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Anibel Jane, aka ‘Annie’

last revision 04/18/2007

 

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To read how a single, simple supplement saved Annie’s life, click here.

 

We started our search for a second dog during the Spring of 1998. Since I worked all day and even though I was able to come home for lunch everyday to spend time with her, I felt that Ashlee needed a canine companion to keep her company while I was gone. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to find a second dog, especially given that it had to be female, dog-friendly, small-pet-friendly, and not a puppy. Since I spent so much time with Ashlee, between training (dealing with sharp/shy problems) and medical stuff, I knew I wouldn’t have time to raise a puppy, from scratch so to speak.

 

Our first attempt was an utter failure. Two-year-old intact male Doberman. Victim of divorce and sorely neglected. Beautiful (if he had all his hair) Isabella boy who just wanted someone to love him. He was oversized, but well proportioned, and walked beautifully on a leash. Ok. Intact I wasn’t thrilled about, but I knew exactly how to resolve that problem. I was able to watch how he interacted with the other dogs at the rescue (there were only about 20 there!). No problems. Very laid back personality. So I brought him home to see how he would do.

 

Ashlee promptly turned her nose up at him and sat across the room, glaring at this intruder into her territory. Either oblivious to her disdain or not caring what she thought, he promptly plopped in the middle of our living room floor and proceeded to… gasp!… chew on one of HER BONES!! In a snit, she walked up and took it from him. He just watched her walk away with a puzzled look on his face, but otherwise didn’t put up a fuss. I could almost swear I saw him shrug when he got up to find something else to chew on.

 

All seemed to be going well. Hubby’s reaction was guarded at best. He hates Dobermans, because of some very negative experiences with the breed. But he was trying to be supportive. Bless his heart.

 

Then it hit the fan. Or should I say the chinchilla cage. Has anyone ever had to literally and physically peel an 80+ pound dobe off of a bi-level cage before? Besides me, that is. All 120 pounds of me managed somehow to wrestle all 80+ pounds of him off the cage and out of the room then close the door behind us. Needless to say, he had to go back to rescue. We couldn’t have a dog that perceived the chinchillas as easy prey. (Don’t worry. They placed him in a permanent home shortly thereafter. I checked.)

 

On June 3, 1998, I ran into one of the local foster moms at Ashlee’s vet’s office. She said she had a dog that might be perfect for our family. Almost six months old, female, husky/German shepherd cross, rescued from an abusive home with one of her littermates when she was two months old. Ok, I thought. I love German shepherds, my husband thinks huskies are wonderful. Mix between the two could be a good compromise. I told her I would think about it, talk to Ben, and call her the next day.

 

I called her back the next morning as promised. Just one thing, she informed me during that phone call, rather hesitant. I knew a really big shoe was about to drop, probably on my head, and braced myself. “No one’s been able to touch her.” She went on to tell me that several people had taken a fancy to this shy little thing, but the dog was so emotionally scarred by her early life that no one had been able to get near her.

 

Maybe it was a masochistic need to prove something to myself. Maybe I didn’t actually think the dog would have anything to do with me. Maybe I’m a soft touch. Whatever the case, I arranged to meet the dog during my lunch hour. I knew fairly well what to expect, having been informed that the youngster’s mother was an AKC registered German shepherd and the father was a neighbor’s Siberian husky. However, those expectations did not prepare me for what confronted me.

 

Out of the kennel comes this black and white spook of a dog. I watched past her, waiting for the husky mix I’d been told about. The kennel door closed, and I was left looking at this frightened shadow of a young dog cowering close to the concrete. After the initial burst of laughter at the obvious misinformation given about the dog’s breeding, I sat down on the concrete and talked to the rescue mom, gleaning all the information I could before making a decision, completely ignoring the spook.

Annie – August 1998 – 2 months after coming to us

 

 

Five minutes later, the decision was made for me. The spook, who the rescue mom informed me was called simply “Annie”, climbed into my lap and proceeded to very carefully and very quickly clean my chin. Rescue mom, tongue-in-cheek, asked if Annie had a new home. I can only imagine the look I must have given her. How could I ever have managed to push that frightened little angel away and walk out of there without her? Needless to say, when I left, our family had grown by one.

 

The start of our life together was anything but easy, for any of us. But I guess beginnings aren’t usually easy. I can’t say I walked into it blind. Led by my heart, but definitely not blind.

 

But, wait, you think there was a problem between the two dogs? Think again. Ashlee showed her alpha streak. Annie rolled over and exposed her white belly. Problem solved, situation stable.

 

The hardest part of the transition into our household was with regards to my husband. You see, Annie had been severely abused by a man from birth. As a result, she was absolutely terrified of men. All men. Including my husband. Ben had only to glance her direction and she would run away and curl up in a terrified, quaking ball in the back of her crate in our bedroom. The crate became her security zone. When anything frightened her, that’s where I knew I could always find her. Ben tried not to take her behavior personally, but I knew it really bothered him. And it bothered me almost as much, since I often went out of town for the weekend and Ben took care of the furkids.

