Has anyone seen the story about the narcoleptic dog on TV? Kinda sad - the poor thing falls down asleep every time he gets excited about anything, including his food. So for a dog that is pretty much most of the time. he even falls asleep sitting up. They are trying anti-depressents they use on ppl, but not working.
He is a little white poodle. Hope they find a way to help him.
Narcoleptic dog
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annabradley
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2005 11:17 pm
- Location: Klamath Falls, OR
Re: Narcoleptic dog
I kept looking for the punchline 
I guess this is not the setup for a joke.
Anna B.
I guess this is not the setup for a joke.Anna B.
Re: Narcoleptic dog
What station was this on? I've never heard of pets being narcoleptic, ever. And, anti-depressants are probably making matters worse, because most of these drug-classes carry side effects of drowsiness 
..........Traci
It was on CBS- one of those magazine shows - Inside Edition...for real. They showed the Vet and he said was extremely unusual and other vets are trying to assist him to find a way to treat the dog successfully. The reason they gave those particular drugs is that they are used for Narc. in ppl and that was the only thing they had to go on now.
link on msnbc
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9760208/&&CE=3088327
from searching I see a couple other dogs besides Skeeter...there is Beau and Rusty..interesting- I guess they are also trying Ritalin on Skeeter. Was disturbing to watch...the poor thing would go a couple of feet and fall down alseep.
here's a picture...awwww...poor little guy
http://www.journalnet.com/articles/2005 ... news02.txt
link on msnbc
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9760208/&&CE=3088327
from searching I see a couple other dogs besides Skeeter...there is Beau and Rusty..interesting- I guess they are also trying Ritalin on Skeeter. Was disturbing to watch...the poor thing would go a couple of feet and fall down alseep.
here's a picture...awwww...poor little guy
http://www.journalnet.com/articles/2005 ... news02.txt
Re: Narcoleptic dog
Reading that second story...I do not understand how it can be narcolepsy...how can he suddenly just develop the disorder...and why did he start to fall asleep 2 or 3 days around the same time he went in for an enlarged lymph node...
It does not add up and I think I would be seeing a different vet who is not so bent on being an overnight celebrity in the veterinary field bragging about diagnosing narcolepsy...
hhmmmm...at first I laughed about it...but now I hope the owner gets to the bottom of the REAL underlying problem that is causing this poor dog to miss out on life...
BTW...my DS saw the picture, and said, "That's not a poodle"...I said yes it is, it just is sheered short...in his usual way os speaking without thinking...he said, "I thought poodles were only female"...
My husband and I sat looking at him, then laughed and I said, "There has to be males and females...how do you think they keep making MOE poodles?!"....he turned soooo red...
It does not add up and I think I would be seeing a different vet who is not so bent on being an overnight celebrity in the veterinary field bragging about diagnosing narcolepsy...
hhmmmm...at first I laughed about it...but now I hope the owner gets to the bottom of the REAL underlying problem that is causing this poor dog to miss out on life...
BTW...my DS saw the picture, and said, "That's not a poodle"...I said yes it is, it just is sheered short...in his usual way os speaking without thinking...he said, "I thought poodles were only female"...
My husband and I sat looking at him, then laughed and I said, "There has to be males and females...how do you think they keep making MOE poodles?!"....he turned soooo red...
Re: Narcoleptic dog
After looking through some veterinary literature, it appears narcolepsy is in fact a condition in some breeds, although extremely rare. It usually occurs before 6 months of age and a young pet's symptoms may improve with age.
Having said that, I'm assuming the vet has utilized blood profiling and has ruled out metabolic, immune system, neoplastic, and neurological disorders, since the dog is 5 years of age.
There are a few clues in the story that could actually help the owner, since the attacks are not specific to food only...chasing sqirrels, even talking walks, ...the owner could work on those two things alone to reduce the occurance of the attacks. The food issue could be approached in a number of ways---time of day, external stimuli during feeding, etc. Choking on food is not considered a danger for this condition, and the pet does not actually suffer, unless the owner puts the pet in a situation of risk (outdoor activities unsupervised, etc)
Having said that, I'm assuming the vet has utilized blood profiling and has ruled out metabolic, immune system, neoplastic, and neurological disorders, since the dog is 5 years of age.
There are a few clues in the story that could actually help the owner, since the attacks are not specific to food only...chasing sqirrels, even talking walks, ...the owner could work on those two things alone to reduce the occurance of the attacks. The food issue could be approached in a number of ways---time of day, external stimuli during feeding, etc. Choking on food is not considered a danger for this condition, and the pet does not actually suffer, unless the owner puts the pet in a situation of risk (outdoor activities unsupervised, etc)
..........Traci