Some major decisions needing to be considered concerning my baby boy.

[Libra926]

So...................................
Vegas went in and had his blood draw done for his med monitoring on Saturday. Dr Uhler called me today and wanted to talk. He first asked me how Vegas was doing. I told him about his seizure that he had early Monday morning. He almost made it 30 days from his last seizure. This one was longer that normal and he paced until about 3:30am.
He told me that he wanted to increase his phenobarbital level. His level was within theraputic range, but at the low end. He also suggested that if we can't get better control of the seizures..he wants us to go back to the neurologist.
He is concerned about a possible brain lesion. Apparently (and correct me if I'm wrong) lesions can happen from several different things...two of them being seizures and strokes. I know that having a seizure can cause a stroke, even death.
He wants us to consider an MRI.
If he does have a brain lesion..can anything be done? If we don't do an MRI, can a brain lesion get worse over time?
An MRI would not be covered under his insurance (i don't think) because if falls under pre-existing conditions. It costs anywhere from 2 to 3 grand. They would have to completely sedate him.
We do have Carecredit...so hopefully we would be able to use part of that to help cover part of the cost.
Should we do a MRI if there is nothing to be done with the results?
I'm so indecisive with the decision.
What do you guys think?
I'd like to say money isn't an concern, but my husband works on commision. People who build houses buy their supplies from him. Bad economy = no building. Usually summer picks up, but the last few years have been during the summer months.
So, money is a (slight) concern. But we would do whatever necessary to help him out. I'd sell my quad if it was the only way to get quick cash. (my banshee is my ticket out of the valley if the mountain decides to blow)
Your input is appreciated.

 

[catorres8988]

wow that is crazy...poor vegas... :[ i'm soooo sorry to hear that he is suffering from seizures. please keep us posted on what you decide. If it was me i would somehow come up w the money to get the MRI done as well....i know just like me you LOVE ur bullies. good luck and i'll be praying for u and vegas. love ya'll!

 

[TessaAndSamson]

I am looking this up so I can give a more informed answer. Looks like a brain lesion is another word for brain tumor, is that right?

 

[Bella'sMom]

I don't know anything about this. Hopefully [MENTION=530]LisaRN[/MENTION] can shed some light on the medical issues. We are all here for you what ever you decide, I know decisions like this are so terribly hard to make. I pray that Vegas does fine on his new dosage and maybe he won't have to have something else done.

 

[dozersmama]

[MENTION=572]Libra926[/MENTION] I don't have musch medical advice about this but If it were me I would talk to the vet and see if there is any treatment for a lesions BEFORE i got the mri. I love my dog but if there isn't any treatment i couldn't see spending the money. So I know where you are coming from in that reguard. If they were worried about a tumor or something that can be treated or if lesions can be treated then I would do it. Don't feel bad if you dont do it if there is nothing that can be done about ti anyway. Also i'm sorry to hear you and Vegas are having such a hard time my heart goes out to you, I can't imagine how tough this must be(hug)

 

[bullmama]

Think positive Chica. Find out more answers from your vet, or the Nuero vet, and see if an MRI is what you will NEED to do. Hopefully with an increase in his meds we will see less blogs from Vegas's seizures. Remember many of his seizures seem to be incident triggered too. The fireworks. The shake n bake. Doesn't it seem that way to you too?

 

[reallyrob]

Would the MRI actually be considered a pre-existing condition or would your vet treat it as a follow up treatment, which would be covered by most insurance. Who do you have for insurance?

 

[sheshistory]

Honestly, it sounds to me like you need a LOT more information and do a LOT more research before making a decision.

I think the key question here is if you do have an MRI on Vegas and they find something on his brain, will they be able to do anything to treat it? If so, what is the likelihood of success? These things are not clear so I would research on the internet and develop a set of questions to ask Vegas' vet or, even better, the specialist that will be doing the MRI.

It is also my understanding that if Vegas does have a lesion on his brain (basically another name for some kind of tissue abnormality), it would be difficult to diagnose its origin - be it from stroke, trauma, benign tumor, etc.

What is the sense of spending that kind of money identifying a condition in there are not a variety of viable options for you to explore for recovery? Also, I would be sure to ask, if treatment is available, the rate of success and the cost.

All of these things must be weighed but it sounds like Vegas is not in immediate danger so take your time, ask all the questions you need to ask so can be certain you are making the best informed decision possible.

I'm sorry you are going through this. As you know, I understand your position as I was in a similar place not so long ago with Truman's hip.

 

[izstigspunks]

I would research for more info as well. It seems like you're on the right track already. We're always here if you require help.

 

[Terry]

First of find out if the MRI is covered. Increasing the medication if levels are followed may be a good idea. How old is Vegas? I ask because our friends bully actually grew out of all seizures at about two. What kind of lesion?

