11/28/12 - Cletus - The Schizencephaly Mascot

11/28/12 - Being that I have the only dog in the world reported to have open lipped schizencephaly, I do quite a bit of research into the subject.  Recently I have noticed a lot of interest in articles pertaining to looking for animal studies when it comes to schizencephaly and also a lot of visits to this site from inside and outside of the United States from neurologists and other physicians possibly seeking to understand more about Cletus.

I want to offer any support I can to interested parties in the advancement of the understanding or treatment of schizencephaly or other neurological conditions through this site, through my understanding in dealing with Cletus, or through Cletus himself.  Cletus is a very sweet and timid dog who does not mind being touched and tested, poked and prodded, we all know he has been through enough and that he is very used to it all, but it does need to be understood that I have a couple of rules:

1. I will not let Cletus be hurt in any way.
2. I will not fly Cletus anywhere for fear that the air pressure may cause an issue (such as a seizure).

I believe Cletus can contribute greatly to the understanding of this condition and the doctors at UF have told me that it could take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years for the paper(s) on him to get accepted and be published.  I also believe that many other animals suffer from schizencephaly but die due to misdiagnosis and vets not understanding what they are dealing with.  I hate that other animals continue to suffer when there could be so much we can learn from his condition so I will say again that Cletus and I are available now to interested parties to help in any reasonable way that we can. 

I honestly have been through so many ups and downs with Cletus that I am afriad that by the time the papers do come out about Cletus, he will not be around to help.  He is doing great now but I have a constant fear that the tide can turn at any moment.

We will continue to push to raise awareness of schizencephaly as much as we can but we do need your help. Please spread Cletus' story through any avenue you are able... facebook, twitter, the media, etc... have them contact me for an interview or for Cletus' story or pictures at dsilber27@hotmail.com... and of course, we could always use donations through Cletus' donation site http://igg.me/p/217159.

Love to all,

Doug and Cletus

NOTES:
We will continue to raise awareness of schizencephaly and get Cletus' story told to try to save other animals with this condition. We can't do this alone... we need your help...

The more exposure we can get for Cletus, the more likely it is that we can help other animals out there suffering from schizencephaly. Cletus can't be the only one with this condition. Animals must be getting misdiagnosed and dying from schizencephaly due to vets not understanding what they are dealing with. Help us get the word out about Cletus and schizencephaly.

WHAT IS OPEN LIPPED SCHIZENCEPHALY?:
Open lipped schizencephaly is a congenital cerebral malformation where spaces or clefts remain where the cerebral hemispheres would normally seal shut shortly after birth. Extremely rare in humans, this malformation has never before been known to be reported in a dog making Cletus very special to the doctors even though he has been special to me for a long time. There are great resources available online to learn more about schizencephaly or please contact your physician with questions pertaining to your specific case. It is my understanding that each individual with this condition has unique experiences in relation to the condition.

HELP US IN CLETUS' FIGHT THROUGH DONATION:
Cletus is special in so many ways... not only does his diagnosis make him unique and hopefully able to help find advances in the care and treatment of schizencephaly in both animals and humans, Cletus is honestly the smartest dog I have ever had... and he is missing half his brain! Cletus is AMAZING!!

I have 2 rules when it comes to Cletus' care...
Rule 1 - Cletus' pain level must be low...
Rule 2 - Cletus' quality of life must be high...

As long as these 2 rules are met, I will continue to do anything I can for him and will continue to spend whatever it takes to give him a chance for a "normal" and happy life. Sadly, Cletus' medications, treatments, acupuncture, physical therapy, etc costs over $1,000.00 each month. We are unable to cover any of the costs with pet insurance as insurance does not cover this condition, the University will not cover any associated costs being that they are a "teaching hospital run mainly through donation", and we have not been able to raise any money so far by any other means other than a grand total of $70 brought in through his last campaign which covered a couple of pills.

Basically... WE NEED YOUR HELP...

If you can, please donate to Cletus' campaign http://igg.me/p/217159

HELP US GET THE WORD OUT:
If you know of a source who can help us get Cletus' story into any magazines, articles, blogs, web pages, on TV, radio, etc, please let us know or contact those sources about Cletus. Cletus and I do not mind doing interviews or attending groups, educational workshops, etc to bring attention to schizencephaly in animals or humans. We want to do anything we can to teach and bring attention to the veterinary and medical communities about schizencephaly.

Please help us to get the word out about Cletus and schizencephaly. Contact your local news organization about Cletus or have your local news organization contact me directly at dsilber27@hotmail.com

ELLEN DEGENERES:
Please help us by contacting Ellen through FB and tweet through the avenue below...