 

A month later saw no progress. I sat down with Annie one evening and told her things had to change. She needed to make some kind of progress or I couldn’t in good conscience keep her in the situation or force Ben to live with a dog that was scared spitless of him. I hated the thought of taking her back, but I didn’t know what else to do at that point. I didn’t expect anything, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Even when those measures mean talking to a paranoid, four-legged furkid like they’re a rational, logical small person.

 

The next morning, I got up and Annie was missing. I found her in the living room with Ben. He was not only looking at her, he was petting her, AND SHE WASN’T RUNNING AWAY! Aside from a mixed reaction of wanting to jump up and down and celebrate the sudden show of courage and the eerie sense that somehow she understood that talk we had, I was deeply relieved to see her finally accepting my husband.

 

It was uphill for Annie and Ben from that point on.

 

One of the first discoveries we made was that Annie was wheat-intolerant. Any corn or wheat products (in food or treats) cause gas, abdominal discomfort and sometimes diarrhea. Fortunately, corn and wheat are easy to avoid in dog food since most natural dog foods don’t use corn or wheat products.

 

At 15 months, Annie was diagnosed with hormonal incontinence. Certainly not the end of the world, but definitely difficult to live with, especially with an indoor dog. Per standard treatment, we tried PPA, but the side effects were too severe to continue. I made the call to stop the treatment and seek an alternative, and the vet agreed with my decision. I found one after a few weeks of research. After yet more research, I felt confident to try an herbal remedy commonly given to women who are post-menopausal. Within 48 hours, we had complete resolution. Within a month, we found a maintenance dose. Annie was receiving the herb once a day on a rotation of two days on, one day off. She never had any side effects.

 

We reached a point in training where Annie seemed to hit a plateau. She didn’t seem to move from there. Months later, we were still at a standstill. I wondered if there might be physical problems, trauma from the puppyhood abuse that might be hindering her. Also, she started to gray at the tender age of 3½ years, definitely a sign that something wasn’t going right internally. Right before she turned 4 and given the success we had with Maryna Ozuna’s Kinaesthetics in dealing with Izzy’s issues, I decided to give that a try.

 

Within a few weeks (and after only 2 sessions with Maryna), Annie became more playful with us and the other dogs. Annie not only made progress in training, she began to willingly make friendly overtures toward people she had NEVER met before. The gray hairs in her muzzle stopped appearing.

 

A side effect of the bodywork, particularly the lumbar spine work Maryna did, was that Annie no longer needs herbs for hormonal incontinence. She hasn’t needed them since November of 2001. Incidentally, as the ensuing weeks past, the gray hairs in Annie’s muzzle were replaced by a healthy black.

 

We’ve run into some intermittent aggression problems (directed toward other dogs), but we deal with what comes. The bodywork helped alleviate much of the aggression we were seeing. Rabies vaccinations set us back, but we’re fortunate to live in a state that doesn’t require annual rabies vaccination. Mistakes in training have manifested problems, but Annie and I learned from them and found other ways to teach and learn from each other.

 

Now, nearly 4 years after she came into our lives, Annie has made wonderful progress. We’ve run into a few bumps in the road. Ok, some of them weren’t bumps. They were actually walls. Annie needed routine. Anything outside that routine tended to upset her world. She’s more tolerant of breaks in routine now, even enjoys some of them.

 

We’ve certainly had our share of setbacks. But God blesses us and shows us a way out of the darkness. We continue to watch her for signs of seizure activity, given the abuse she suffered as a baby and the head trauma she suffered. So far, she’s seizure free, and we’re thankful for that blessing. We found evidence of some learning disabilities, most probably the result of the early puppyhood abuse and neglect.

Despite the setbacks, and perhaps in part because of them, Annie continues to be my angel. She even has the wings and halo to prove it. Ok. Ok. It’s only a costume, but it’s true. And the halo actually stays on straight.  (More than can be said for Xander.)

 

For a short time after Ashlee’s death, Annie was the only dog. She and I mourned Ashlee’s passing together and somehow managed to make it easier for each other. Now that there are two other dogs in the home, she has made it her job to tell them what to do and reminds them regularly just who’s boss. One of her favorite games is herding the boy around the backyard. He thinks he’s playing tag, so what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Besides, it exercises them both at a speed I can rarely, if ever, accomplish myself. Warp.

 

 

Annie – Late Summer 2001, at 3½ years

Annie now believes that Ben is the greatest playmate God ever put on this Earth. She is confident enough to handle many public settings. She’s not keen on people she doesn’t know, but she’ll tolerate their touch if I ask it of her. I don’t ask unless I know it’s safe, and she trusts me to make that call. I’ve watched her confidence grow and blossom. Even if she will never be a social butterfly when it comes to people, she has defeated odds many dogs may not have, and I’m proud of her accomplishments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ON A SAD NOTE– I learned in 2002 that Annie’s brother, Toby, (who was, btw, definitely husky and shepherd) was euthanized in mid-2001 because of serious aggression. Toby did not have an easy life. No one adopted him, and he stayed with his foster mom throughout his life. He was never given the benefit of training or socialization to help allay his fears. At less than two years of age, he developed grand mal seizures, due to the head traumas he suffered from abuse as a puppy. He was put on Phenobarbital, which decreased seizures but actually increased fear/aggressive behavior. His aggression finally erupted on the other dogs in the household and became unmanageable. The decision was made to end his life. I suspect that the grand mal seizures caused further damage to his brain, thereby increasing aggression, while the medication lowered inhibitions.

