From the first day we became inseparable, we are always spending as much time together as possible, looking for plans where she can accompany me, living adventures and for my part, learning about these furry friends to understand their needs and always be able to give them the best.
I loved seeing her enjoy herself and seeing her face filled with happiness; it was the greatest satisfaction in the world.
However, 6 months ago and without warning, our lives took a turn; we couldn't imagine what was to come.
It all started one night like any other. Suddenly, we noticed Milka was trembling. We thought she was dreaming, as had happened a few times before, but the tremors intensified, and since it seemed like unusual behavior, we decided not to ignore it and went to the vet immediately.
We spent several days doing test after test, visiting several specialists: cardiologists, neurologists... And about a week after the first attack (which we then learned was mild), Milka had more episodes of tremors and seizures, more frequent and more intense, finally we got our diagnosis and heard the word "EPILEPSY".
At that moment, overwhelmed by the lack of knowledge about everything this disease can entail, we tried to cling to the idea that, perhaps, it was just a one-off thing, because when are you ever prepared to be told that your furry friend is sick?
When you suddenly see your dog convulsing for no apparent reason, without knowing what's happening to her, you even think the worst...
Unfortunately, we barely had time to process the news; the seizures happened again, and it wasn't just one, but 13 attacks in 24 hours.
Milka suffered a lot from the attacks, she would become very weak and with hardly any strength to recover, so we had to hospitalize her and do more tests to see if we would face possible aftereffects.
The nights Milka spent in the hospital were the worst I remember, nights of anguish, without sleep because I didn't know what was happening and because I didn't have her by my side.
Finally, Milka was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy. This disease has no apparent cause; there's no reason why it happens, it just happened to her. And although she can lead a normal life, she needs lifelong medication and follow-up care.
Following the diagnosis, it was a very difficult few months. Milka was devastated, lost a lot of weight, was apathetic, and above all, that happy face that always characterized her disappeared completely.
With a lot of effort, patience, and above all, a lot of love, she improved. We researched and read a lot about nutrition, nutritional supplements, and care to try to find the best for her in this new stage.
Today, I am very proud to say that we have managed to stabilize her illness, although we know that this is a daily struggle, requiring special care, attention, involvement, expenses...
Unfortunately, we know that many dogs diagnosed with epilepsy are abandoned for this reason, and it breaks our hearts.
When buying or adopting a pet, we must be aware that they get sick too, and that life isn't always going to be easy. Let's stop rejecting dogs because they're sick and understand that yes, dogs do get sick; they have allergies, the flu, viruses, tumors, fractures, leukemia, epilepsy... They have all the illnesses a person can have, and obviously, that causes expenses, but the solution should never end in abandonment.
When you love an animal so much that you consider it your child, you don't think of any other option than to accept whatever comes and move forward.
Today, we are very happy with all the obstacles we have overcome, and above all to see Milka happy, being herself again and with the great desire to live that she has.
She has a family that loves her, takes care of her, and will fight to give her the best possible quality of life, and she has a sister who adores her, protects her, and always will.
We love you, Milka.”
You can follow Milka's story through her Instagram account @milka.y.nutella