LunaLupa

My 4yr old and 9 month old Border Collie just had her first seizure last night and I was looking for some information from those who have experience with this. It seemed to come out of nowhere. It felt like it lasted about two minutes and she just started twitching and falling over to her side and then her legs just went stiff as a board and she was basically lock jaw and salivating everywhere. Once the fit seemed to be over she was still pretty stiff and her eyes were bug eyed and glazed over. She'd lift her head up when I'd say her name but was still out of it. Then she just started coming to and responding to her name and wagging her tail and sitting up. I took her to the emergency vet immediately and they ran her blood work and all her levels came back good. The vet suggested it was an idiopathic seizure which is hard to pinpoint a cause. She said its possible it could be an isolated incident and it never occurs again. So at the current moment, we are just keeping an extra eye on her and any changes in behavior. She seems to be back to her normal energetic self today and seemingly acting like she has no idea it even happened to her. From everything I've been trying to research, it seems like a lot of research suggests that they usually occur while the dog is at rest. This was not the case with Luna. I had actually been out for a few hours and when I arrived at home around 10pm she came running to the door to greet me as she usually does and within 5 minutes of being home, she all the sudden just fell into the seizure. I wondered if at all possible extreme anxiety could trigger a seizure? Usually I greet her right away when I walk in but I walked straight past her this time as I was rushing into the house. Luna is, as her breed tends to be, a somewhat anxious or antsy dog at times. I know she loves to be around people 24/7 and hates being left alone. I started thinking to myself did I just stress her out so much because I ignored her in those first few minutes I walked into the house. The only other recent change in her routine lately that I can think of is that I did switch her food from Merrick to Acana. Other than that, she has been the same sweet energetic little girl she has always been. The vet suggested that she doesn't think it could be epilepsy only because of her age at this point. Of course I'm in a little bit of a panic as it's so scary and hard to watch your dog go through that but so any information anyone may be able to share would be so helpful and very much appreciated. Thank you!

Hello all! I haven't posted in a little while. The little one has certainly been keeping me busy! Luna is going to be 9 months soon! I can hardly believe it. The time sure does fly by. She has brightened my life tenfold over these past months and I couldn't be more grateful for finding her. She has been the perfect puppy, well give or take a few mishaps, but still wonderful nonetheless! I was writing to ask what food brands other owners might recommend? I have had Luna on Science Diet because it seemed to work just fine with her. I did feel like I noticed it made her poop quite a bit but they were still regular and solid. Just as of recent, her poop has become mushy and not quite diarrhea but close enough to. I am still feeding her the same exact brand, I did notice that the kibble looks slightly different however. But she is still just as bubbly and energetic as ever and I haven't noticed any changes in regards to her demeanor. So I was curious if anyone else has had a similar problem in regards to this brand of food and if so, what recommendations would you suggest I change to? Thank you!!

Gentlelake thank you for sharing the article! I was wondering about all the possible options and I had heard about the gentle leader and was curious if it worked well. If I do end up needing a harness, it probably will be something more like the easy walk then. Chanse, thank you for all the advice! I did start in with the recall and check in training and it seems to me like it is working. So we'll continue it and see how it goes! I'll most likely have more questions and definitely more pictures to show in future posts! Until then, thank you all so very much:)

Hello! I am also a new member here and I was reading the boards before I picked up my little bundle for some research and general advice. I was (am) exactly where your mind is at. I've grown up with dogs before but never that were considered my own dog and this is my first time with a border collie. A lot of the posts I've read on these boards have actually been very reassuring for me in my ability to raise a puppy. A majority of the general research I went through was more or less warnings on what high energy dogs BC's can be and I had countless neighbors and family tell me oh no you won't be able to handle one and they're way too energetic. After months and months of research and serious thought, my decision remained the same. I knew that if I kept confidence in my ability to raise a puppy and offer a loving, stable home that I could in fact handle a border collie. It's been a little over a month since we picked Luna up and it has been such a fun-filled happy experience so far! Given all the warnings in my research, I was bracing myself for a storm. I have been pleasantly surprised! I'm not sure if I just got lucky, or this is just the calm before the storm, but Luna has been relatively laid back for the most part. And she has adjusted into her new life nicely. When I started with the training, I used clicker training and positive reinforcement and for a basically inexperienced trainer, it seems to be working well. I think it is proving very useful for me. I think it's extremely important to keep patience and to remind yourself to stay calm. I'm only in the beginning stages and the frustration will inevitably set in at times. But then I just think about how my life has been filled with so much more joy since getting Luna and I couldn't imagine a day without her. I'm also really grateful for this forum. There seems to be a lot of knowledgeable owners who are more than happy to offer any recommendations or advice. Anywho, just offering some thoughts from a recent new mommy. Congratulations on your new puppy and good luck! It will be an exciting adventure filled with silliness and lots of puppy kisses I'm sure! I'll leave it to the experts on the high quality wisdom! Just a PS! A lot of the posts and advice on this topic also helped to ease my mind. http://www.bordercollie.org/boards/index.php?showtopic=37742