 

I can’t help but feel a measure of relief for him. All of his life, he lived with the fear that Annie had shown when I brought her home. On occasion, I took Annie to see her foster mom. On each of those occasions, I couldn’t help but notice the contrast between the confidence emerging in Annie and the near terror with which Toby faced the world. Though I’m relieved that he no longer lives with fear, I’m so incredibly thankful for the time we have had with Annie. God willing, she’ll live to a ripe, old age.

 

05/01/2003– We’ve had some new issues come to light with Annie’s mental and physical health. It looks like she may be having complex partial seizures (focal seizures). After an almost two-month break from the Volhard Natural Diet (ND) while I sought a more cost-effective source of raw meats, she is back on the Volhard diet, only this time we’re using the NDF to save my hubby’s sanity. I’ll keep you posted on how she does with the dietary change-over.

 

12/20/2003 – Well, I have to say Annie is doing much better than I dreamed she would. We have had no more apparent seizure activity. Annie coasted through September (usually one of her bad months for the seizure-related aggression) with no problems at all. As the months have passed, she has become more affectionate and playful, both with the other dogs and with us. She’s showing a real, honest to God goofball side. It’s such a blessing, especially after everything she has been through.

 

We made an interesting discovery this past year. Annie apparently has some problems with certain types of long-term memory, most likely a result of brain damage sustained as a puppy. If she is not worked at least every couple of months in obedience, she seems to completely forget commands. At first, I thought she was simply ignoring the commands, but I watched her closely as refusal is not a common thing for her. The lost look closing in on panic quickly dispelled any such notion.

 

She turned 6 years old this past Monday (the 15th), and she’s still giving the boy a run for his money. She shows no signs of slowing down. She’s not ready to become the tottering old grand-dam of the household yet, I guess. And I’m happy to see her energy and vitality so good after all she’s been through.

 

02/11/2004 – Annie appears to be developing problems again, though they are much milder than we have seen in the past. I knew it was probably only a matter of time before they re-emerged. They are emerging very slowly, but they are definitely returning. We will see how she does through March, which is typically her worst month of the year. She continues to be very playful and affectionate, but her tolerance for frustration has decreased a bit and the trigger than sets off her dog-aggression is more sensitive. If we can get through March without bloodshed, it will be a Godsend.

 

03/04/2004 – Annie’s re-emerging issues seem to have stabilized again. They have remained much milder than anytime in the past. I chock that up to the raw diet giving her body better quality nutrients and more of what she needs as well as a trial run of homeopathy. We are now into March, and I am waiting eagerly to see how she does through the remainder of the month. Almost all problems in the past have appeared during the first two weeks of March.

 

03/30/2004 – No further problems following homeopathic treatment. J

 

08/12/2004 – Here’s the latest. This is excerpted from a posting I did to the RawPaws list.  It is very long, I warn you.

 

“Annie is a 6 yo border collie/GSD cross (will be 7 on December 15th). She was heavily abused as an infant (from birth until she was rescued with one littermate at 2 months of age) and sustained permanent brain damage due to that abuse. We have seen signs of long-term memory problems (if we go too long without working her on obedience commands, she actually forgets the commands - I thought she was just avoiding listening, but finally realized she was utterly clueless). We noticed problems with training - she had a great deal of difficulty learning some commands and has never been able to grasp the concept of playing ball or frisbee. Very low tolerance for frustration, which bottoms out and falls through the floor at almost predicted points (see more below on this). When she gets frustrated or worked up, she becomes highly aggressive toward the other dogs.

When we first got Annie when she was 6 months old (she was in a foster home from 2-6 months of age), my then vet explained to me about the brain damage and the possibility of seizure activity. He warned me that Annie may begin having seizures at some point in her life. Of course, with my limited knowledge of seizures, I automatically assumed convulsive seizures were what I was looking for. So I watched her for any sign of such activity and figured we were doing fine as long as she didn't have convulsions. (Yeah, I know. Ignorant.) Annie's brother (the littermate rescued with her) began having grand mal seizures when they were about 18 months old and was put on Phenobarbital. His seizures decreased in frequency but they did not subside. In summer of 2001 when they were 4 years old, he attacked and tore apart a miniature schnauzer he had lived with ever since he went into the foster home. (He was still with his foster mom at that point in time. She had decided to keep him.) When the foster mom tried to intercede, Toby turned on her. She made the decision then to put him down. (The schnauzer survived after extensive emergency surgery, by the way.) His seizures were always accompanied by periods of extreme dog-aggression.

