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My name is Cassie Fowler and I'm starting this fundraiser for my almost-6 year old spaniel mix Podrick.
On Wednesday March 3rd, 2021 Podrick was acting completely normal. He woke up, went outside, ate breakfast, and spent the morning casually following me around the house like he does every day.
Around 11 am he followed me into the bedroom and all of a sudden collapsed and started seizing, something he had never done before. I called my husband into the room and we immediately got Podrick into the car and drove to the nearest emergency veterinary clinic about 10 minutes away. Within about 15 minutes he had had 4 back-to-back seizures. The team at the emergency clinic were able to slow down his seizures over the course of the next 18 hours, but were unable to completely put a stop to them, and no one had any idea what had caused this all to start in the first place. During his stay he had about 8-9 seizures in all. So early on Thursday morning we recieved a call telling us that we needed to immediately pick him up and transport him to the Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Sorrento Valley so he could have access to a neurology team and have an MRI. So that's what we did. At 6 am we packed our 3 year old daughter in the car with a snack cup full of cereal and kids protein shake and we all headed down to the clinic.
When we recieved Podrick he was completely disoriented and he couldn't stop crying. The nurse said he was in the post-ictal phase, the phase immediately following the active seizure when the brain is trying to recover. The nurse told me he was okay and not in pain, but this can be a stressful time for dogs because the dysphoric state can cause a lot of anxiety. The whole way up from Chula Vista to Sorrento Valley, Podrick cried in my lap. He was unable to walk or see. By the time we got to the hospital, i thought I may never be able to bring him home again, that he would never be his old self again.
He ended up having one more seizure immediately after getting inside the hospital, but the ICU team was able to put a stop to them after that. The veterinarian on staff suspected that with his age, healthy blood panel and x-rays, lack of medical history, and sudden and severe onset of symptoms he was suffering from some sort of inflammation in the brain and scheduled a visit with the neurologist, an MRI, and a spinal tap to test his cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for that afternoon.
The waiting was torture, but I eventually heard from the neurologist who told me that Podrick did in fact have a lot of inflammation going on in his brain and it was most likely the result of an autoimmune disorder, a condition called meningoencephalitis of unknown etiology (or MUE). He was started on Prednisone and a chemo drug called Cytosar for the inflammation and to suppress his immune system, in addition to the Phenobarbital for his seizures and Valium for his anxiety. She told me that he would need to recieve Cytosar injections every 3 weeks for the foreseeable future and would need it routinely for the rest of his life. The Prednisone would likely be a life-long drug if not replaced with another steroid, and the twice-per-day Phenobarbital would also be a forever thing. He was temporarily blind and couldn't walk, but they were confident he would get those abilities back. However his prognosis is not the greatest. If he responds well to treatment, he could be looking at about 1-3 years more with us, as this is a progressive disease that can never be cured. I was reassured, however, that his quality of life will be good. As time goes on, the more relaxed we can be, but the next few months are crucial to knowing his long(er)-term chances of survival.
We were able to bring him home on Saturday, and now on Monday Podrick has fully regained use of his legs and his vision seems back to normal, as well. He has had some tremors, which might be an indication that his seizure medication should be increased slightly, so we are keeping a close eye on that, but that is the only issue he has had so far. I am grateful for whatever time i have left with him, whether it be days or years. I am blessed to have been able to bring him home and see him come back to his old self once again. We need to appreciate each day as if it will be his last and make sure he knows every day that he is loved and cherished.
The reason for this fundraiser is because, despite saving Podrick's life, this whole ordeal has caused us a huge financial hit. My husband and i are already suffering the effects of the economy during this pandemic due to other unforseen circumstances, and in addition to having a daughter, other pets, and another child on the way, we were not prepared for an emergency like this. Podrick will need life-long care and a relapse could happen at any moment, which would result in another costly emergency stay. We hope that this fundraiser can help us pay for Podrick's ongoing care for the next 6 months.
