Beau

In January of 2011 The Little Dog Rescue was contacted by one of our fosterer’s veterinary surgeries, to ask if we might be able to offer a place to a young dog with epilepsy. His owners had asked the vet to consider putting him to sleep when they found his seizures too distressing to cope with and believed no-one else would offer an epileptic dog a home. They cared very much for him but were at a loss. We agreed to help.

Beau came in to one of our foster homes and immediately began a drug regime to try to bring his fits under control.

Unfortunately Beau’s seizures proved difficult to reduce to a level that allowed him to maintain a level plateau, and he had been suffering clusters of seizures. He recently spent a night with an emergency vet as an inpatient after suffering 12 seizures in just a couple of hours. We are working with the vets to rule out other causes for the seizures, and Beau is now on a drug cocktail which costs around £8 a day. This has had a dramatic effect, and he has had no full seizures since starting this regime, however it had the negative effect of causing him to be very dopey and vacant. A slight reduction in one of the doses has caused no negative effect on the fits, but a wonderful improvement of Beau's alertness and response.  It is hoped over the next few months that further reductions may be possible and that with regular blood reports it will be possible to reach a level of medication that keeps the seizures to a minimum and Beau’s enjoyment of life at a premium.

Beau’s foster family thinks he’s wonderful. He is a real character, and although they’ve become accustomed to his ‘away with the fairies’ vacant moments and his odd quirk for chewing electrical cables, they also see the very affectionate and loving side of him which makes him a joy to know. He enjoys life, and they want to ensure he gains as much from his life as possible.

Beau’s long term plan is unsure at this time. It would be wonderful to see him in a lifetime home, where his new family perhaps has an understanding of epilepsy, either through dog or human experience. His medication costs would need to be taken into account however, and many prospective owners are deterred by this. It is a shame because they are missing out on a really loyal, affectionate, loving and fun boy who would thrive in his own active family. It may be that Beau remains as a foster dog for life. For the moment he is one of our Sponsored dogs, being cared for within a foster home and his medical expenses covered by the rescue.

Beau will be on epilepsy medication for the rest of his life. Whilst the actual prescription and costs may change, maintainence of his condition will cost at least £100 a month. Would you consider making a donation, or perhaps setting up a Standing Order to help towards the cost of Beau’s, or another of our sponsored Dogs’ medications?

Beau is a very special Sponsored Dog with a long-term foster home, and receiving the ongoing support of The Little Dog Rescue. If you would like to read more about Beau, view more photos and hear from his foster family about his progress please join our forum where you will be able to find Beau in the Sponsored Dogs section.

Donations to assist with the ongoing care of Beau or other Sponsored Dogs can be made through the Paypal link on our forum, and it is also possible to arrange a regular payment via Standing Order. Please contact us for further details.