In the wee hours of the morning on the Labor Day just past (2:30am to be precise), our three year old yellow labrador retriever awoke my husband and I with a thud and a crash.
We rushed into the kitchen where all the noise came from to find him running into the kitchen cabinets and trying to get outside. Before we could open the door our 93 pound pup fell to the floor on his side and began to convulse. I have seen human beings had seizures, but I have never witnessed such a large domestic animal be in such physical trama.
Duke pup's grand mal seizure lasted less than 30 seconds, but was horribly long for me. He lost bladder control, bowel control and his anal glands released... my linenolum was covered in all sorts of bodily fluids. (We later found his vomit in another corner of the kitchen.)
As soon as it began it was done and then my dog went into a primal state of aggression. He growled at us... and stumbled & backed himself into a corner of the kitchen were he could observe anyone coming toward him.
Slowly his pupils came back to normal... and soon enough as we spoke quietly (while cleaning up the mess) he became calm and clear headed again. Moments later he wanted a treat from our hand...was thirsty for a drink and was eager for a middle-of-the-night bath.
Eric and I then spent the rest of the night or what was left of it trying to make sense of what happened, calm down, and watch him carefully for signs of another seizure.
Our labor and effort that night gave me a new appreciation for how we work on behalf of all those we love... including our pets and domestic animals. Needless to say, the remainder of the
labor day was spent resting from our labor of love.
The things we do for our dogs...
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