As of this date, Annie has exhibited NO signs of aggression toward me or Ben, but I know that is a possibility at some point. She has always been a very sensitive dog, responds very well to verbal commands (clients are amazed that she responds even to whispered commands). She's the kind of dog you can actually call out of a fight, and she will obey. (Yes, I've discovered that the hard way. Thankfully she obeyed without question or hesitation.) Very energetic and obedient dog. We have done a lot of confidence building and socializing over the years to help her get past the bulk of her early life traumas. She is still not keen on people she doesn't know, but she is still improving in how quickly she reacts positively to visitors. Step by step.  J


Anyway, she began exhibiting odd signs about 3 years ago. Those signs are as follows:

1)  She would start chewing on one of her hind feet and just kind of zone out. Eyes staring off at nothing. At first, she would respond to my verbally interfacing with her with a simple "Annie, leave your foot alone." I never made a big deal out of it, and she would just move on to other things and life went on as normal. Then it progressed to the point where I actually had to touch her to break whatever "loop" she was caught in. She basically became non-responsive to my voice during those times. I have always been on guard for the possibility that my touch may trigger a startle response that might provoke an instinctual bite attempt. (Being a trainer has certain advantages with reality checks. She hasn’t bitten or threatened to bite anyone, but I also recognize that ANY dog has the potential to bite given the right circumstances.)

2)  She becomes hypersensitive to sound, and I think she may even imagine some things. She barks at everything that moves, blows, or maybe doesn't exist when she goes through these episodes. It gets really annoying because I can't be certain if she is barking at something legitimate or not. The other dogs don't react at all to some of the "things" she barks at.


3)  When her frustration point gets hit (a person walking down the street, a cat in the yard, a dog walking by), she zones out and turns on the nearest moving object. Unfortunately, that is usually one of the other dogs. She HAS drawn blood and usually goes for the face. At first, I corrected the behavior, startled by its ferocity and wanting to nip it in the bud. But then I began to notice how confused she looked after one of these episodes, and I realized she may not be aware of what she was doing. A friend who is familiar with neurological disorders suggested the possibility of a brain dysfunction going on. When she mentioned a seizure disorder, I told her I hadn't seen any convulsions. THAT's when I found out convulsive seizures weren't the only type out there.

I mentioned above that this happens on a predictable cycle. By keeping a log of the various behaviors, I finally pieced together 2 correlations. Those of you versed in Chinese 5-Element Theory and the affect of astrological moon placement will understand this:

1)  Earth season (Stomach/Spleen) perfectly coincides with both periods - March and September. Symptoms start as we near the first of those two months. Meaning toward the end of Fire (Heart/Small Intestine) and Water (Kidney/Bladder) seasons and the start of Earth season. However, the other two Earth seasons (June and December) are not problematic at all. Which brought me around to WHY two but not all 4. I finally realized today - both Fire and Water seasons affect the thyroid and adrenal glands (both glands in both seasons). Duh!

2)  Full moons - full moons have a noticeable effect on Annie. It is HIGHLY pronounced if this happens to coincide with the seasonal switches noted above. I am NOT looking forward to the end of this month/first of September. Transition PLUS full moon coming. L It is almost not even noticeable at other times of the year. Just around those two months.

Now that you have the history - all of this "mysteriously" went away after I put Annie on a raw diet early Spring of 2003. We coasted through last September with NO signs, no problem. This past February, moving into March, it started to rear its ugly head again, but no where near on the scale it had before. I treated her once with Pulsatilla (best match I found for her personality and symptoms) - one dose 30C. Symptoms went away completely, and she moved through March with no problems.

We had a dog here visiting for 3 weeks during the end of May and first part of June. Ever since he was here, I've noticed a recurrence of Annie's symptoms. It turned into a disaster, so the situation was very stressful for the whole household. I have no doubt Annie's body got as tied into knots as mine did. Then things seemed to be settling down, so I thought Annie was decompressing and everything would be fine again. I thought maybe we were in the clear. WRONG!!!!

In the last 2 weeks, Annie's symptoms have been coming back at a rapid rate. She's foot-chewing again, though not to the point of damaging the foot or stripping the hair or anything like that. Her tolerance for frustration has dropped even lower than what I would consider "normal" for her. She is barking at EVERYTHING and nothing.

This time she has added a new behavior. She will be walking across the floor, suddenly stop and just stand there with her head hanging down. She gets that far away, zoned out look in her eyes. If I speak to her, it seems to snap her out of it and she just walks on like nothing happened. (Rather like watching something moving on a DVD and hitting pause, then hitting play again.) Given how the foot thing progresses to requiring a touch, I anticipate this could go the same way.

We aren't even nearing the end of August yet, so this is really early for this stuff to be kicking in. Given that, I anticipate this could be the worst September ever for Annie.

Mid-July, Annie saw the vet for her physical. We ran a full chem screening. Her ALT came back high (so possible liver issue there), and her NA/K ratio was also high, though both sodium and potassium were within normal range. Also, her platelet count was high, as was her MCHC. These all measured as follows (ranges are in parentheses):

ALT 143 (12-118)
Na/K ratio 40 (27-38)
         Na 144 (139-154)
         K 3.6 (3.6-5.5)
MCHC 39 (30-38)
Platelets 444 (170-400)

Everything else was within normal ranges. I don't see anything that is noticeably high or low within that "normal" range.

So, there's a possibility of something going on with the liver, and I am not able to rule out a possible thyroid issue. I started giving her milk thistle (which I always have in the house) early last week to help the liver. (I think I'm on the right track with that, as I noticed the epilepsy sites recommend it. Glad my instincts are working right.)