Submit Cletus' story to Ellen for us to potentially be on her show: http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/respond/?PlugID=432

http://www.ellentv.com/be-on-the-show/10/

http://www.ellentv.com/

Tweet her: http://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/

STATISTICS (As of April 2012):
As far as Cletus' doctors are aware, Cletus has the only known reported case of open lipped schizencephaly in a canine. The key word here is reported. Most vets are not aware that schizencephaly exists or they are not aware that this condition is possible in an animal. Cletus is living proof of this possibility.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are 78.2 million dogs in the U.S. (http://www.humanesociety.org/). Some sites state that schizencephaly affect 1.54 per 100,000 people. According to rightdiagnosis.com, schizencephaly affects 1 in 2719 people or 0.04% of the population (http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/lists/preval.htm). The fact is that no one is sure how many people schizencephaly truly affects. If we assume these same statistics in dogs, it equates to up to 31,280 dogs out there with schizencephaly in the U.S. alone.

THANKS:
Cletus and I want to thank the following Websites/Magazines/TV Stations/Etc for sharing Cletus' Story:
- ABC TV affiliate WCJB TV20
- Aplacetolovedogs.com
- Dawgbusiness.blogspot.com
- Experienceproject.com
- Fakeitfrugal.blogspot.com
- Houndgirl.com
- Jcagain.com
- Lovewhatsmissing.com
- Movementforhope.org
- News-pics-videos.com/schizencephaly-diagnosis
- Picturesofdogs.net
*** If I missed anyone, please let me know, thanks***

Thank you for your support,

Doug & Cletus
dsilber27@hotmail.com

11/26/2012 - Modern Dog magazine's cutest dog contest

11/26/12 - Cletus was entered into Modern Dog Magazine's cutest dog contest.  You can vote for Cletus by voting for him here - http://www.moderndogmagazine.com/photocontest/dogs/12/11/25/cletus

We will continue to push to raise awareness of schizencephaly as much as we can but we do need your help. Please spread Cletus' story through any avenue you are able... facebook, twitter, the media, etc... have them contact me for an interview or for Cletus' story or pictures at dsilber27@hotmail.com... and of course, we could always use donations through Cletus' donation site http://igg.me/p/217159.

Love to all,

Doug and Cletus

NOTES:
We will continue to raise awareness of schizencephaly and get Cletus' story told to try to save other animals with this condition. We can't do this alone... we need your help...

The more exposure we can get for Cletus, the more likely it is that we can help other animals out there suffering from schizencephaly. Cletus can't be the only one with this condition. Animals must be getting misdiagnosed and dying from schizencephaly due to vets not understanding what they are dealing with. Help us get the word out about Cletus and schizencephaly.

WHAT IS OPEN LIPPED SCHIZENCEPHALY?:
Open lipped schizencephaly is a congenital cerebral malformation where spaces or clefts remain where the cerebral hemispheres would normally seal shut shortly after birth. Extremely rare in humans, this malformation has never before been known to be reported in a dog making Cletus very special to the doctors even though he has been special to me for a long time. There are great resources available online to learn more about schizencephaly or please contact your physician with questions pertaining to your specific case. It is my understanding that each individual with this condition has unique experiences in relation to the condition.

HELP US IN CLETUS' FIGHT THROUGH DONATION:
Cletus is special in so many ways... not only does his diagnosis make him unique and hopefully able to help find advances in the care and treatment of schizencephaly in both animals and humans, Cletus is honestly the smartest dog I have ever had... and he is missing half his brain! Cletus is AMAZING!!

I have 2 rules when it comes to Cletus' care...
Rule 1 - Cletus' pain level must be low...
Rule 2 - Cletus' quality of life must be high...

As long as these 2 rules are met, I will continue to do anything I can for him and will continue to spend whatever it takes to give him a chance for a "normal" and happy life. Sadly, Cletus' medications, treatments, acupuncture, physical therapy, etc costs over $1,000.00 each month. We are unable to cover any of the costs with pet insurance as insurance does not cover this condition, the University will not cover any associated costs being that they are a "teaching hospital run mainly through donation", and we have not been able to raise any money so far by any other means other than a grand total of $70 brought in through his last campaign which covered a couple of pills.

Basically... WE NEED YOUR HELP...

If you can, please donate to Cletus' campaign http://igg.me/p/217159

HELP US GET THE WORD OUT:
If you know of a source who can help us get Cletus' story into any magazines, articles, blogs, web pages, on TV, radio, etc, please let us know or contact those sources about Cletus. Cletus and I do not mind doing interviews or attending groups, educational workshops, etc to bring attention to schizencephaly in animals or humans. We want to do anything we can to teach and bring attention to the veterinary and medical communities about schizencephaly.

Please help us to get the word out about Cletus and schizencephaly. Contact your local news organization about Cletus or have your local news organization contact me directly at dsilber27@hotmail.com

ELLEN DEGENERES:
Please help us by contacting Ellen through FB and tweet through the avenue below...