 

[Libra926]

This was a concern from his vet..who has not been his vet for very long. Vegas is 3 and 1/2. He was diagnosed at 10 months old. His neurologist did say that there was a possibility that he could grow out of it......but that was almost 3 years.
[MENTION=490]reallyrob[/MENTION] We have Trupanion. I use to have VPI for Orion, but they refused to cover Vegas. Vegas was accepted by Trupanion. I'm just about to submit the bill from his Dr appt on Sat. I don't expect them to pay for his blood draws (which are about 200.00) but I do expect them to pay for the vet fee (49.00) and the test on his chin to determine if it was yeast. I guess we will see what they say.
We've seen this neurologist twice already. About once a year. I'm afraid to pursue this. And I'm afraid not to.
[MENTION=2]desertskybulldogs[/MENTION]
Yes, I believe that most of these episodes are triggered by anxiety or exhaustion. His last one was 2 days after Christmas. We had been giving him diazepam twice daily on Christmas Eve, Christmas and the day after. On the 27th...when we stopped dosing him, he had the seizure. I think all the toys..over-stimulation was the culprit.
Monday morning? I have no idea. Nothing really happened that stands out. He wasn't over excited..over exhausted. Not to hot. He was a little restless..but for no reason.
I wish I knew what the triggers were...but there may not be ANY triggers.

 

[kazzy220]

I'm feeling your pain even though what Maggie is going through is not as "physical" as Vegas. I am unsure as to whether a lesion is some kind of brain tumor??? I do know that our neurologist 99.9% ruled out a brain tumor for Maggie because of her age - she was 3 in December. He said it was very unlikely to be a tumor in that age of dog.

Our full treatment for Maggie including bloodwork, meds, MRI, skull x-ray and overnight stay etc came to just under $1800 so maybe the MRI won't be as costly as you think????

My next step would be to make the appointment with the neurologist for a talk and more information. As good as your normal vet is, he is still not a neurologist and that's the person who is going to give you the answers. Our vet even says/whispers the name of our neurologist with a kind of awe because I get the impression these speciality vets are the demi-gods of the veterinary world.

As for whether you are going to pay for the MRI or not .... well if it's needed you know you are so that's a no-brainer. Every time I go to the vets with my husband and Maggie he starts to umm and ahhh and start to grumble about the cost. This time in the neurologist they were asking us how we wanted us to procede after outright telling/hinting the MRI had to be the next step, so when he started to open his mouth I just said to him to "stop right there - you know we're going to do it so save your breath! "

Our next step for Maggie is a spinal tap .... she had an "episode" on Sunday night but it didnt' follow the usual course of 3 nights in a row and so on Monday night and last night she slept all the way through. So in this instance I'm going to decline the spinal tap and wait to see what happens. So the reason why I bring that up is because ultimately they are the experts, but they are still not going to know Vegas as well as you do. So after taking the neurologists advice you need to still go with your gut.

As for Trupanion ... don't forget that what they consider the office visit fee is not covered so you may not get your $49 back if that's what they consider it to be.

Hope that helps a tiny bit ............ (hug)

 

[Libra926]

The specialist said if they sedate him for an MRI, then they would also do the spinal tap at the same time. Poor Vegas.....he'd have to be shaved AGAIN. I'd forgotten that they don't pay for office visits. I'll submit it anyway..who knows. Maybe they will pay for the blood work.
Does anyone know what a brain lesion is?

 

[BruceP]

[MENTION=572]Libra926[/MENTION] ...... Gracie and I just got home from her vet. She was due for one of her annual shots. Anyway, we spent most of the appointment talking about Vegas. Lesion vs. Tumor: Saying that he may have a brain lesion is like saying he may have something wrong with his brain. A Tumor is only one thing that it could be. It could be injured area, chemical problem, etc, etc, etc. So you can see that a lesion is a general term where as a tumor is more specific. An MRI could possibly tell you what the problem is or eliminate certain problems without telling you what it is exactly. Dr. Singh said he would try everything else first before an MRI because of the expense. He also said that your vet should sit down with you and explain each option and what the feasibility of success is with each one. When I said that Vegas' phenobarbatol was dosed at the low end he wondered why they hadn't increased it. He also said to make it clear that not having seen Vegas or know anything about him it is almost impossible to say anything with any confidence. He said he is only saying these things as a general information and that is all. He also said he'd be glad to see Vegas...... He was kidding, I had told him where you live.
Besides that, Princess for some reason has gained 2 pounds and he recommended reducing her food to 3/4 per meal. And that we should start cleaning her ears ourselves instead of having Petsmart do it because they aren't doing a very good job. lol

 

[cali~jenn]

[MENTION=1034]BruceP[/MENTION] how dare you put the princess on a diet!!! I know the feeling tho, turns out Cutty has gained 2 pounds since changing to fromm grain free. PIGGY! So the boys are now cut down as well and act as if they are starved. haha.

[MENTION=572]Libra926[/MENTION] I think you have gotten all the advice that i would give already. I just hope you get this figured out one way or another, I know how much you love Vegas and this must just be so difficult! (hug) Whatever you decide to do will be the right choice, go with your gut instinct once you get all the answers you need.