Hydrocephalus in Dogs - Bodhi Blog - Canine Hydrocephalus

Welcome to Bodhi Blog - Congenital Hydrocephalus in Dogs

NEW! I have just added an area to tell your story, ask questions, and respond to others! I have not had enough time to respond to everyone, so I thought this would be a great way for others with dogs with congenital hydrocephalus and/or blindness to connect with one another.

This site is about Bodhi, a blind brindle Boxer dog with congenital hydrocephalus. He is a very special boy who had a tough beginning. This site was created to help provide information to others who have a dog with congenital hydrocephalus and/or blindness. Dogs who suffer from these disorders do not need to be needlessly euthanized. With compassion, patience, and effective treatment many can live long happy lives.

Bodhi - congenital hydrocephalus

I was told a few times by veterinarians, before seeking treatment with a board-certified neurologist, that a dog like Bodhi should have been euthanized at birth. Even veterinarians make mistakes and promote unnecessary euthanasia, so if you have an animal in a similar situation, seek advice from a veterinarian with a neurology background. Bodhi's quality of life has improved significantly since finding the proper medications. Nearly 6 years after he was born, Bodhi is very interactive and gets along with other dogs, including Mia, another blind boxer.

I am currently working on an extensive list of canine hydrocephalus symptoms to help others who are wondering if their dog has hydrocephalus. Please Leave Your Comments with symptoms you noticed prior to your dog being diagnosed with hydrocephalus or to tell your story, ask questions, etc.

(Picture on Right: March 26, 2010 - Bodhi in the new house, "looking" out at the lake.)

Videos

Here are some links to videos on YouTube of Bodhi, Mia, and others.

Bodhi Blog

2010

July 14, 2010 - Unfortunately, Bodhi had a seizure today at 12:30 p.m. that lasted for about a minute. It involved his entire body. His legs kicked outward during the entire seizure. It looks like he will have to go back on the Potassium Bromide, but I have a call into the vet to verify. The last seizure I witnessed was October 10, 2007, nearly 3 years!
June 29, 2010 - Bodhi turned 6 years old today! He was treated with extra treats for the day and some sardines, which he loved! He is such a lucky little boy to have congenital hydrocephalus and have a nice long life (compared to some of the stories people email me). He is doing so well that, working with his new veterinarian, one medication is being eliminated. I am trying to take him off of potassium bromide by reducing his daily does over 6-8 weeks. As long as he does not have any seizures, he will be able to stay off the medication and hopefully not be so groggy from the medicines. Bodhi's adjustment to the new house has exceeded all my expectations. He learned most of the house, yard, and outside decks within 2 months. He now moves around very quickly with a fair amount of confidence. He is such a cool dog, I wish others could see how happy a challenged dog can be.
April 21, 2010 - I uploaded some new videos of Bodhi at the new house on YouTube. The links are provided above.
April 8, 2010 - Non-Bodhi news: Mia, the other blind dog, got out of the yard after Raudi knocked a whole in the fence while I was gone. When I got back, Mia was missing. Luckily, I found her about 30 minutes later across the street on the beach, facing the ocean. The waves were loud, due to a strong west wind, that apparently attracted her to the beach. She was wet and scared, but otherwise okay.
March 9, 2010 - I moved 1 week ago from New Mexico to Washington state. This was Bodhi's first move since adopting him. He was in the car with me during the 1900 mile trip. He did relatively well, except for eating. He ate only once during the trip and did not get any of his medications for over 3 days. Overall, Bodhi has been doing very well. He is adjusting to the new house faster and with less behavioral problems than I had expected. He has already learned most of the layout of the house and appears to know where the door is when he is outside.
February 12, 2010 - I am working on a extensive list of canine hydrocephalus symptoms to help others who are wondering if their dog has hydrocephalus. Please Contact Me with symptoms you noticed prior to your dog being diagnosed with hydrocephalus.
January 23, 2010 - Bodhi was playing with Raudi in the snow, but I was unable to get a good video since Raudi saw me every time I tried to record them playing. Bodhi was having a great time! He seems to love the snow for some reason.
January 12, 2010 - Bodhi was limping in the morning. He kept falling down when trying to walk. He apparently hurt his back right leg again. He does this overnight occasionally. I think it is from using the dog door where there is a step down immediately outside the dog door that Bodhi seems to have trouble with once in a while. He would not eat most of the day, but his tail was wagging. He finally ate in the evening and I gave him some Rimadyl to help with the pain or any inflammation. Unless I put up a video camera, I will never be sure how he hurts his leg. It always seems to happen at night.