Submit Cletus' story to Ellen for us to potentially be on her show: http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/respond/?PlugID=432

http://www.ellentv.com/be-on-the-show/10/

http://www.ellentv.com/

Tweet her: http://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/

STATISTICS (As of April 2012):
As far as Cletus' doctors are aware, Cletus has the only known reported case of open lipped schizencephaly in a canine. The key word here is reported. Most vets are not aware that schizencephaly exists or they are not aware that this condition is possible in an animal. Cletus is living proof of this possibility.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are 78.2 million dogs in the U.S. (http://www.humanesociety.org/). Some sites state that schizencephaly affect 1.54 per 100,000 people. According to rightdiagnosis.com, schizencephaly affects 1 in 2719 people or 0.04% of the population (http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/lists/preval.htm). The fact is that no one is sure how many people schizencephaly truly affects. If we assume these same statistics in dogs, it equates to up to 31,280 dogs out there with schizencephaly in the U.S. alone.

THANKS:
Cletus and I want to thank the following Websites/Magazines/TV Stations/Etc for sharing Cletus' Story:
- ABC TV affiliate WCJB TV20
- Aplacetolovedogs.com
- Dawgbusiness.blogspot.com
- Experienceproject.com
- Fakeitfrugal.blogspot.com
- Houndgirl.com
- Jcagain.com
- Lovewhatsmissing.com
- Movementforhope.org
- News-pics-videos.com/schizencephaly-diagnosis
- Picturesofdogs.net
*** If I missed anyone, please let me know, thanks***

Thank you for your support,

Doug & Cletus
dsilber27@hotmail.com

11/21/2012 - Cletus' Story Going Global!!!

11/21/12 - Very cool news today... I just corresponded with an editor of a magazine in the UK who will be doing a story on Cletus for their 2013 annual issue which gets distributed throughout the world!!  I will be publishing the name of the magazine once the story is issued as I do not know if they want their name published and we all know anything can happen between now and then (then being mid-December to the best of my knowledge). 

This will be great exposure for Cletus and our cause of letting vets and the medical community know that schizencephaly is possible in animals and more importantly this could lead to saving the lives of animals with OLS.  I have contacted several veterinary and human neurologists letting them know about Cletus' diagnosis of schizencephaly in the hopes of them being able to study Cletus' case and help other animals or humans with the condition.

We will continue to push to raise awareness of schizencephaly as much as we can but we do need your help.  Please spread Cletus' story through any avenue you are able... facebook, twitter, the media, etc... have them contact me for an interview or for Cletus' story or pictures at dsilber27@hotmail.com... and of course, we could always use donations through Cletus' donation site http://igg.me/p/217159.

Love to all,

Doug and Cletus

NOTES:
We will continue to raise awareness of schizencephaly and get Cletus' story told to try to save other animals with this condition. We can't do this alone... we need your help...

The more exposure we can get for Cletus, the more likely it is that we can help other animals out there suffering from schizencephaly. Cletus can't be the only one with this condition. Animals must be getting misdiagnosed and dying from schizencephaly due to vets not understanding what they are dealing with. Help us get the word out about Cletus and schizencephaly.

WHAT IS OPEN LIPPED SCHIZENCEPHALY?:
Open lipped schizencephaly is a congenital cerebral malformation where spaces or clefts remain where the cerebral hemispheres would normally seal shut shortly after birth. Extremely rare in humans, this malformation has never before been known to be reported in a dog making Cletus very special to the doctors even though he has been special to me for a long time. There are great resources available online to learn more about schizencephaly or please contact your physician with questions pertaining to your specific case. It is my understanding that each individual with this condition has unique experiences in relation to the condition.

HELP US IN CLETUS' FIGHT THROUGH DONATION:
Cletus is special in so many ways... not only does his diagnosis make him unique and hopefully able to help find advances in the care and treatment of schizencephaly in both animals and humans, Cletus is honestly the smartest dog I have ever had... and he is missing half his brain! Cletus is AMAZING!!

I have 2 rules when it comes to Cletus' care...
Rule 1 - Cletus' pain level must be low...
Rule 2 - Cletus' quality of life must be high...

As long as these 2 rules are met, I will continue to do anything I can for him and will continue to spend whatever it takes to give him a chance for a "normal" and happy life. Sadly, Cletus' medications, treatments, acupuncture, physical therapy, etc costs over $1,000.00 each month. We are unable to cover any of the costs with pet insurance as insurance does not cover this condition, the University will not cover any associated costs being that they are a "teaching hospital run mainly through donation", and we have not been able to raise any money so far by any other means other than a grand total of $70 brought in through his last campaign which covered a couple of pills.

