seizures and blindness

[ginasister]

My border collie mix is 11-years-old.  She started getting cataracts but could still see.  A couple weeks ago, she had a seizure.  The next day we took her to the vet.  He said unless she has another one, we weren't going to use medication yet.  About 10 days later, she had 3 in one day.  We took her to the pet emergency place.  They kept her overnight and started her on kepra.  After that my vet wanted to change it over to Phenobarbitol.  
My problem is that beginning with the first seizure, her vision is bad.  She can't see in front of herself and coupled with the medicine, she is so out of it.  When she isn't sleeping, she is walking around aimlessly and bumping into things.  If she gets into a corner, she doesn't know how to back up.  She wasn't sleeping well so we put Michael Buble on and she's out but she gets up several times during the night.  So I do.  We're waiting for her to get adjusted to the medication and go from there.  In the meantime, we are making sure she eats and drinks and goes for little walks but she has to be watched almost 24/7.  Often she is panting so I'm worried she is in pain.  
I don't mind if she is blind and it's ok if she is temporarily out of it but coupled it is so difficult.  I work and my kids are at school and I put her in my bedroom.  But I worry all day.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  I looked into taking her to Pittsburgh for a Cat scan but it's $1500 that I don't have.  Any information would be helpful.

[lindapalm]

I have no good advice for you, but wanted to say your in my thoughts, we have a border collie/lab that's fifteen and I constantly watch over her knowing theres not much time left.  I hope your girl improves,but if she doesn't, just know you've given her a great life, and I'm sure she's given much back..Its so hard when they get old.

[ginasister]

This morning she wouldn't get up to go outside.  She ate about 3 bites of her food.  I coaxed her to get up and she was falling over at first.  We went outside and she squatted down to pee and couldn't get up.  She's down again with her head up and her eyes closed.  She's getting worse every day.  I think I know what to do, I think.

[ginasister]

Thank you for your response.  I created a corral for her next to my bed surrounded by pillows and blankets and she slept well last night with less panting.  I'm going to give her the two weeks on the Pheno and see if she gets used to it.   I will post any updates.  She is 72 pounds btw.  My yellow lab lived to 13 so I was planning on that but I know they are all different.  I like reading about other people's experiences so thank you for that too.

[Jerry_NJ]

I support your decision on the CatScan, the cost would exceed the benefit in my economic (not emotional) driven sense.  

How large a dog, under 50 pounds?  Asking more to my above point, a large dog typically lives 12 or fewer years.  Our 90 pound Golden Retriever had was was diagnosed as a spinal stroke and he lost use of his rear legs.  We took the low cost way out and used water therapy ourselves to get him back on his feet....yes he was examined by a vet who said he could get over it on his own.  We took him into water deeper than his legs and he "doggie paddled" and this (and time - maybe a month) got his rear legs going again.  No more running and nothing more than a 3 step stair case.  He also had a "fat pocket" problelm and they were diagnosed as cancerous when he was 12 - so simply removing them was no longer an option.  We put him down at 12.

I realize I have ventured away from anything you asked, but I think it may be worth the effort for me to calibrate my opening statement.

Hope you current effort leads to additional life for your dog...let us know how he does, we all learn from each other.