2009

December 22, 2009 - Bodhi continues to do very well. I have posted very little this past year since Bodhi is acting more and more like a normal dog as more time passes. I will be creating and uploading some videos of his odd behaviours in early 2010. I realized, after all these years, no one else has witnessed Bodhi's most interesting behaviours, like how he eats, plays, and sleeps. He is a very comical dog!
July 15, 2009 - A lump was discovered on Bodhi's left ear. After discussing the issue with his veterinarian, we have decided to wait and see. The veterinarian is concerned Bodhi might not wake up from anethesia. Anethesia is a common problem with animals with neurological disorders.
June 22, 2009 - My only cat remaining, Cosmo, died from a malignant tumor.
April 20, 2009 - I have not witnessed a seizure in so long that I do not remember how long it has been. The newest addition to the family, Raudi Audi, is great with Bodhi. Almost every morning, Raudi and Bodhi play in the backyard. Raudi is very tolerant of Bodhi's odd behaviour. I have posted a video of Raudi and Bodhi playing on YouTube.
March 26, 2009 - I added some new pictures to Bodhi's Photo Gallery of him sleeping.

2008

October 29, 2008 - Today is the one year anniversary of Mia joining the family. She has done so well over the past year and gets along great with Raudi and Bodhi. She has the sweetest and most gentle personality I have ever seen in a dog. I don't know what I would have done without her after losing Elley. Mia was a great comfort during that time.
October 11, 2008 - After spending over a month in the house, I have officially adopted Raudi (or Raudi Audi). He is one crazy dog (hence the name), but he helps keep Mia more active and brings out her playful side a lot. Oddly enough, Elley, Bodhi, and Mia all joined the family in Octobers (of different years). I adopted Elley in October of 1997, Bodhi in October of 2004, Mia in October of 2007, and now Audi in October of 2008. I started considering another dog in August, but it took a while to decide to add a dog after losing Elley. Sometimes it still feels too soon, but time to move on.
July 11, 2008 - It has been a long year so far with losing two of my babies. The good news is that Bodhi continues to do well. I cannot remember the last time I witnessed a seizure. His thyroid medication was increased to 0.6mg twice a day about a month ago. I have finally put a full page dedicated to Elley online. It is far from finished but online for anyone to read while I continue to work on it - I apologize if it is overly negative. It may just be too soon. There are two videos of Elley on the page with Bodhi in one of them.
June 29, 2008 - Bodhi turned 4 years old today. I still cannot believe it has been 4 years and that he is doing so amazingly well considering his several mental condition. He is such a happy dog and makes me laugh often. I hope he has many more birthdays!
June 13, 2008 - Teaka, my 18 year old cat died today shortly after 3:00pm. She had been suffering from heart failure or multiple strokes or aneurysms shortly after Elley died on May 7, 2008.
May 7, 2008 - Bodhi's adopted sister, Elley, died after being diagnosed with an atypical lymphoma, carcinoma, and cardiomyopathy in February. In the end she died of heart failure. A full page dedicated to Elley will be added in the near future. I miss you Elley and wish I stayed up with you all night.
January 21, 2008 - Bodhi has been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Since his first blood tests over 3 years ago, Bodhi's thyroid always showed low. However now his levels are below normal and he has been placed on 0.4mg of Soloxine twice a day. His level will be rechecked February 18, 2008. Overall Bodhi has been doing well without any witnessed seizures. He has been a little more aggressive, however this is likely due to a new dog which joined the family October 29, 2007. Since Mia is also blind, she bumps into Bodhi at times when he is experiencing high anxiety, which has causes some near-fights.