Basically... WE NEED YOUR HELP...

If you can, please donate to Cletus' campaign http://igg.me/p/217159

HELP US GET THE WORD OUT:
If you know of a source who can help us get Cletus' story into any magazines, articles, blogs, web pages, on TV, radio, etc, please let us know or contact those sources about Cletus. Cletus and I do not mind doing interviews or attending groups, educational workshops, etc to bring attention to schizencephaly in animals or humans. We want to do anything we can to teach and bring attention to the veterinary and medical communities about schizencephaly.

Please help us to get the word out about Cletus and schizencephaly. Contact your local news organization about Cletus or have your local news organization contact me directly at dsilber27@hotmail.com

ELLEN DEGENERES:
Please help us by contacting Ellen through FB and tweet through the avenue below...

Submit Cletus' story to Ellen for us to potentially be on her show: http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/respond/?PlugID=432

http://www.ellentv.com/be-on-the-show/10/

http://www.ellentv.com/

Tweet her: http://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/

STATISTICS (As of April 2012):
As far as Cletus' doctors are aware, Cletus has the only known reported case of open lipped schizencephaly in a canine. The key word here is reported. Most vets are not aware that schizencephaly exists or they are not aware that this condition is possible in an animal. Cletus is living proof of this possibility.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are 78.2 million dogs in the U.S. (http://www.humanesociety.org/). Some sites state that schizencephaly affect 1.54 per 100,000 people. According to rightdiagnosis.com, schizencephaly affects 1 in 2719 people or 0.04% of the population (http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/lists/preval.htm). The fact is that no one is sure how many people schizencephaly truly affects. If we assume these same statistics in dogs, it equates to up to 31,280 dogs out there with schizencephaly in the U.S. alone.

THANKS:
Cletus and I want to thank the following Websites/Magazines/TV Stations/Etc for sharing Cletus' Story:
- ABC TV affiliate WCJB TV20
- Aplacetolovedogs.com
- Dawgbusiness.blogspot.com
- Experienceproject.com
- Fakeitfrugal.blogspot.com
- Houndgirl.com
- Jcagain.com
- Lovewhatsmissing.com
- Movementforhope.org
- News-pics-videos.com/schizencephaly-diagnosis
- Picturesofdogs.net
*** If I missed anyone, please let me know, thanks***

Thank you for your support,

Doug & Cletus
dsilber27@hotmail.com

11/18/2012 - 114 days since last seizure / Tui-na Treatment

11/18/12 - Cletus did a fantastic job and had a great Tui-na treatment at the Chi Institute yesterday.  Thank you to all of the students, instructors, and others involved in setting his session up, providing such a warm and welcome atmosphere, and giving Cletus (and us) such a calm an peaceful experience. 

Cletus reacted to the Tui-na treatment, which is using massage, rubbing techniques, and pressure points in areas of the body to re-align energy, just like he does to his acupuncture treatments.  I honestly thought he was going to the Chi Institute for acupuncture and was surprised when we got there and he was scheduled for the Tui-na, but it really did have the same result.  By the end of the treatment, even with students touching him all over the place and two other dogs in the room, Cletus was fast asleep!!

It is now 16 weeks, 2 days (114 days) since Cletus' last seizure, which occurred on 7/26.  This is the longest Cletus has gone without having a seizure since the seizures began over a year ago.  Prior to this, the longest Cletus went was 7 weeks, 2 days (51 days) back in April/May, 2012.  I can't definitively say it is the eastern treatments that is fending off the seizures and most likely it is a combination of the eastern treatments and the medications, but it is very interesting that Cletus has not had a seizure since he started acupuncture/Tui-na... when was this?... it will be 15 weeks on Tuesday!!!... right after he had 5 seizures within 36 hours. 

To be fair we did start him on a new medication at the same time which is why I can't definitively state it is the eastern treatments and when we did try to decrease his meds, it made him very unsteady due to neurological pressure.  Whatever it is, he is healthy and happy so we will keep doing what we are doing as long as we can afford it!!

Love to all,

Doug and Cletus

NOTES:
We will continue to raise awareness of schizencephaly and get Cletus' story told to try to save other animals with this condition. We can't do this alone... we need your help...

The more exposure we can get for Cletus, the more likely it is that we can help other animals out there suffering from schizencephaly. Cletus can't be the only one with this condition. Animals must be getting misdiagnosed and dying from schizencephaly due to vets not understanding what they are dealing with. Help us get the word out about Cletus and schizencephaly.

WHAT IS OPEN LIPPED SCHIZENCEPHALY?:
Open lipped schizencephaly is a congenital cerebral malformation where spaces or clefts remain where the cerebral hemispheres would normally seal shut shortly after birth. Extremely rare in humans, this malformation has never before been known to be reported in a dog making Cletus very special to the doctors even though he has been special to me for a long time. There are great resources available online to learn more about schizencephaly or please contact your physician with questions pertaining to your specific case. It is my understanding that each individual with this condition has unique experiences in relation to the condition.

