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I have always felt fortunate to live within seven minutes of Portland, Ore.’s DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital, a nonprofit emergency animal hospital in Portland specializing in emergency and critical care medicine. While I hoped I would never have to go, the need arose around midnight on Saturday, July 3, when Emerson woke me up. He was diagnosed a year ago with idiopathic epilepsy, which means that the cause for his epilepsy is undetermined. And on July 3, he suffered an episode of seizure “clustering”—meaning multiple seizures in succession with no recovery in between. Up until this point, his seizures had consisted of isolated incidents with quick recovery. As long as I made sure he couldn’t fall and injure himself, and the seizure activity stopped after just one episode, he never required emergency care.
Because I work around veterinarians each day, I knew the onset of his second seizure within just a few minutes of the first required emergency medical attention. I threw on shoes and a jacket, grabbed his medical records and drove to DoveLewis. This being my first experience in an animal emergency hospital, combined with Emerson’s worst seizure activity to date, I was terrified. I know multiple seizures in a short period of time can be life-threatening.
When I arrived at DoveLewis, Emerson was immediately seen by a compassionate veterinarian, who told me that even though Emerson is on anti-seizure medication, seizure “clustering” can still happen on occasion, and for no apparent reason. Emerson was then hooked up intravenously to medication that would help break the cycle of seizures, followed by a two-night stay in the hospital for monitoring.
I can’t adequately explain what it felt like to say goodbye to my little pup and leave to go home that night. The two days following were emotional. I missed my buddy, although I knew he was in good hands. A veterinarian from DoveLewis called me every morning with an update on his status. On Sunday, I was able to go pick him up. I’m happy to report that he is stable and back to his normal self. I followed up with an appointment with my Banfield veterinarian, who conducted a neurological exam and completed blood work. As his owner, the best thing I can do about his condition is to manage his symptoms with medication and ensure that he lives a healthy lifestyle and regular preventive care. I am grateful to Banfield and DoveLewis for taking such good care of him when he needed it.
Having a dog with epilepsy is always a difficult, stressful situation. Nevertheless, had I known Emerson would eventually develop this condition, I still would have chosen him when I adopted him from the Oregon Humane Society. I know most people think their Pets are special and unique, and I am no exception. Emerson has brought such immense joy, laughter and comfort to my life. I feel so blessed to be able to provide him with a loving home.