Thank you everyone for all the feedback! I guess I am just over thinking things quite a bit. I just want to be sure I am taking all the right steps towards a happy obedient dog. She really hasn't gotten herself into any trouble yet. She's surprised me in that way. For a puppy, she seems to be on the more laid back side. I do keep thinking this is just the calm before the storm before she really decides to get crazy on me. So in any case, all these suggestions will prove very useful. I will be sure to check out that book as well! I began clicker training, with lots of positive reinforcement, pretty much from day one and it appears to be working well with her. This is my first time with clicker training and I am trying to be as careful and accurate as I possibly can be. I haven't really started outside with the clicker training yet because it's been so damn cold but I'm hoping once I start it will help better her focus outside surrounded by distractions. This is pretty much where I am at now with her and occasionally I'll throw in a clap or a hey for when she's about to get into something I absolutely don't want her near - the trash can or our christmas tree (I still haven't gotten around to taking it down ) but that usually works every time. Chanse, the issue on leash pulling was actually the next question I had in mind so thank you for that advice! I was curious to know if anyone heard of gentle leaders and whether or not they work well? Also if you need to wait till a certain age to put that type of leash on them? I believe the easy walk harness is made by the same company. Perhaps that would be a better option. I live in a beach town and it's incredibly crowded in the summer and I want to really work on Luna being able to remain calm around people. Ideally it would be great if I can get her to the point where she will be able to relax while people pass by, like you mentioned with your Archer. Again, thank you so much everyone for all the useful information! It is very helpful!

Hello everyone! This is my first post on the boards and I am looking forward to join in a community that is willing to offer advice or recommendations as well as just sharing in their own personal stories. It has been exactly a month since I picked up my little baby, Luna and she has been such an angel. I couldn't be more grateful that she adjusted to the transition to a new home extremely well. She pretty much settled in by day two! She has been a complete sweetheart to anyone she meets! She seems to really love being around people which, being a first time owner, I went into this thinking she would feel pretty shy and nervous around strangers but she has been just wonderful. And she is as smart as a whip! I knew border collies were considered the smartest breed but man, how quickly they learn! It has been such a surprising fun experience so far and I'm so excited to see what the future will bring with her training. And speaking of training, I was curious to know how other owners disciplined their puppies and whether there is a right and wrong way. Anything Luna has done that was considered unacceptable behavior I have given her a firm no and removed her from the situation if needed. She quickly came to understand what no means and will listen to me the majority of the time and stop the behavior. I always praise her tremendously when she is doing the desired behavior. And I offer any alternatives where I can. That being said, there have been some instances where even if I repeatedly say no, she will not listen until I have to physically remove her from whatever she is doing. Just for example, chewing on the blankets. I realize I will be running into this quite a lot given she is just a puppy. But I was curious whether it is wrong to raise your voice? I have not flipped out tremendously or anything but the frustration tends to set in and before I know it, I find myself repeating my no's in a much louder tone. After I do this, she realizes and then will usually end whatever behavior. She hasn't acted scared afterwards or ran away from me or anything and she is still just as loving and cuddly towards me. But I guess I just want to make sure this won't cause any damage I'm unaware of that might prevent her from trusting me in the long run. The last thing I want is to create anything that will have a detrimental effect on my relationship with her. If anyone has suggestions on what has worked with their own puppy or what they believe will be a better alternative, I am all ears! I really hope this doesn't seem like an idiotic question. In all my research the fact that border collies can be sensitive creatures came up, so I just want to be sure I am on the right path to working well with her. Thank you for taking the time to read through my long post! Sincerely, Margaret PS I attached some pictures of my Luna! The pictures are from around 8 weeks. She is now 12! I'll have to get a photoshoot in soon:)