HELP US IN CLETUS' FIGHT THROUGH DONATION:
Cletus is special in so many ways... not only does his diagnosis make him unique and hopefully able to help find advances in the care and treatment of schizencephaly in both animals and humans, Cletus is honestly the smartest dog I have ever had... and he is missing half his brain! Cletus is AMAZING!!

I have 2 rules when it comes to Cletus' care...
Rule 1 - Cletus' pain level must be low...
Rule 2 - Cletus' quality of life must be high...

As long as these 2 rules are met, I will continue to do anything I can for him and will continue to spend whatever it takes to give him a chance for a "normal" and happy life. Sadly, Cletus' medications, treatments, acupuncture, physical therapy, etc costs over $1,000.00 each month. We are unable to cover any of the costs with pet insurance as insurance does not cover this condition, the University will not cover any associated costs being that they are a "teaching hospital run mainly through donation", and we have not been able to raise any money so far by any other means other than a grand total of $70 brought in through his last campaign which covered a couple of pills.

Basically... WE NEED YOUR HELP...

If you can, please donate to Cletus' campaign http://igg.me/p/217159

HELP US GET THE WORD OUT:
If you know of a source who can help us get Cletus' story into any magazines, articles, blogs, web pages, on TV, radio, etc, please let us know or contact those sources about Cletus. Cletus and I do not mind doing interviews or attending groups, educational workshops, etc to bring attention to schizencephaly in animals or humans. We want to do anything we can to teach and bring attention to the veterinary and medical communities about schizencephaly.

Please help us to get the word out about Cletus and schizencephaly. Contact your local news organization about Cletus or have your local news organization contact me directly at dsilber27@hotmail.com

ELLEN DEGENERES:
Please help us by contacting Ellen through FB and tweet through the avenue below...

Submit Cletus' story to Ellen for us to potentially be on her show: http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/respond/?PlugID=432

http://www.ellentv.com/be-on-the-show/10/

http://www.ellentv.com/

Tweet her: http://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/

STATISTICS (As of April 2012):
As far as Cletus' doctors are aware, Cletus has the only known reported case of open lipped schizencephaly in a canine. The key word here is reported. Most vets are not aware that schizencephaly exists or they are not aware that this condition is possible in an animal. Cletus is living proof of this possibility.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are 78.2 million dogs in the U.S. (http://www.humanesociety.org/). Some sites state that schizencephaly affect 1.54 per 100,000 people. According to rightdiagnosis.com, schizencephaly affects 1 in 2719 people or 0.04% of the population (http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/lists/preval.htm). The fact is that no one is sure how many people schizencephaly truly affects. If we assume these same statistics in dogs, it equates to up to 31,280 dogs out there with schizencephaly in the U.S. alone.

THANKS:
Cletus and I want to thank the following Websites/Magazines/TV Stations/Etc for sharing Cletus' Story:
- ABC TV affiliate WCJB TV20
- Aplacetolovedogs.com
- Dawgbusiness.blogspot.com
- Experienceproject.com
- Fakeitfrugal.blogspot.com
- Houndgirl.com
- Jcagain.com
- Lovewhatsmissing.com
- Movementforhope.org
- News-pics-videos.com/schizencephaly-diagnosis
- Picturesofdogs.net
*** If I missed anyone, please let me know, thanks***

Thank you for your support,

Doug & Cletus
dsilber27@hotmail.com

11/14/2012 - Switching Cletus' Food

11/14/12 - Happy Wednesday!!  Cletus continues to beat all the odds as we approach the 15 week mark without a known seizure.  We have adjusted his CSF control medications and I believe we have found the right dosage for him finally.  He goes off of one medication in a few days so we might have one more adjustment but we will see.

I am in the process of switching the boys food as they really seem to hate the diet food they are eating.  The new food is also diet but hopefully the dogs will like it better.  Honestly, the old food did even smell bad and I am hoping that it was the food that was causing Cletus' gas issues and it will stop with the switch.  It takes about a week to switch to the new stuff as we slowly mix more and more of the new food in with the old food: First 3 days is 1/4 new to 3/4 old, next 2 days is 1/2 new to 1/2 old, last 2 days is 3/4 new to 1/4 old. 

We are on day 5 and so far they both love the new food.  Cletus eats all the food in the bowl while Magnum tends to throw some of the old food on the floor as he picks out the new stuff so I can't wait until the transfer is complete.

Love to all,

Doug and Cletus

NOTES:
We will continue to raise awareness of schizencephaly and get Cletus' story told to try to save other animals with this condition. We can't do this alone... we need your help...

