An Update on Aelin (Border Whippet puppy)

This is not an easy post to write, but transparency is one of the cornerstones of my program. With the highs of raising dogs also come hard moments, and I believe it’s important to share both.

On August 9th, one of our younger puppies, Aelin, experienced several seizures, including three grand mal episodes, and was admitted to an ER veterinary hospital in Reno. Her initial bloodwork and distemper test came back normal, and at this time we do not have clear answers as to why this happened. Possible causes could include exposure to a toxin, head trauma, reactions to anesthesia or medications, infectious disease, or an underlying neurological or genetic condition. She was started on Keppra, an anti-seizure medication, which has kept her stable since. Between that first dose at the ER and her second dose (delayed by pharmacy timing), she went a full 24 hours with no medication and no seizure activity, and she has remained completely her normal self since then.

As with many neurological conditions, one of the hardest parts is the uncertainty. We don’t yet know whether this will prove to be an isolated event or something ongoing. What we do know is that Aelin is safe, stable, and happy in the present moment.

I believe strongly in transparency, so I want to share this update openly here. At this point, there have been no other seizures or neurological concerns in any related dogs from either side of Aelin’s pedigree. While it is of course frightening, there is not currently evidence of a broader pattern.

For now, we will continue to monitor Aelin closely and work with her veterinary team. I’ll provide relevant updates as they happen.

Because the cause is uncertain and we cannot say for sure whether it was environmental or genetic, I have made the decision to remove all of Aelin’s siblings who were being considered as future breeding prospects from those plans. Lapis, her dam, is already retired from breeding (for unrelated reasons), and Mushu, her sire, has no additional litters planned at this time and likely will not in his lifetime.

For her half siblings, both the purebred Border Collies through Mushu and the purebred Whippets through Lapis, I won’t be making any final decisions on their breeding potential for quite some time. My plan is to carefully watch them and all related dogs over the course of several years before making that call, especially with the Border Collies seeing as they are still very young.

It is not a decision I make lightly, but health and responsibility come first. I would rather be over cautious than take risks with something as serious as seizures. The one saving grace is that Aelin was here with me when this happened so I have been able to shoulder this responsibility myself and no puppy owner has had to endure it. The day the seizures happened was the day she was going to be picked up by her future home, and the day after returning to me after being with a trainer for a one month sport puppy start. 

She will still find a loving home and of course she always has a place here with me, as every puppy I bring into the world does. 

Update – 09/03/25:
Aelin had her follow-up appointment and is looking great. The vet feels that the most likely cause of her seizures was toxin exposure rather than an ongoing neurological condition, though we can’t know for certain. We now have the option to start weaning her off Keppra in about a month, or to wait longer if her new family prefers.

I’m also happy to share that Aelin has officially been placed in her new home. Her owners will work closely with their veterinarian to decide when and if to taper her off medication. For now, she is thriving, loved, and getting to live the happy puppyhood she deserves.

Depending on how things progress for Aelin, there is a chance her Border Whippet siblings who were breeding candidates may be considered again in the future but I am in no rush to make that call and will need to see Aelin seizure free for a long time before I feel comfortable making a decision like that.