Dog suffering from seizures...another sad condition

I read with sadness the letter from Mary Dionne (Sept. 25), who shared her experience on the loss of her dog, Millie.

As many know by reading these letters, I have shared my experiences with local veterinarians, especially regarding my chocolate lab, Moose. Most do not know, however, what caused me to be so cynical.

On Christmas Eve 2000, Moose was having cluster seizures. I called my vet, whose service advised me to call the vet "on call." I was stunned when told "they didn't know the case" and, "We know it's scary, but dogs don't die from seizures." I hung up in disbelief. We raced to Portland at midnight in a snowstorm, Moose seizing in my arms the entire time.

After a five-day stay, it was determined that he was undermedicated for his condition. My husband eventually uncovered that a technician made an error when filling his last script. The same clinic that had made the decision that triggered his epilepsy had given the wrong medication and was unavailable when its mistake was wreaking havoc on our family.

Our tragic experiences finally led us down the right path -- to Dr. Matthew C. Townsend, his colleagues and staff at Kennebec Veterinary Services Inc. in Waterville. Moose passed on April 21. The people at Kennebec Veterinary are still helping us through the grief as well as caring for our other two boys.

If you're a patient at their clinic, they are there for you when you need them most.