The more exposure we can get for Cletus, the more likely it is that we can help other animals out there suffering from schizencephaly. Cletus can't be the only one with this condition. Animals must be getting misdiagnosed and dying from schizencephaly due to vets not understanding what they are dealing with. Help us get the word out about Cletus and schizencephaly.

WHAT IS OPEN LIPPED SCHIZENCEPHALY?:
Open lipped schizencephaly is a congenital cerebral malformation where spaces or clefts remain where the cerebral hemispheres would normally seal shut shortly after birth.  Extremely rare in humans, this malformation has never before been known to be reported in a dog making Cletus very special to the doctors even though he has been special to me for a long time.  There are great resources available online to learn more about schizencephaly or please contact your physician with questions pertaining to your specific case.  It is my understanding that each individual with this condition has unique experiences in relation to the condition.

HELP US IN CLETUS' FIGHT THROUGH DONATION:
Cletus is special in so many ways... not only does his diagnosis make him unique and hopefully able to help find advances in the care and treatment of schizencephaly in both animals and humans, Cletus is honestly the smartest dog I have ever had... and he is missing half his brain! Cletus is AMAZING!!

I have 2 rules when it comes to Cletus' care...
Rule 1 - Cletus' pain level must be low...
Rule 2 - Cletus' quality of life must be high...

As long as these 2 rules are met, I will continue to do anything I can for him and will continue to spend whatever it takes to give him a chance for a "normal" and happy life. Sadly, Cletus' medications, treatments, acupuncture, physical therapy, etc costs over $1,000.00 each month. We are unable to cover any of the costs with pet insurance as insurance does not cover this condition, the University will not cover any associated costs being that they are a "teaching hospital run mainly through donation", and we have not been able to raise any money so far by any other means other than a grand total of $70 brought in through his last campaign which covered a couple of pills.

Basically... WE NEED YOUR HELP...

If you can, please donate to Cletus' campaign http://igg.me/p/217159

HELP US GET THE WORD OUT:
If you know of a source who can help us get Cletus' story into any magazines, articles, blogs, web pages, on TV, radio, etc, please let us know or contact those sources about Cletus. Cletus and I do not mind doing interviews or attending groups, educational workshops, etc to bring attention to schizencephaly in animals or humans. We want to do anything we can to teach and bring attention to the veterinary and medical communities about schizencephaly.

Please help us to get the word out about Cletus and schizencephaly. Contact your local news organization about Cletus or have your local news organization contact me directly at dsilber27@hotmail.com

ELLEN DEGENERES:
Please help us by contacting Ellen through FB and tweet through the avenue below...

Submit Cletus' story to Ellen for us to potentially be on her show: http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/respond/?PlugID=432

http://www.ellentv.com/be-on-the-show/10/

http://www.ellentv.com/

Tweet her: http://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/

STATISTICS (As of April 2012):
As far as Cletus' doctors are aware, Cletus has the only known reported case of open lipped schizencephaly in a canine. The key word here is reported. Most vets are not aware that schizencephaly exists or they are not aware that this condition is possible in an animal. Cletus is living proof of this possibility.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are 78.2 million dogs in the U.S. (http://www.humanesociety.org/). Some sites state that schizencephaly affect 1.54 per 100,000 people. According to rightdiagnosis.com, schizencephaly affects 1 in 2719 people or 0.04% of the population (http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/lists/preval.htm). The fact is that no one is sure how many people schizencephaly truly affects. If we assume these same statistics in dogs, it equates to up to 31,280 dogs out there with schizencephaly in the U.S. alone.

THANKS:
Cletus and I want to thank the following Websites/Magazines/TV Stations/Etc for sharing Cletus' Story:
- ABC TV affiliate WCJB TV20
- Aplacetolovedogs.com
- Dawgbusiness.blogspot.com
- Experienceproject.com
- Fakeitfrugal.blogspot.com
- Houndgirl.com
- Jcagain.com
- Lovewhatsmissing.com
- Movementforhope.org
- News-pics-videos.com/schizencephaly-diagnosis
- Picturesofdogs.net
*** If I missed anyone, please let me know, thanks***

Thank you for your support,

Doug & Cletus
dsilber27@hotmail.com

11/10/2012 - Donations Needed - Cletus Costs Over $1,000.00/Month - Donations Needed

11/10/12 -
HELP US IN CLETUS' FIGHT THROUGH DONATION:
Cletus is special in so many ways... not only does his diagnosis make him unique and hopefully able to help find advances in the care and treatment of schizencephaly in both animals and humans, Cletus is honestly the smartest dog I have ever had... and he is missing half his brain! Cletus is AMAZING!!

I have 2 rules when it comes to Cletus' care...
Rule 1 - Cletus' pain level must be low...
Rule 2 - Cletus' quality of life must be high...

