARM AND GAVE ME THE ENTIRE BOTTLE OF VALIUM AND THE SUPPLIES TO GIV HER THE VALIUM EERY TIME SHE HAS A SEIZURE I HAVE SHOT HER UP TWICE SINCE I GOT BACK HOME EACH TIME GIVING HER FOUR CCS SO THATS TWENTY MG EACH TIME AND THEY JUST KEEP COMING SHES UP AND WALKING NOW VERY HIGH FROM THE VALIUM THOUGH BUT THIS IS ALL I CAN DO FOR HER I MADE THE PERSONAL CHOICE IF THEY DONT STOP BY MORNING I AM GOING TO SEND HER TO GOD WHERE SHE WONT HAVE TO GO THRU LIFE THIS WAY ANYMORE TODAY HAD BEEN A BAD DAY FOR HER AND ME BOTH
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Followup To

Question -
Hello, I am looking for help. I have a 2 1/2 year old St.Bernard female named Lilly that I am fighting very hard to keep her alive.
lilly started having seizures last Sept. I was awaken to her having a very bad seizure ( loss of bowels and bladder, sight and when she came around I had to call 911 becuase my dog had me pinned in the kitchen teeth hanging out jumping to attack me, she broke 3 windows out of my house trying to jump thru them) I was able to get her into the bedroom and left her alone for a few hours checking on her every few minutes. She was totaly fine 3 hours later back to the fun loving oversized lap dog. I came to the conclusion that she was scared after that very 1st seizure and thought maybe I did it to her. I took her to the vet they kept her for 2 days to watch her. they wanted her on no medication becuase they said she was not on a pattern. It took a few months for her to have another seizure and when she started to seize again it was 5 seizures that were all within 10 minutes these seizures had the same effects but not the angry dog this time she just slept for a few hours and got up normal I had called the vet and they stated her on 60mg of phenobarb twice a day. All was fine with that dose for about another month then she started to seize again so the vet changed her dose to 120mg 3 times a day. That dose worked until June 23rd 2006. I left Lilly outside while I ran a few erands Lilly is an inside dog with her own sofa and air condtioner. She was outside for about 1 hour while I was gone. I pulled in the driveway and saw my dog laying on her side on the middle of the yard, I ran to her and was like in a coma and having a seizure, I had to call for help to get her in the back of my van and rushed her to the vets. Lilly had a body temp of 106 when
we got to the vets and she was totaly unresponsive. I thought right there I had lost my baby girl. The vet asked me what I wanted to do I said save my dog. They covered her in gallons of rubbing alchol gave her tons of shots on valium and iv fluids. We spent 7 hours that night at her side while the vet faught to save her. I took her home that night on 7 60mg pills of phenobarb and 5 10mg valium pills. To be given to her 3 times a day every 8 hours.And also had the iv port in her arm and I was giving her shots of valium in the
iv every time she had a break thru seizure.
lilly laid in a coma in the kitchen for 7 days she would hold her head up to drink and eat but lay right there and potty all over the place. vet made house calls 3 times a day to check her.
we backed down the dose on phenobard to 2 60mg pills and 2 10 mg valium pills 3 times a day. Lilly started to walk 2 days after the dose was lowered. She's been doing great the past 2 weeks only 1 seizure very mild no loss of bladder or bowels and got up right after to eat and go outside to potty. When she had that seizure 2 weeks ago I gave her once she came around 50mg valium oral. Well today 8/1/2006 she's not doing very well we are on our 3rd seizure all very mild I have given her a total of 70mg valium and 6 60mg phenobarb pills and she's still breaking thru on me. The vet wants to train me on just shooting my dog up with valium in her arm when we have breakthru's that dont stop. Lilly weight's 160 pounds and trying that potasium ??? is out of the question. The dose she needs according to the vet will be over $30.00 a day for pills and I cant afford that corse of treatment. I am looking for any suggestions you may have on helping me keep my love alive.
she is the best behaved girl loves life so much. And i just dont know what else I can do for her. Is she suffering??? Should I let her go? Anything you can add I would be so happy.

Megan

Answer -
Thanks for your question.  Fortunatly none of my saints have ever had seizures.  Spells maybe but nothing that has progressed the way that yours has.  What I would do in that situation is think long and hard to myself....you say that she is fine when she is not having one that she is her old self...on the other hand she is also very frequent with these and thats not good.  Their brain cell count severly decreases when they have seizures...This is what I would do...when you start noticeing things disapear in her personality the things she loves...playing ball, eating, going for walk...stuff like that then that will be her way of telling you its time.  As far as the vet cost go you are doing everything right as far as taking her to the vet they are an expensive dog to have especially when they are sick.  You are doing the best you can for her and just let her tell you when its time...

Hope this helps mail me back and let me know

Kati

Answer
Hello again.  Im so sorry for everything that you have had to go through.  I know the pain on loosing such a young dog of that mass and temperment.  Its just like a child.  My thoughts are with you and I really think that you are making the right choice by doing this.  You shouldnt have to worry about whats going to happen today.  Worry about her while your at work...and when you decide to go to the grocery store or something like that.  Just remember there are plenty of other Saints out there that need a good home.  My best advice in this situation...or what I would do anyways is get another one to help with the pain.  I know your thinking its going to be awhile because this is giong to take awhile to get over...the truth is you never get over you companion dying.  Tell you a little story...It was about 2 years about this month that I lost my dog Saint Kali to poisening.  I cried and cried for 3 days after.  That was on a wed. and on that friday my bf surprised me with another little girl which i still have named Laney.  She looks almost identical to Kali and I just melted.  I cant see myself without her.  Now my point hahaha....It made it so much easier on me recovering to have that little (well not so little for her age) bundle of joy there whenever i needed a pick me up.  I hope this helps and good luck through this time.  My thoughts are with you....

Kati