Joya (aka "The Puppy from Hell") and The Boys

12/28/00 Thu update: Today Matthew took Joya to Dr. duBois at Hyattsville Animal Hospital for her annual booster shots. A week later, the nightmare began.  /Lissa

10/04/01 Thu: Matthew took Joya to Hyattsville Animal Hospital at 7:30 a.m. Thursday morning with the promise that the doctor would see her that morning. When I got there to pick her up at 5:00 p.m., Dr. duBois briefly said she seemed fine to him but didn't have time to talk with me.  Based on the bill, he apparently gave her a shot of penicillin and a laxative. The cost was $60.[see the notes under Monday 01/08 for more detail on this.]

Later that night at 11:30 p.m., Joya had a 'grand mal epileptic seizure.' She stopped breathing, eyes rolled back in her head, bowels evacuated, and was stiff as a board. We thought she was dying, but after a few minutes she returned to consciousness. We rushed her to Beltway Emergency Animal Hospital in Glen Dale, and they examined her and did blood work. She started convulsing again while she was in the emergency room. They gave her valium to stop the seizure and kept her overnight. She had additional seizures during the night and again when Matthew came to pick her up on Friday morning.  /Lissa

01/05/01 Fri: Matthew spent Friday jockeying her between the Emergency hospital and Rocky Gorge Animal Hospital in Laurel where they did more blood work and x-rays. She was having clusters of seizures every three hours regardless of how sedated they kept her. They think is Secondary epilepsy, which refers to seizures for which a cause can be determined. They described her Thursday episode as 'aura' symptoms that occur before seizures. The doctors say the only reason she is still alive is that she is only two years old and her heart is strong. 

If there is no other disease indicator, they can start her on Phenobarbital. It will take 10 days to reach levels high enough to stop the seizures. She will stay at the Emergency Hospital until she can be stabilized. The frequency and seriousness of her seizures does not bode well for her survival. The doctor said this morning that we should be prepared for her not to make it through this.  /Lissa

01/06/01 Sat:  We have ruled out poisonous plants or antifreeze;  heredity on her mother's side; gastrointestinal blockage or internal organ failure; lab tests don't point to poisons since there is no organ damage; and she is too young to have a brain tumor. She has never been sick, but has allergies to some grasses. The only thing that changed is that she had her annual booster shots last week.

After her bloodwork and x-rays came back with no definitive results, on Saturday morning the Beltway Emergency Animal Hospital started Joya on Phenobarbital twice daily, and antibiotic three times daily. Joya stopped having seizures and has become stable. 

Assuming that she remains stable, we hope she will come home. Matthew is going to stay home with her for a few days to nurse her back to health. We are planning to take her to a neurologist as quickly as we can get an appointment this week. We were given information on Chesapeake Veterinary Referral Center in Annapolis, but are leaning more towards taking her to the veterinary medical school at UPenn (at this point, it depends upon whether she seems up for a long ride.) We hope that more advanced tests will pinpoint the cause, but we strongly believe it was related to the only change she has experienced in the last six months: the annual combination of shots she got a week ago, December 28 from Dr. duBois. See what I found from Richard H. Pitcairn, D.V.M., Ph.D., author of Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats: 

"73.1% of dogs with epilepsy first became epileptic within three months of vaccination. Vaccines are clearly causing horrendous damage. For statisticians, our Chi score for epilepsy is 96: any Chi test statistic higher than twelve gives a 95% confidence about the conclusions. Without doubt, then, the majority of epileptic dogs in our survey are vaccine damaged. All of our evidence ties in with research in the human field, and a growing body of veterinary research, which says that vaccines cause allergies, hypersensitivity reactions, autoimmune disease, encephalitis, epilepsy, personality changes and brain damage."
[http://cyberpet.com/cyberdog/articles/health/vaccin.htm] 

There are several other sites that say generally the same thing (let me know if anyone wants the URLs.) So much for being diligent about shots for our animal family members. For 30 years I have regularly taken my pets to veterinarians for their annual shots, but I have never been warned nor have I received any literature about possible reactions. Yet in my research these last couple of days, I found that reactions are not uncommon and vary from mild (mild allergic symptoms like runny eyes or swelling) to severe (liver/kidney damage, seizure, or death.) All the vets I talked to in the last few days said that risk of reaction is outweighed by risk of the disease they protect against. All said they had never seen a severe reaction, but according to several web sites, reactions are underreported either because they are misdiagnosed, or because of pressure -- and incentives -- from pharmaceutical companies. 