As long as these 2 rules are met, I will continue to do anything I can for him and will continue to spend whatever it takes to give him a chance for a "normal" and happy life. Sadly, Cletus' medications, treatments, acupuncture, physical therapy, etc costs over $1,000.00 each month. We are unable to cover any of the costs with pet insurance as insurance does not cover this condition, the University will not cover any associated costs being that they are a "teaching hospital run mainly through donation", and we have not been able to raise any money so far by any other means other than a grand total of $70 brought in through his last campaign which covered a couple of pills.

Basically... WE NEED YOUR HELP...

If you can, please donate to Cletus' campaign http://igg.me/p/217159

Love to all,

Doug and Cletus

NOTES:
We will continue to raise awareness of schizencephaly and get Cletus' story told to try to save other animals with this condition. As always, we need your help...

The more exposure we can get for Cletus, the more likely it is that we can help other animals out there suffering from schizencephaly. Cletus can't be the only one with this condition. Animals must be getting misdiagnosed and dying from schizencephaly due to vets not understanding what they are dealing with. Help us get the word out about Cletus and schizencephaly.

HELP US IN CLETUS' FIGHT THROUGH DONATION:
Cletus is special in so many ways... not only does his diagnosis make him unique and hopefully able to help find advances in the care and treatment of schizencephaly in both animals and humans, Cletus is honestly the smartest dog I have ever had... and he is missing half his brain! Cletus is AMAZING!!

I have 2 rules when it comes to Cletus' care...
Rule 1 - Cletus' pain level must be low...
Rule 2 - Cletus' quality of life must be high...

As long as these 2 rules are met, I will continue to do anything I can for him and will continue to spend whatever it takes to give him a chance for a "normal" and happy life. Sadly, Cletus' medications, treatments, acupuncture, physical therapy, etc costs over $1,000.00 each month. We are unable to cover any of the costs with pet insurance as insurance does not cover this condition, the University will not cover any associated costs being that they are a "teaching hospital run mainly through donation", and we have not been able to raise any money so far by any other means other than a grand total of $70 brought in through his last campaign which covered a couple of pills.

Basically... WE NEED YOUR HELP...

If you can, please donate to Cletus' campaign http://igg.me/p/217159

HELP US GET THE WORD OUT:
If you know of a source who can help us get Cletus' story into any magazines, articles, blogs, web pages, on TV, radio, etc, please let us know or contact those sources about Cletus. Cletus and I do not mind doing interviews or attending groups, educational workshops, etc to bring attention to schizencephaly in animals or humans. We want to do anything we can to teach and bring attention to the veterinary and medical communities about schizencephaly.

Please help us to get the word out about Cletus and schizencephaly. Contact your local news organization about Cletus or have your local news organization contact me directly at dsilber27@hotmail.com

ELLEN DEGENERES:
Please help us by contacting Ellen through FB and tweet through the avenue below...

Submit Cletus' story to Ellen for us to potentially be on her show: http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/respond/?PlugID=432

http://www.ellentv.com/be-on-the-show/10/

http://www.ellentv.com/

Tweet her: http://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/

STATISTICS:
As far as Cletus' doctors are aware, Cletus has the only known reported case of open lipped schizencephaly in a canine. The key word here is reported. Most vets are not aware that schizencephaly exists or they are not aware that this condition is possible in an animal. Cletus is living proof of this possibility.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are 78.2 million dogs in the U.S. (http://www.humanesociety.org/). Some sites state that schizencephaly affect 1.54 per 100,000 people. According to rightdiagnosis.com, schizencephaly affects 1 in 2719 people or 0.04% of the population (http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/lists/preval.htm). The fact is that no one is sure how many people schizencephaly truly affects. If we assume these same statistics in dogs, it equates to up to 31,280 dogs out there with schizencephaly in the U.S. alone.

THANKS:
Cletus and I want to thank the following Websites/Magazines/TV Stations/Etc for sharing Cletus' Story:
- ABC TV affiliate WCJB TV20
- Aplacetolovedogs.com
- Dawgbusiness.blogspot.com
- Experienceproject.com
- Fakeitfrugal.blogspot.com
- Houndgirl.com
- Jcagain.com
- Lovewhatsmissing.com
- Movementforhope.org
- News-pics-videos.com/schizencephaly-diagnosis
- Picturesofdogs.net
*** If I missed anyone, please let me know, thanks***

Thank you for your support,

Doug & Cletus
dsilber27@hotmail.com

11/6/2012 - Help Us To Spread Cletus' Story

11/6/12 - Thank you to all who have helped and continue to help spread Cletus' story.  His story is now on 11 websites (that I know of), we were interviewed by an ABC affiliate 2 weeks ago, Cletus has asked to be and has accepted the position of subject for acupuncture treatment in front of students at the Chi Institute next weekend, and a newspaper is looking to do a story on Cletus for this January.

