My five year old Pug had 14 seizures

I was lying in bed with my pug when he suddenly started seizing—the first time I’d ever witnessed such an event. Panicked, I rushed him to the living room, grabbed some water, and watched as he jumped into the water with his paws. I quickly brought out a large pan so he had better access to cool off.

As he paced, I noticed that he seemed paralyzed on one side. The seizures continued, and I was in hysterics, realizing the gravity of the situation. Despite his slight thinning appearance, I hadn’t noticed anything amiss before he seizure at the time.

Without hesitation, I called the nearest emergency vet, who advised me to bring him in for immediate assistance.

I never drove faster in my life as I sped to the hospital. My pug Rolly only had brief breaks between each seizure. The situation worsened, and fluid began to seep from his nose, while his saliva bubbled. He began to cry and yelp. At one point he even went limp and I thought he had passed I tried to keep him calm, praying to any higher power for a swift arrival.

On the way, a police officer stopped me, but I managed to wave at him and beg him to let me continue. He understood the urgency of the situation and allowed me to proceed.

Finally, I arrived at the hospital, where everyone was waiting anxiously for my arrival. At this point, he had experienced approximately 10 seizures, each lasting around 30 seconds. The vet administered phenobarbital and fluids to help him recover.

The doctor initially offered a quote of $4000 for his stay, which was a significant financial burden for me, as I’m a single mother of three. Despite my efforts, he concluded that there was a low chance of my baby surviving. He believed it was likely a disorder that would require constant and expensive treatment, and he suspected permanent brain damage. The doctor suspected either a brain tumor or a neurological disorder. During his stay, they had to administer three more doses of phenobarbital due to his frequent seizures. He even vomited once while in the oxygen tank. When I saw him in the tank, I knew this was the end—my baby was gone. He was only five years old. I had my son say goodbye to him on FaceTime, and he managed to open his eyes for a second before trying to move but failing. He started whimpering in pain. I held him as long as I could before they put him down. I have never cried so much in my entire life. My son and my pug were inseparable. I can’t comprehend how my dog could be fine one moment and have multiple seizures and die without warning the next. I keep wondering if I did everything I could and if it was the right decision. I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard of something like this extreme happening. If any of you have insights or experiences to share, please let me know. I’m devastated and can’t stop crying. I feel like a failure. I thought that if I could just get him there, he would survive. I had no idea he would die.