After doing some reading on epilepsy during the last day or so, I am boosting Annie's B-vitamins, potassium and magnesium intake using kelp and nutritional yeast in small amounts. (Started that with breakfast this morning. So far today, she has been doing very well. No episodes. But could be coincidence.) She sees my bodywork person (chiropractics/deep muscle massage) tomorrow morning to see if there is something out of alignment or too tight that needs releasing. Annie has a history of getting her body turned "on" - tightened up into fight/flight mode - and not being able to turn that switch "off." Needless to say, that wreaks havoc on her nervous system, just like it does us. Bodywork has always relieved that problem and helped her body return to normal.

Things have been serious enough that I have been faced with the real threat of having to make a PTS decision, which has made a mess out of me needless to say. Given what I have read about anticonvulsant meds actually INCREASING aggression, I am not willing to go that route. Annie is dangerous enough during these episodes without aggravating it with a drug that lowers her inhibitions. I am worried about the safety of the other dogs. As a result, Annie is crated anytime she is not supervised - at night and when I have to leave the house, even if only for a short time. She has turned on and done damage to my other dogs just because I took the trash out; the dumpster is only one house over and in plain sight of our front door. Both of our other dogs carry scars on their faces from Annie's attacks. Thankfully, none of the injuries have required veterinary attention (ie stitches or surgery), and I have been able to take care of them myself. I know my luck is bound to give out sooner or later.”

“Annie has consistently shown very serious aggression after rabies vaccinations. Thankfully, our state only requires rabies every 3 years. Annie has not received anything but rabies since 2001 and is due for her next rabies shot in March, 2005. This aggressive reaction wanes off and disappears over a month's time. The fact that her last rabies vaccination coincided with March created a bloody (literally) nightmare for me and Izzy. (Of course, I hadn't put together her "schedule" of episodes yet.) I'm going to move her next rabies vacc so she is not getting it anywhere near March. In fact, I'll hold off until after March has come and gone. I keep praying that the state will allow health waivers by then, and I won't need to do it at all, but I'm not holding my breath.

In a bizarre twist on the rabies vacc issue - Annie also gets aggressive when she is around a dog that has recently (within 2 weeks of contact) been vaccinated for rabies. I don't know why. I have a theory, but no way to verify it.”

08/13/2004 – following an appointment with Maryna – There was nothing in Annie's body that wasn't compressed, twisted, or locked up.  Base of skull to tip of tail there were misalignments everywhere.  Not a rib where it should have been.  No movement through shoulders or hips; she was doing all her movement using her elbows, hocks and pelvis.  Back was coffee table flat from shoulders to croup, which is not normal for Annie.


Maryna adjusted, loosened and put everything back where it belongs.  I will know in the next few days how much of a difference it will make.  I suspect it may make a LOT of difference.  I took Annie out and turned her loose for an off-leash run before we left Maryna’s, and the difference in her movement was astounding.  I wish I had a video camera and could videotape before and after with this stuff.

I'm going to continue the milk thistle.  I don't want to change anything over the next week while we see what difference the bodywork may make.  I'll continue reading and absorbing what I can about other potential aids, including herbs, acupuncture, and taurine.  I want to be prepared for the next steps if I need to take them.  I consider all drugs to be an absolute last resort.  Given how responsive Annie has been to diet changes, bodywork, and homeopathy in the past couple of years, I have little reason to honestly think drugs are necessary at this juncture.

08/17/2004 – We are now 4 full days post-adjustments with NO further seizure activity. Annie’s tolerance for frustration has returned to a healthier level. Her buttons have been pushed the last couple of days by stressors that were sending her over the brink, and she has responded beautifully! She is more relaxed and a much happier dog. J

 

08/20/2004 – Two very minor seizures in the last couple of days. They were short-lived and very minor. No aggression with them.

 

11/16/2004 – Annie is still problem-free since August’s scare, thank the Good Lord!

 

02/04/2005 – Follows is a copy of a couple of posts to Rawpaws about ongoing observations of Annie’s behavior. Altogether not good.

 

“I've been observing Annie since that 2-week period of cluster seizures in August, and I'm not happy about what I'm seeing.  She is doing better as far as the seizures since she saw Maryna.  She had the two seizures in that week following Maryna's work on her and none since then.  But I think the cluster seizures may have left her with further brain damage.  I'm still trying to sort through mounds of online information about that to see how probable it is.  This is what I'm seeing:

She has had problems throughout her life with long-term memory.  It seems to have gotten worse, and now she's apparently having difficulty with short-term memory as well.  She forgets basic things - not just obedience commands, which she has done in the past that required refresher courses  She forgets she has been fed, even when she was fed only a half hour to an hour beforehand.  She gets this really desperate look like she's starving.  I thought at first she was just pushing for more food, but after watching her, I don't think that's the case.  I'm not sure how to explain it other than my gut is telling me something is wrong with the behavior she is exhibiting.