One more thing to be aware of is that vaccinations should not be given in combination. It's a pain to do, but it is worth the health of your pet to phase their shots over a period of time (at least two weeks in-between is most often suggested.) The 'vaccination cocktail' approach is the most often cited cause of severe reaction to vaccinations. Dr. Pitcairn went on to say, "We analyzed the number of illnesses reported against the type of vaccine used. Statistically significant was the fact that the incidence of illness in dogs treated with more than one vaccine at the same time (multiple live modified and killed vaccines) are more likely to have problems than dogs which have either been given a single killed vaccine or single live vaccine. The cocktail effect appears to be significantly more hazardous than a single viral or bacterial dose, with a confidence level of higher than 99%." 

I truly wish I had known this before Joya had her annual cocktail last week. She has survived thus far and we continue to hope for the best. 

I talked with Dr. Wolchinsky, one of the veterinarians at Rocky Gorge whose advice I respect (gee, and he even calls back on Sunday night!) He is more than willing to give any referral we need, but we had a long conversation about next steps. He has worked with the staff in Annapolis, but prefers the neurologist at the BARNs in Gaithersburg.

In our conversation about what he would recommend next, he said that right now the only thing we should be focusing on is getting her back to her old self. She is barely stable now, and the best thing we can do is to ensure that she can be controlled by the Phenobarbital before we put her through anything else. Neurological tests such as a CT scan, MRI, or Cerebrospinal fluid scan (CSF) would require general anesthesia which is not without risks. In addition, he said that in her present state, the procedures themselves may cause a seizure. He said the kinds of things they would diagnose (meningioencephalitis, meningitis, tumors, etc.) are treatable in only a very small percentage of cases. And if, as I suspect, it was caused by the vaccine, there is no antidote for that. Finding a treatable cause for it would be like finding a needle in a haystack - an expensive proposition with a minute chance of success.

He said that the fact is, whatever caused it, she has epilepsy and will likely have it for life. It is common in dogs and we are lucky that she has something that can be controlled by medication. I asked him what he would do if it was his pet, and he said that, just like with humans, he would accept the fact that he had an epileptic in the family. If the seizures can be controlled, epileptics usually lead long and relatively normal lives. So far, so good.

I think I agree, at least for now. She is just beginning to nudge my hand, demanding that I rub her ears. She is ravenously hungry and seems to be feeling more like herself with each small meal she eats. I am just eternally thankful that she seems to be surviving this.  /Lissa

01/08/01 Mon: With time to think about what happened, I have come to a conclusion. Please don't ever take your pets to Dr. duBois at Hyattsville Animal Hospital. I just talked with someone who worked there until recently, and she said that Dr. duBois knows the risks of this vaccine cocktail, but continues to use it. On Saturday night (01/06) when Dr. duBois had received faxes from Joya's bloodwork, he called me to find out why I hadn't brought her back to him. He went on to tell me that in his 30 years of practice, he had never seen a severe reaction to vaccine and he didn't believe that was the cause (there are a dozen web sites about 'vaccinosis' including UPenn and Virginia Tech Vet schools.) He went on to refer me to a neurologist at a veterinary practice in Catonsville, Maryland. This practice is known to charge exorbitant fees and it's rumored that part of the cost is kickback to the referring veterinarian. 

Dr. duBois called me back on Tuesday, 01/09 to ask whether I'd scheduled an appointment with his neurologist yet. He was disappointed that I hadn't -- I wonder why?

The fact is, Joya is in this condition because of this doctor, and not only for giving her the shot. When we took her to him for treatment at 7:30 Thursday morning, she was left in a cage for 8+ hours with pre-seizure tics, panting, and restlessness. Matthew and I called the veterinary office several times during the day (last at 4:10 p.m.), but the receptionist said the doctor was not in the office yet. When I got there to pick her up at 5:00, he was finally there, but only stuck his head out the door to tell me he had looked at her earlier in the day. He said there was nothing wrong with her, then ran off to care for another patient. 

Six hours later Joya had her first grand mal seizure. In talking to other doctors in the past few days, Joya exhibited typical pre-seizure symptoms (epileptic 'aura') that any competent vet would have recognized. Of course, that assumes that he even looked at her.

Judy will be home soon. We are blessed that Joya is alive to see her return. /Lissa

01/13/00 Sat: Joya is asleep on her round beside me as I write this note. A week after her harrowing experience, she is back to 'parking' beside me when I am on the PC. It's very comforting for both of us.