2007

October 29, 2007 - A new boxer, currently "Little Girl" has joined the family. The new dog (now known as Mia) is also blind. Her eyes were removed due to severe glaucoma.
October 10, 2007 - Bodhi had a seizure at 7:51pm. It lasted about a minute.
July 8, 2007 - Bodhi had a seizure at 7:27am. It lasted less than 60 seconds. He has not had his KBr for a week due to a delay in receiving the refill.
May 9, 2007 - Bodhi had a seizure at 5:21pm. It lasted less than 60 seconds. He has not had his medication since May 7, 2007 due to complications with his surgery. He has developed an infection with a fever of 105.1 which has caused complete loss of appetite and no interest in water. He will be hospitalized overnight to receive antibiotics, seizure medications, and fluids.
May 4, 2007 - Bodhi's KBr medication has been increased after blood tests done at his checkup on April 25, 2007. He now receives 1.5 cc 2 times per day.
April 25, 2007 - Bodhi had surgery today for a ruptured crucaite ligament in is posterior right knee. The precedure performed is called a TPLO. He has 8 weeks of post-op to go through. He also had a checkup with his neurologist in Colorado prior to the surgery.
March 8, 2007 - Bodhi had another seizure at 3:08pm. His entire body was involved and he foamed at the mouth towards the end. He recovered quickly and was up and running around.
February 8, 2007 - Bodhi had some blood work done after he experienced some droopy eyes for an unknown reason last week. His thyroid Free T4 measured at 6.1 (normal: 8-40 ). He appears he may be low thyroid. Any thyroid medication is going to held off until consultation with his neurologist in March.
January 15, 2007 - Bodhi experienced a seizure at 5:07pm. I heard him fall over in the kitchen. By the time I reached him, he was in the early stages of a seizure. At first he seemed aware of me. As I approached him, he turned his head toward me. The seizure rapidly progressed to his entire body affecting all four limbs. His mouth began foaming halfway through the episode, which lasted about a minute. This may have been the worst seizure I have witnessed Bodhi experience. Also, it was not associated with waking up. He had just come inside from running around outside. After the seizure he had some problems with coordination in his posterior limbs.