Her tolerance for frustration is lower than it was prior to August's episodes.  She gets overexcited and snaps more easily than she did before.  She never had a great TFF, but it's worse than ever.  It doesn't matter whether the stimulus is negative (someone walking by or driving down the street) or positive (me getting their dinner ready).  I have to watch her like a hawk as she will hit her tolerance limit and turn on one of the other dogs.  It's a hit and run type of behavior as far as she will turn on Izzy or Xander for a quick bite and then come back to whatever is frustrating her.  She's not getting caught in a "correction" mode as she does when the seizures are occurring.  But with her ability to target the eyes, my concern is that it will only take one well-placed (even if by sheer accident) bite to cause very serious injury to one of the other dogs.

The barking is worse.  It hits an all-time high when the seizures are occurring, but normally it quiets back down once we get her over the hump.  It hasn't quieted down like in the past.  It has dropped off but not to what I would consider a "normal" level for her based on past experience.  If a neighbor steps out on the front porch or a car drives down the opposite side of the street, she goes off like someone is at the front door.  Even the wind blowing will set her to barking.  In the past, when someone came to our front door, she would bark to beat the band but immediately quiet down (as I taught her) when I got to the door.  She is now continuing to bark even when I tell her "enough".  I've had to correct this behavior as she will continue barking when I let someone in if I don't stop it.  It's getting to the point where I am sorely tempted to crate her when company comes.  Fortunately, most of our visitors know about Annie's history and ongoing issues, so they are patient and understanding.

Her destructive behavior has increased.  I can't leave her unattended for more than about 30 minutes without risking coming back to something destroyed.  Even taking a shower, I have to lock her in the bathroom with me (and hope she doesn't eat any towels).  I don't dare leave her loose in the house while I'm in the shower.

Overall, Annie appears and acts healthy, so I feel torn about this whole thing.  She has still shown no inclination toward biting me or any other person, but I keep reminding myself that is a very good possibility somewhere down the road.  Her appetite is normal.  She's maintaining her weight beautifully.  She's happy and bouncy, very eager to please just as she always has been.  Very affectionate, more so than in the past actually.

In the past when Annie has had seizure episodes, it has taken her some time for her behavior to return to normal.  It just hasn't done so this time.  I suspect the fact that her seizures were in clusters this time is probably the reason why.  A couple of the pages I read talked about cluster seizures causing further permanent brain damage.  They defined cluster seizures as more than 3 seizures in a 24 hour period.  I'm not sure how accurate that is as far as definitions go.  That said, during that 2-week period, Annie was having 3-6 seizures per day with rarely a day with only 1-3 seizures.

I'm not sure what I'm asking of you at this point, as I feel like I'm in a "watch and see" holding pattern with this.  I guess I just needed to tell someone what's going on and my observations of the past few months.  I don't know what to do at this point except continue making observations and waiting.  Annie is NOT a candidate for anti-convulsant medications because of her serious tendency toward aggression, so we're walking a very fine line here.”

 

“I nearly forgot something else I have noticed about Annie's behavior since August.  She has always had a fantastic ability to orient herself in space.  Meaning, when she was running through people's legs, around corners, through furniture, over things, etc., she had no trouble avoiding running INTO things.  Very agile with never a mis-step.  Now, I'm finding that she routinely misgauges distance and space and runs into objects and people.

She has also gotten more clingy where I'm concerned, which means she runs into me a LOT.  That never happened before.  Following me into the kitchen just a few minutes ago, she actually ran into the table leg.  That table has been there for a while, and she knows it's there.  She's just not gauging distance well.  I've been checking her eyesight (with the border collie in her, I keep an eye out for such issues), but her eyesight is doing fine.  Her peripheral vision is maintaining as has her other visual acuities.  She just can't seem to judge distance the way she used to.  And her balance seems just a bit off.”

 

02/23/2005 – Annie is doing better these days. I've altered her life a bit and the way I deal with her, and it seems to be working for now. Woohoo! Her symptoms have diminished somewhat, though I know they won't go away. For barking at visitors, I keep her close to me until our guests settle in and try to keep a hand on her, even if it's just my fingertips on her shoulders. That seems to reassure her enough that she doesn't keep barking once I get to the door, and she's no longer barking at people once I let them in.

 

I am restricting her playtime with Xander to indoors only. Getting outside and running around like a wild woman seems to excite her too much (that hyper vigilant thing kicks in with a vengeance). So, instead of having a couple of really raucous outdoor play sessions a day, she plays just about all day long off and on with Xander in the house. No running about and ramming into each other (which causes misalignments in her spine and ribs to get popped out of where they should be). Both seem very happy with this arrangement, a fact for which I am grateful. I don't want her to be unhappy, but I want to keep her as stabilized as possible.

 

So, for now at least, Annie is doing much better. I haven't altered her diet at all, still making sure she gets plenty of variety and the foods that I know she needs. She hasn't run into things in about a week now. No aggressive episodes at all. I think we're at another plateau, and we intend to enjoy it while it lasts.

 

03/08/2005 – We’re one full week into March, and so far only one thankfully minor aggression incident. Annie redirecting her anger toward me at Xander.  He’s got an ouchie nose, but nothing serious. As we grow closer to time for Annie’s rabies vacc booster, I am more concerned than ever about an adverse reaction. Given that rabies vax are known to cause seizures in some dogs, AND that Annie already has a seizure disorder, I have very serious concerns about permitting her to be vaccinated for rabies again. The next injection could kick her from focal seizures into full-blown grand mal seizures or seriously compromise already-foundering neurological function.