On Wednesday March 3rd, 2021 Podrick was acting completely normal. He woke up, went outside, ate breakfast, and spent the morning casually following me around the house like he does every day.
Around 11 am he followed me into the bedroom and all of a sudden collapsed and started seizing, something he had never done before. I called my husband into the room and we immediately got Podrick into the car and drove to the nearest emergency veterinary clinic about 10 minutes away. Within about 15 minutes he had had 4 back-to-back seizures. The team at the emergency clinic were able to slow down his seizures over the course of the next 18 hours, but were unable to completely put a stop to them, and no one had any idea what had caused this all to start in the first place. During his stay he had about 8-9 seizures in all. So early on Thursday morning we recieved a call telling us that we needed to immediately pick him up and transport him to the Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Sorrento Valley so he could have access to a neurology team and have an MRI. So that's what we did. At 6 am we packed our 3 year old daughter in the car with a snack cup full of cereal and kids protein shake and we all headed down to the clinic.
When we recieved Podrick he was completely disoriented and he couldn't stop crying. The nurse said he was in the post-ictal phase, the phase immediately following the active seizure when the brain is trying to recover. The nurse told me he was okay and not in pain, but this can be a stressful time for dogs because the dysphoric state can cause a lot of anxiety. The whole way up from Chula Vista to Sorrento Valley, Podrick cried in my lap. He was unable to walk or see. By the time we got to the hospital, i thought I may never be able to bring him home again, that he would never be his old self again.
He ended up having one more seizure immediately after getting inside the hospital, but the ICU team was able to put a stop to them after that. The veterinarian on staff suspected that with his age, healthy blood panel and x-rays, lack of medical history, and sudden and severe onset of symptoms he was suffering from some sort of inflammation in the brain and scheduled a visit with the neurologist, an MRI, and a spinal tap to test his cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for that afternoon.
The waiting was torture, but I eventually heard from the neurologist who told me that Podrick did in fact have a lot of inflammation going on in his brain and it was most likely the result of an autoimmune disorder, a condition called meningoencephalitis of unknown etiology (or MUE). He was started on Prednisone and a chemo drug called Cytosar for the inflammation and to suppress his immune system, in addition to the Phenobarbital for his seizures and Valium for his anxiety. She told me that he would need to recieve Cytosar injections every 3 weeks for the foreseeable future and would need it routinely for the rest of his life. The Prednisone would likely be a life-long drug if not replaced with another steroid, and the twice-per-day Phenobarbital would also be a forever thing. He was temporarily blind and couldn't walk, but they were confident he would get those abilities back. However his prognosis is not the greatest. If he responds well to treatment, he could be looking at about 1-3 years more with us, as this is a progressive disease that can never be cured. I was reassured, however, that his quality of life will be good. As time goes on, the more relaxed we can be, but the next few months are crucial to knowing his long(er)-term chances of survival.
We were able to bring him home on Saturday, and now on Monday Podrick has fully regained use of his legs and his vision seems back to normal, as well. He has had some tremors, which might be an indication that his seizure medication should be increased slightly, so we are keeping a close eye on that, but that is the only issue he has had so far. I am grateful for whatever time i have left with him, whether it be days or years. I am blessed to have been able to bring him home and see him come back to his old self once again. We need to appreciate each day as if it will be his last and make sure he knows every day that he is loved and cherished.
The reason for this fundraiser is because, despite saving Podrick's life, this whole ordeal has caused us a huge financial hit. My husband and i are already suffering the effects of the economy during this pandemic due to other unforseen circumstances, and in addition to having a daughter, other pets, and another child on the way, we were not prepared for an emergency like this. Podrick will need life-long care and a relapse could happen at any moment, which would result in another costly emergency stay. We hope that this fundraiser can help us pay for Podrick's ongoing care for the next 6 months.
Please read all updates, as this situation is constantly changing. Updates will contain the most up-to-date info, as well as screenshots of estimates and receipts.