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R.I.P. Cowboy


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Rest In Peace my Cowboy.
2/5/12 - 3/25/18

Just 2 weeks following a wonderful Flyball weekend where Cowboy earned his Onyx title.
We are almost positive it was his pancreas that failed.
Little guy fought for 2+ years first with a mast cell tumor in his leg that was successfully removed. Then a short 2 months later he developed ideopathic epilespy.
We were never able to get the seizures well under control, no matter what medication and combination of meds we tried. His seizures were every 12 to 14 days like clockwork starting around the age of 4. Eventually we started cycling him off the seizure meds, instead relying on alternatives such as coconut oil and CDB oils. That really helped his mood and his quality of life between the siezures. But the damage was done I guess to his organs, plus approximately 60 seizures total over the course of the illness.
To his credit, Cowboy never lost his sweet demeaner, his friendlyness around other people and dogs, nor his love of doing a job well done. Be it agility, flyball, making sure every loose tree branch and stick was delivered to my feet. . .

6 years is too short, he had so much promise years 0-4, and was a sweet fighter over his last 2 years. May he be at peace now. . .going to miss this boy.

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It is always hard to lose a special companion, and particularly so when their time is cut way too short. I feel for you but am very grateful that you had each other for the time that you did. It sounds like you both took care of each other in a happy and active life.

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Yes even though we were conditioned to expect bad things due to the epilepsy, having Cowboy go down so fast from organ failure was jarring. we kept up with all the regular bloodwork and all that. But did he eat something out in the woods/fields that smashed his pancreas? I never saw anything in particular and will never know I guess.

He was from two good pups. No papers but I knew both sire and dam and they were both good border collies that most here would have liked. One other pup in Cowboys litter did have to be put down really young for epilepsy. Only learned that after Cowboy starting having seizures at age 4. Such a rough affection. Cowboy is the most wonderful and rewarding dog I've had in a whole lifetime of having dogs. Once I get my masters degree done in 2 years I will want to get another border collie to make a life with. All of you on this board, and everyone I see at USBCHA/VBCA, have taught me so much about the beauty and grace of the border collie bred for the right reasons. There is no finer canine creature. Cowboy really taught me that. You all demonstrate that is no accident. Peace/respect. Chuck Bimba

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Yes even though we were conditioned to expect bad things due to the epilepsy, having Cowboy go down so fast from organ failure was jarring. we kept up with all the regular bloodwork and all that. But did he eat something out in the woods/fields that smashed his pancreas? I never saw anything in particular and will never know I guess.

I wondered the same thing, only he only had access to my backyard. We have a lot of rabbit droppings? The vets first thought is too many table scraps or a high fat diet, but that wasn’t the case at all for us. I have no idea why and that’s what’s so hard....

 

Both of my dogs had one to two doses of bravecto in the past and a months worth of blue buffalo life source (he had diarrhea so we switched back), and I always wondered if it was something I gave them. Of course you can google either of those things or look at forums and find negative experiences. It’s hard for me not to beat myself up over those choices.

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The epilepsy and the seizure meds had an effect of making him constantly hungry. To the point where he stated to go after poop, his or other animals. Sometimes I could call him off of it, other times I had to drag him off it. That was one of several reasons we chose to fade out the seizure meds. But once the poop eating habit was formed, it was hard to break. Just one of the multiple side complications that arose with the epilepsy. A rough disease that I hope someday we can get our arms around. Cowboy was a great and fun loving dog through it all however. I am so glad to have had him in my life.

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