 

03/23/2005 – Annie appears stable at the moment. No further aggression incidents, and her behavior is level for now. I have sent all the information I have gathered to Annie’s holistic vet.

 

05/10/2005 – I finally tracked down Annie’s rabies vaccination records. The following injections are the ones she has had adverse reactions to:

 

 

Annie had the same reaction in both instances. Seriously increased dog-aggression, compromised tolerance for frustration (low tolerance became NO tolerance), inability to concentrate on training, hyperactivity and hyper vigilance. In both cases, these symptoms waned off after approximately a month. However, she did not completely return to normal following each injection. I have decided that Annie will receive no further vaccinations, including rabies.

 

07/08/2005 - I've been seeing something new with Annie for the last few weeks. She reacts every time I stand like I'm going to feed her. She still gets fed on the same schedule. No treats or extras during the day, except on the rare occasion. But she's bouncing around like it's dinnertime, regardless of the time of day or when she last ate, every time I stand up. Since I spend time on the computer, watch TV and such things around doing housework, going into the garden, and other such mobile activities, it's a frequent thing during the day. Then she gets so crestfallen when she realizes I'm not feeding her.

 

I’m not sure what is going on this time. Does she thinks she's hungry even when she doesn't really need to eat? (Her weight is stable, and her food intake is the same.) Or is this just an expansion of her previous forgetting-she's-eaten behavior? Is she forgetting what time of day she eats, and losing track of her ability to differentiate the time of day?

 

She gets the other two wound up, and they have NO idea what she's so excited about. THEY know it's not mealtime. They can tell when I am or am not getting ready to go outside. So they just look lost when she gets like that at the wrong times of day and without the right stimuli to indicate we're going outside. Of course, with her getting so bouncy and leaping around, they figure there MUST be something great to be excited about. At some point, I figure Xander will quit reacting to her, just as he has when she barks. Izzy may be another story. She still barks about 75% of the time just because Annie does. Izzy is such a follower....... Thank God Xander is a free-thinker and not a sheep, or I'd really be going nuts!

 

I've been seeing an increase in aggression again, too. Oddly enough, unlike in the past, there has been no signs of seizure activity. Aside from me not seeing any seizures or seizure indicators, Izzy is not avoiding Annie the way she does when Annie's having problems with seizures. Xander is getting in her face when she gets nasty. He doesn't usually do that when she's seizing and aggressing from that. He seems to know the difference between seizure-induced aggression and non-seizure-related aggression, and he reacts differently to the two types of aggression. (Sometimes I think they really ARE smarter than us.)

 

The diarrhea of the mouth (ie barking) is still a problem, but we're coping as best we can. One thing that is really annoying is that she is constantly under foot these days. It's especially noticeable when I'm in the kitchen. It's a small area to work in, so having someone constantly under foot can be disastrous. She likes to stand right in the middle of the traffic area. Xander and Izzy find places out of the way to lay down (along the wall or cabinets), but she insists on standing in the middle of the floor. It doesn't matter whether I'm cooking, doing dishes, doing laundry or whatever else I may be occupied with. I'm constantly running and/or falling over her. I've been basically boundary training to get her to stay out of the kitchen. I hate to do that since the other two are permitted to come and go in there as they please, but I'm afraid one or both of us is going to get hurt. If I could, I'd lock her out of the kitchen, but it's just not possible.

 

Other than this string of behavioral issues, she's doing great. Her skin and coat are fabulous. Eyes are bright. Digestion is great. No signs of arthritis or anything like that. In other words, doing great, especially for a 7.5 year old with her history. That's the hardest part of dealing with all this cognitive/neurological stuff. She's a perfectly healthy, happy dog except for that.

 

On a side note – Annie’s vet contacted me and said she agreed with my decision to avoid the rabies vaccination. She is prepared to give me a medical waiver letter. With Arizona State laws being what they are, if Annie is involved in any sort of bite incident, the letter is meaningless, but it at least gives me something in hand to say why she’s not “current” on the vacc for a very good, solid reason.

 

07/27/2005 – Fabulous news! After further research and discussion with colleagues and fellow dog lovers with more experience than I with neurological dysfunction, we decided to try giving Annie a nutritional supplement known as taurine. Tomorrow makes 2 weeks since we started it. She gets 500 mg once a day. (We can increase it later if necessary.) And we are seeing major improvements!

 

Within less than one week, we saw a noticeable decrease in barking and hyper vigilance along with an increase in her tolerance for frustration. Yes!!! She is back to sleeping normally, no restlessness at night or when she naps during the day. Also, perhaps because she’s resting better and not “on alert” all the time, her attitude has improved. Far less aggression.

 

As of today, we are also seeing an improvement in her ability to maneuver around and through objects. She is no longer running into things that are on her left side. I expected this one to take weeks to improve (if it did at all), but we are seeing very noticeable improvements there as well. There’s also been a noticeable decline in the “forgetting she ate” behavior, which is a genuine Godsend!  She is still pretty clingy and wanting to stay underfoot, but that, too, appears to be improving. Since she’s not feeling “hyper” anymore, she is content to lie down in the kitchen and watch me. At least I can step over her easily that way.