2006

December 21, 2006 - Bodhi experienced a seizure at 2:15pm. It happened immediately after waking up. His entire body was involved, all four limbs. It lasted somewhere between 30-60 seconds.
December 9, 2006 - Bodhi experienced a (possible) seizure at 9:40pm. I did no witness the seizure, but I heard the same sounds. By the time I reached him, he was laying still, but woke up and began to breath heavy similar to how he acts after other seizures.
November 13, 2006 - Bodhi experienced a seizure at 12:17am. This was his first observed seizure since April. It appeared to be one of his worst seizures. His entire body was shaking, all four legs.
August 26, 2006 - Bodhi spent the past 3 nights in boarding. He was previously boarded for 1 night on a trial basis and did fairly well. The longer boarding time seems to have been too much for him. He appeared to be frightened by the noises from the other dogs and he did not eat normally while in boarding. He also had symptoms of experiencing 1 or more seizures. His hind leg coordination was awkward after getting him home. Within an hour or so he was walking normally again. Later the same evening he began falling asleep while standing up, which is something he used to do before beginning his medications. He received his medications while being boarded, but it is possible that he did not consume all of the meds - which could have lead to seizures and falling asleep while standing.
June 29, 2006 - Bodhi celebrated his second birthday! Since he gets aggressive around food, he got an unusual birthday present - a pillow. He loves to play with pillows by shaking them vigorously and then ripping them apart - I am just glad he does not do that to furniture :)
May 26, 2006 - Bodhi has remained stable for the past several weeks. I have not witnessed a seizure since April 7, 2006. He does still have issues with becoming freightened, but no where near the levels before he began his medications.
May 8, 2006 - Bodhi has been selected as PetSmart.com's Smart Pet of the Day for May 10, 2006! You will be able to view his photo on PetSmart's site (http://www.petsmart.com) that day.
April 7, 2006 - Bodhi had a very minor seizure at 3:30pm after he woke up. His left eye and his left leg twitched and lasted about a minute. I had missed his medication in the morning, so it may have been due to him not receiving his medications.
March 3, 2006 - It has now been 24 days since Bodhi's last observed seizure. His daily mood seems to have improved over the last month, since being on phenobarbital. He is less anxious which usually led to him being agressive even without food. He also seems to be learning again, as if he were still an adolescent. He has rediscovered the couch and I am allowing him on there on a trial basis. Immediately after getting Bodhi, he would become aggressive when on the couch, so he was banished from any furniture over a year ago. Now he gets up on the couch and puts his paws and head on my lap while he sleeps.
February 22, 2006 - It has now been 15 days since Bodhi's last observed seizure. This is the longest he has gone without me witnessing a seizure. Hopefully this is a result of his new medication. If the side effects from the phenobarbital disappear after the initial two weeks, I am hopeful about his long term well being.
February 14, 2006 - Bodhi began his new medication in the evening - 64.8mg tablets of phenobarbital. He will be given one tablet every 12 hours and evaluated in a few months.
February 10, 2006 - Bodhi's brodmide levels came back and were low, but his doctor expected that since brodmide take 3-4 months to reach full theraputic levels.
February 9, 2006 - Bodhi, Elley (Bodhi's sister), and I drove to Colorado for a follow-up appointment at Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Hospital in Englewood. At this time, his neurologist, Dr. Lane, does not see a need for a second MRI. Bodhi is doing very well considering his neurological condition. He was much more sociable than the first visit last November, showing lower anxiety. He will be trying a second medication, phenobarbital, to help reduce his seizures. He will have another follow-up in late spring or early summer.
February 7, 2006 - Bodhi experienced another seizure at 1:11pm just after waking up. The seizure lasted about 30 seconds. He was lying down and I noticed his face begin to twitch, then he rolled over on his side as the seizure took over his body.
February 6, 2006 - Bodhi experienced another seizure at 9:15am a couple minutes after eating. The seizure lasted about 30 seconds. It began with his back end having very small spasms. Then he became very still and I helped him as he began to fall over. Immediately after the seizure, his mood was very good which is something I have noticed. After almost every seizure his mood is very good and he wants to play.
January 27, 2006 - Bodhi experienced another seizure at 8:43am which lasted about a minute. This one began with his left leg for several seconds than quickly spread throughout his entire body. Bodhi had a second seizure at 7:07pm which lasted less than a minute.
January 26, 2006 - Bodhi experienced a seizure at 8:56am which lasted approximately less than a minute. He had a second seizure at 2:47pm which lasted about the same length.
January 19, 2006 - Bodhi experienced another seizure at 7:08am. The seizure began with his left eye twitching and quickly moved to the rest of his face and the upper part of his body then throughout his entire body until he fell over. The seizure was shorter than previous episodes, lasting only about 30 seconds. He appeared to be fully aware of everything throughout the seizure. He licked my hand as I comforted him during the seizure.
January 16, 2006 - Bodhi experienced another seizure upon waking up at 4:18pm which lasted less than a minute. This seizure was more severe than his previous seizure, however he recovered quickly.
January 6, 2006 - Bodhi experienced another seizure at 8:45am which lasted less than a minute. This seizure appeared less severe and mainly affected his legs. He was up and running around within a few seconds of recovering.

2005

December 26, 2005 - Bodhi experienced his second known seizure at 1:47pm which lasted for approximately 1 minute. He recovered very quickly again without any noticable adverse effects.
December 24, 2005 - Bodhi began his new medication - Potassium Bromide. The dosage is 1 ML twice a day with a concentration of 250MG/ML.
December 14, 2005 - Bodhi experienced his first known seizure at around 5:45pm which lasted for approximately 1 minute. He recovered very quickly and has currently been taken off his medication until further consultation with his doctor in Colorado.
December 12, 2005 - Bodhi has begun showing more difficulty in coming inside through his doggy door. Occasionally he comes inside without problems, but more often he sits outside facing the doggy door hesitating to come back inside. Some previously learned behaviors seem to be disappearing.
December 1, 2005 - Bodhi was diagnosed with congenital hydrocephalus and has been put on clorazepate (dosage being experimented with).