Bundaleer said :-


Hi Bundaleer

Thanks for the info re treatments. We've now got our Lurcher on Vivitonin (active ingredient propentofylline) so I'll let you know how we get on.

I've visited the University of New South Wales in Sydney before as I know a few people in the Civil Engineering Dept there. Wish I had uni holidays - the disadvantage of postgrad only uni is that the courses run from Oct - Sept so now is our busiest time re thesis submission and getting started for new term.

Good luck with the new treatment, I hope it helps your lurcher feel a bit better. Out of curiosity, can I ask what sort of behavioural changes you noticed, and if you can recall, in what order they occured?

One of my supervisors works at UNSW, but he's over in the hospital side at the neuropsychiatric institute, so I haven't seen much of the actual campus. Let me know if you're ever out this way again, it would be nice to meet you.

Hi Bundaleer,

I need to wait for a suitable conference to get out to Oz again but I'd certainly love to go back to Sydney and yes will certainly let you know.

In terms of Marra's (our 13 year old lurcher) behavioural changes they've roughly gone in the following order:

1. Christmas 2007 Marra suddenly developed stroke like symptoms which according to our vet was possibly vestibular syndrome. She recovered quickly (within 1 week).

2. Spring 2008 increasingly sleeping deeper and longer as expected in older dogs but with increasing disorientation when she woke up. Didn't seem to know where she was e.g. if called to go outside for the toilet when she was asleep struggled to work out where the garden door was.

3. June 2008 had two seizures. Blood tests didn't show any poisoning or could point to any cause.

4. Then over this summer Marra has just become more disorientated to the extent that she gets very distressed and confused if she is left alone out of a routine situation with continued disorientation when waking up from sleep. This came to a head when we were up in Scotland last month and Marra was left downstairs for the night at my Dad's house which she's been in a number of times before but became very distressed, couldn't settle at all and seemed to 'panic'. So since you mentioned that they could be treatments to help what seems to me to be a 'dementia' type/aging problem I asked my vet to see what could help.

5. Overriding these issues is the fact that Marra is going a bit deaf! However, overall she's eating very well, still enjoys her walks approx 45 min - 1 hour and can still manage going out running with me.

At the moment Marra seems to be on good form. I'll let you know how we get on.

Good luck with Freshers week at the uni! That's coming up for us in Oct - but it's quite a low key affair at my Uni. Elise

Hi Bundaleer,

Unfortunately, Marra has had another seizure. She's absolutely none the worst for wear but we went to the vets again. Really now the most likely diagnosis is a brain lesion. The vivitonin is good as increases the blood flow to the brain as I understand it and Marra at the moment is on really good form quite active and not disorientated and enjoying her food.

I'm sorry to hear about Marra, you are probably right about the brain lesion, as seizures are not a dementia thing. I'm glad the vivitonin is working for her, hopefully she will continue to live a long and happy life!