After her first few days in a fog, she has started remembering commands, arguing with us when she doesn't get her way (that sad-eyed look and 'arrrwl' sound that's not quite a bark), and nudging her cats. She has gotten over her voracious hunger and is back on two meals a day -- plus medication for the rest of her life.  Don't get me wrong -- she is a different dog. She cries more, has become even more attached to us, and hates to be left at home alone. She is no longer so curious that she constantly pulls at the end of her lead, now preferring to stay closer to us. And although she quickly remembered her housebreak training, she can't focus sharply enough to catch a ball yet. When viewed in the context of her life, these small changes are a welcome part of her 'new' personality.

Since this started, I spent a few evenings learning about epilepsy and investigating holistic treatments we may try in the future. Right now I don't have the stomach to put her through additional tests to confirm the cause of her illness. There is an abundance of testimony on the Internet that directly links epilepsy with the vaccine cocktail she received. Since there is no antidote, proving it again won't benefit her or any other pet. I can, however, add my voice to those warning about this risk, and hopefully prevent other pets and their owners from going through this horror. I will also add the warning that any veterinarian who still gives these combo shots is not to be entrusted with the care of any pet. 

Later that evening, Matthew, Joya, and I drove over to Beltway Emergency Animal Hospital. I made a Thank-You card (as I had earlier in the week for Rocky Gorge) and took them a cake to show our appreciation for their round-the-clock vigil that kept our girl alive. They marveled that she was the same dog who had been carried in on a stretcher last week. Everyone hugged her, and she wagged her stump-tail appreciatively. 

I am so thankful to everyone who kept her in their thoughts and prayers, and sent suggestions and referrals to us during her illness. Our girl is back!  /Lissa

01/17/01 Thu:  Greetings from your pet's pal, Judy Glaes! Rob and I got back in the wee hours of Monday morning. Our trip was one of the most exciting things I've ever done. 

I missed your pets so much, however, that after a couple of weeks, I started approaching stray dogs despite warnings that many have rabies or other diseases. I couldn't even get close enough for them to smell the food I brought, they all just ran away. I knew I had to do something when I caught myself looking over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching so I could pet a bronze statue of hunting dogs in the ship's common area. I finally bought the one wood carving of a dog I saw and enjoyed petting and looking at it and remembering fond times with your pet.

I've had four days to recuperate from jet lag and the shock of having to cook for myself again. I'll take a few more days to catch up on two months' mail and household matters like replacing rusted plumbing and damaged wood. 

I will be back on the job this Monday, January 22. I will continue the regular weekly pet care as I did before and as Jack has been doing. Jack will give me the keys he has to your pets' homes this Sunday. I assume I'll handle security systems of those who have
them as I did before. Please let Jack or I know if you'd like different arrangements than these. Jack assures me he's not ready to start his own pet sitting business. I'm delighted that he continues to be willing to sub for me whenever needed, however.

I'm really looking forward to sharing your pet's love with you again.

Fondly,
Judy

01/22/01 Mon: It is fantastic to see Joya again. She wore me out on our walk. We fast-walked and jogged! She's still n really good shape. She was very excited to see me, and I was glad to see her. It was good to see Matt, too. Thank you for the great card. Looking forward to seeing you soon! /Judy

01/23/01 Tue: Joya seemed even more excited to see me today - maybe because Matt wasn't home. We walked to Jack's house and said, "Hi" to him and Bosco, then on to my house. She was excited and wanted to play in my backyard. Rob walked back to your house with us. /Judy

01/26/01 Fri: I immediately let Joya into the yard when I arrived in case she was in a hurry to relieve herself. She sniffed around for about 3 minutes, then took care of business.  

Then we walked to and around the park. We met another big black hairy dog who was being walked, too. Joya rushed up as soon as I took a step in his direction. He turned out to be a bit too interested in having a quick affair, so we parted ways. As usual, she was as sweet and well-behaved as she could be. /Judy

01/29/01 Mon: Joya and Sandy were wild today. Joya was so excited when I arrived, she repeatedly nibbled on me and when I stopped that, she jumped around in circles.

Joya provoked Sandy into round after round of chase in my back yard. She taunted Sandy into head-wrestling inside. 

It's great to see her feeling so good. Then Rob and I took them both for an hour long walk. I thought Joya was worn out. She barked and jumped at Sandy to play, however, as soon as we returned.  /Judy

01/31/01 Wed: Joya has achieved even greater social skill. She can play with little Duffy now. Instead of squashing him, she barely lifts her paw and touches him. Occasionally when she got too excited and rough, Duffy came and sat by me until she calmed down. Then the play started again. Dogs are great teachers to each other. 

Joya played chase with Sandy and Duffy in the backyard, too. With her "teen age" energy, Joya also played with the tire toy herself. /Judy