If you are on the A-C list you have already gotten wind of this. If the following news is new to you, I need an updated e-mail address or you are on the D list. Sorry.

Saturday evening our dog Franklin went into an epileptic status state, with seizures occurring every 30 seconds or so. I struggled to get the 80lbs. hound into the back seat of our two-door, while he has convulsing, frothing and urinating (anybody want to buy a Dodge Stratus?). We raced to a nearby Vet ER.

The basic tactic with epileptic dogs is to control the seizures as much as possible with medication. With the case of the Status on Saturday, the goal is to knock the dog out and stop the seizures. At the ER he was given large doses of valium without success. We were told that the best thing for the dog was to transfer him to our neurological ER about 20 miles north. This is where Franklin's neurologist was located.

This time my wife got the back seat and the syringe of valium while I drove. Franklin's Status continued. We arrived at the next vet and Franklin was anesthetized completely. By the time that occurred his Status lasted approximately two hours. We put down a significant four-figure down payment and signed a DNR.

Over the next two days, Franklin was placed on heavy doses of Keppra and Phenobarbitol while being tapered off his anesthetic. Again, the trick is to break the seizure cycle and bring him back online. On Sunday, he began to seize and was placed back on the anesthetic. On Tuesday, when he was coming to, he began to exhibit frontal seizures with his eye brows and ear movements reflecting abnormal brain activity. He was anesthetized again.

We visited on Monday evening, after the second attempt to break his cycle. We found our dog sleeping normally. We were told that hopefully he would be brought back around and things would be progress towards solid food, oral meds and a trip home. When we saw him on Tuesday evening, after being under for a solid three days, he exhibited signs of pneumonia with labored breathing, elevated body temperature and increased heart rate. He was scheduled to come off the anesthetic at 3am Wed, and then we would be able to determine if he was going to make it.

In all honesty, my wife and I knew that he was not coming home after seeing him on Tuesday evening. We figured he would come back to and seize again. Prolonged Status cycles can cause brain damage, and every seizure makes the dog more prone to future seizures. At best we would have most likely had a dog that was in-pared in some way. We prepared to make a third trip back the Vet on Wednesday to most likely euthanize Franklin.

We received a call shortly after 3am on Wednesday from the Vet. Franklin went into cardiac arrest and passed. With that our shelter dog leaves a life where he was completely cherished by all who had the opportunity to meet him. A life of loving attention and support through his long struggle with an erratic disease.

My wife is completely crushed.