Are you looking for a loyal companion who loves to cuddle? Pickle is your guy. He is very affectionate and loves lap-sitting, couch cuddling, and lying next to his humans on the bed. Pickle gives the best neck nuzzles, too. Pickle gets along well with adults, other dogs, and our children (ages 9 and 12). Pickle has not been around cats, so his compatibility with cats is unknown. Besides cuddling, Pickle also enjoys exploring our fenced backyard, going on walks, and being part of our family routines at home. Pickle occasionally tries to counter surf (typical Brittany) and chew things that he is not supposed to, but preventative practices such as keeping things off of the floor and food out of his reach have minimized these behaviors. Pickle is housetrained, crate trained, and he knows a few basic obedience commands. Pickle is fully vaccinated, heartworm negative and on preventative, microchipped, and he was recently neutered.

Health: Within a few days of joining our family in late May, Pickle had two seizures in one day. We took Pickle to our veterinarian for a check up. Bloodwork and a physical exam showed that Pickle was healthy, so he was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy (unknown cause). We started Pickle on anti-seizure medication that day. The purpose of the medication is to prevent or reduce seizures, but it will not stop seizure activity completely. Over the past two months, Pickle has had three breakthrough seizures while on medication (approximately every 2-3 weeks). As a result, we have worked with our veterinarian to adjust his medication and dosage as needed. According to our veterinarian, Pickle should only experience breakthrough seizures very 2-3 months (while taking medication), so finding the right dosage for Pickle is still a work in progress. Pickle’s breakthrough seizures have been mild, and each one occurred when he was asleep. Pickle takes two anti-seizure medications (pills) twice a day to reduce/prevent seizure activity. Pickle will need twice daily anti-seizure medication for his entire life. Luckily, the medication is affordable and easy to administer.

History: Pickle was found as a stray in Minnesota in mid-May. He stayed in an animal shelter for a week before he joined our family as a foster dog.