 

Incidentally, Annie saw the vet on the 15th (a day after starting the taurine) for a physical. She was declared physically sound and very healthy. The vet was especially pleased with her sparkling white teeth and healthy gums! The only flaw he found was a lateral split of one molar that she has had since she was about 4 years old (did that chewing on clothes of all things), and he said many dogs live their whole lives with that same kind of split so it was nothing to worry over. We discussed what to watch for should it ever give her trouble, just to be on the safe side. Otherwise, her skin, coat, heart, lungs, digestion, and everything else is perfectly healthy! So we’re definitely doing something right!  J

 

09/16/2005 – Well, we’re past the halfway point in the month, and Annie continues to be seizure and neuro dysfunction free! So she made it through one of the roughest parts of the year with NO problems at all. She’s getting taurine every other day instead of daily and has shown no signs of regression since I dropped the dosing frequency a month ago. Unless she starts showing issues again, we’re going to leave her at 500 mg every other day. I can’t believe how wonderfully she is doing!

 

10/05/2005 – Well, September has come and gone. And NO seizure or stroke activity for Annie! We couldn't be happier! J I truly never expected such an amazing turn-around. I thought she would stabilize, but I never expected her behaviors to mostly or completely resolve. My hubby keeps remarking about how outgoing, friendly and just plain old goofy she has been for the last couple of months. She is so much fun to watch. It's like we found the puppy in her, and she loves to be goofy! Hubby was laying on the bed the other day after work just decompressing from his day and she hopped up there, flipped upside down, legs kicking everywhere, and grinned at him. Both of us were laughing at her antics. She does this kind of stuff regularly these days. It's so wonderful to see. She loves to play now more than ever, and she's decided that she LOVES butt rubs and cuddles.

 

I don’t know how long the taurine will keep her stable and doing so fabulously, but she’s only getting it every other day, so there’s easily room for increasing her dose if we need to at some point. Whatever the case may be, it’s giving her a new lease on life for however long it lasts, and it’s SO wonderful to see! I have the wonderful ladies at Rawpaws to thank for helping me find this miracle. Regardless of how long Annie remains stable, I will always be grateful for their support and guidance.


 

10/12/2005 - I noticed a possible "side effect" of the supplemental taurine – Annie retrieved a frisbee 3 TIMES today! She's NEVER been able to get the whole retrieving thing. I've worked with her often over the years with frisbees, tennis balls, toys, you name it. She just NEVER got it. Today, she GOT IT!!!! Woohoo!!!! And she was so absolutely proud of herself. Grinning and prancing. I was so proud of her, and I let her know it! The only thing I can assume is that the taurine has improved more than just the behavioral and neurological issues we've seen in the past. It appears she may be learning things she just couldn't get before. NEVER expected that!

 

BTW, she’s doing fabulously with the new baby! She’s helping to teach D’Art basic manners and not to be rude. Annie has never been one to tolerate rudeness from other dogs, and she’s quick to correct such rudeness. In D’Art’s case, she’s doing a fabulous job of escalating her corrections only as necessary to get her point across. And he’s turning out to be a very eager to please and willing pupil for her.

 

10/28/2005 – Annie continues to remain neurologically and behaviorally stable, so the taurine is still doing its job nicely. She also continues to do very well with the puppy, though she’s not as gentle or careful about stepping on D’Artagnan as Xander. She plays with Xander more than she does D’Artagnan, so Xander is exhausted from keeping two dogs exercised.

 

01/21/2006 – Annie is still doing very well on the taurine. No behavioral or neurological issues. She plays with D’Art and Xander, as well as regularly with us. Very happy and healthy!

 

03/11/2006 – We had to put Annie down yesterday. Her aggression re-emerged with a vengeance, and she started inflicting bleeding injuries on the other dogs in the home. She no longer seemed to consistently recognize canine body language signs – often mistaking submissive and play postures for aggression and reacting aggressively. We have had a long battle with the trauma-induced brain damage that has marked her life in so many ways. Rest in peace, my sweet angel. We love you.

 

Anibel Jane, “Annie”

12/15/1997 - 03/10/2006

 

Who Will…..

… do pup-aerobics on the bed and knock all the blankets on the floor?

… sit quietly and stare at me when I’m late serving supper?

… remind us to keep clothes off the floor, lest they be eaten?

… snore and keep me awake at night?

… eat gutted stuffed animals to remove all evidence of the massacre?

… herd the boys around the back yard?

… alert us when leaves from the neighbors’ trees trespass?

… check our elbows every day?

… patrol the backyard and maintain the worn path?

… bounce straight up and down when heeling to remind me not to take myself or training too seriously?

… wrestle great danes to the ground just for the sheer fun of it?

We miss you, Annie.

 

04/18/2007 – I have come to believe that Annie’s brain trauma was exacerbated by vaccinations. Given the sharp rise in her aggression post-vaccinations (indicating encephalitis, a common side effect of vaccinations – especially rabies), I believe this suspicion is more than warranted. As such, I am very glad I did not allow her to be vaccinated the year before her death when her shot came due. We may have lost her that much sooner, and God alone knows how much worse her last time with us might have been.

 

 

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