julied12

Thank you both. My dogs are my kids and I think this why it makes it so much harder for me. I have some guilt as I brought our 9 month Simon into Riley's world back in January. She tolerated him but I am not sure if it caused her more stress - even though the seizures did not increase until several months after Simon came to us. In answer to your question - it was determined to be epilepsy. She had a heart murmur that was checked regularly and that was stable (in rare cases that can cause seizures) and she had been tested fro various things that also contributed to seizures but all of that was negative. I have always tried to educate myself with things like this and everyone kept telling me she could live a long life with epilepsy so I never thought this could happen - hence the shock. Maybe I should have had more information.

I wrote you last year talking about my 15 year old queensland heeler Jasper that we had to put down. Hardest thing I have ever had to do. On the same day we were doing this, our 3 year old queensland heeler had her first seizure. As if we didn't have enough on our plate that day. Riley came to us on June 1 2015 at 8 weeks old. Found out 2 days after we got her that she had a heart murmur. Did all of the tests and and more when she turned a year old but was told she could go on to live a normal life. Then the seizure happened. For the last year we have been dealing with those seizures. She was only having one a month so we didn't need to medicate her. In January we adopted a 12 week queensland heeler as we thought she could use a pal after Jasper - it was on the 6 month anniversary of his passing so it was a good sign. Riley did ok with him and they seemed to have a bond - she tolerated but let him know when he was being a pain. In April things changed with the seizures and we started her on medication. She had not had another seizure since being on the medication. July 4th, 2019 at 11:10 pm she started to have a seizure that she was not coming out of - 20 minutes later we were loading her into the car and headed to the ER. Riley took her last breath in the car and passed away in route. We are devastated and in total shock. I cannot believe that a four year semi healthy dog passed away like that and I am really struggling. I hadn't gotten over Jaspers passing in 13 months and now I am grieving again. These dogs are my children and I just don't know to cope or deal with this.

Thank you so much. My friend keeps telling me this as well. That one article is me to a tee and we had been through many illnesses with him so I did have an extra attachment to him. We do have a 3 year old heeler so I do have another special dog in my world and don't get me wrong - I adore her too but he always had me completely.

Thank you so much for your very kind words. I knew this would be hard but never realized how hard and I just can't seem to move forward.

After 15 years of having my queensland heeler mix, Jasper, we had to let him go on May 19th, 2018. I knew when the day came this would be hard and I am just not sure I can get past it. Everyone says you will but it's been 2 weeks and I think about him all the time, I cry every day and I am just broken. Last year, due to his pancreatitis we didn't think he would last that long but he made it an additional year. I have been working from home for the last year to give him time sensitive medication. He was still eating and was alert in the end but his little body just couldn't support him. He was getting weaker and was in some pain. I still feel like I quit on him and gave up up on him. I am selfish and I want him back. I just don't know how to deal with everyday without him. I am struggling - I still wake up every night to listen for him as he would sleep in a big in our bedroom and sometimes he needed a little help during the night to get up on it. Once I wake up I find it hard to go back to sleep as I am missing him.