We will continue to raise awareness of schizencephaly and get Cletus' story told to try to save other animals with this condition.  As always, we need your help...

If anyone can help us get Cletus' story into any magazines, articles, blogs, web pages, on TV, radio, etc, please let us know or contact those sources about Cletus. Cletus and I do not mind doing interviews or attending groups, educational workshops, etc to bring attention to schizencephaly in animals or humans. We want to do anything we can to teach and bring attention to the veterinary and medical community about schizencephaly.

Love to all,

Doug and Cletus

NOTES:
The more exposure we can get for Cletus, the more likely it is that we can help other animals out there suffering from schizencephaly. Cletus can't be the only one with this condition. Animals must be getting misdiagnosed and dying from schizencephaly due to vets not understanding what they are dealing with. Help us get the word out about Cletus and schizencephaly.

DONATE:
If you can, please donate to Cletus' campaign http://igg.me/p/217159

HELP GET THE WORD OUT:
Please help me to get the word out about Cletus and schizencephaly. Contact your local news organization about Cletus or have your local news organization contact me directly at dsilber27@hotmail.com

ELLEN DEGENERES:
Please help us by contacting Ellen through FB and tweet through the avenue below...

Submit Cletus' story to Ellen for us to potentially be on her show: http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/respond/?PlugID=432

http://www.ellentv.com/be-on-the-show/10/

http://www.ellentv.com/

Tweet her: http://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/

STATISTICS:
As far as Cletus' doctors are aware of, Cletus has the only known reported case of open lipped schizencephaly in a canine. The key word here is reported. Most vets are not aware that schizencephaly exists or they are not aware that this condition is possible in an animal. Cletus is living proof of this possibility.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are 78.2 million dogs in the U.S. (http://www.humanesociety.org/). Some sites state that schizencephaly affect 1.54 per 100,000 people. According to rightdiagnosis.com, schizencephaly affects 1 in 2719 people or 0.04% of the population (http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/lists/preval.htm). The fact is that no one is sure how many people schizencephaly truly affects. If we assume these same statistics in dogs, it equates to up to 31,280 dogs out there with schizencephaly in the U.S. alone.

THANKS:
Cletus and I want to thank the following Websites/Magazines/TV Stations/Etc for sharing Cletus' Story:
- ABC TV affiliate WCJB TV20
- Aplacetolovedogs.com
- Dawgbusiness.blogspot.com
- Experienceproject.com
- Fakeitfrugal.blogspot.com
- Houndgirl.com
- Jcagain.com
- Lovewhatsmissing.com
- Movementforhope.org
- News-pics-videos.com/schizencephaly-diagnosis
- Picturesofdogs.net
*** If I missed anyone, please let me know, thanks***

Thank you for your support,

Doug & Cletus

11/4/2012 - Over 14 weeks since Cletus' last seizure!!

11/4/12 - I can't believe it has been over 14 weeks since Cletus' last seizure, I honestly never thought he would go this long without one.  The doctors even said that we should expect Cletus to always have seizures and one of our goals was to get the seizure activity down to maybe one every one or two months but 14 weeks and counting???  This is really incredible! 

I again must state that I am unsure if Cletus is having small focal seizures.  For example, Cletus, Magnum, and I took a ride to the vet on Friday for Magnum to get some shots and Cletus had his head out the window as normal, but instead of looking forward he was just staring down at the road.  It took me calling his name about 8 times before he snapped out of it and brought his head inside to give me a lick on the cheek.  I can't say that this was definitely a focal seizure but it was weird.  Then again, I sometimes get caught in thought and just stare at nothing so maybe he was deep in thought (joking, Cletus is smart but I don't think he was making a shopping list in his head).  I thought that maybe it was the lines in the road he was staring at so I switched lanes and that did not snap him out of it.  I am probably reading too much into it as he did not show any signs of stress, not knowing where he was, etc which usually happens with seizures.  Being that we have not confirmed any seizures, I am sticking with 0 seizures in the last 14 weeks and 2 days.

If anyone can help us get Cletus' story into any magazines, articles, blogs, web pages, on TV, radio, etc, please let us know or contact those sources about Cletus.  Cletus and I do not mind doing interviews or attending groups, educational workshops, etc to bring attention to schizencephaly in animals or humans.  We want to do anything we can to teach and bring attention to the veterinary and medical community about schizencephaly.

Love to all,

Doug and Cletus

NOTES:
The more exposure we can get for Cletus, the more likely it is that we can help other animals out there suffering from schizencephaly. Cletus can't be the only one with this condition. Animals must be getting misdiagnosed and dying from schizencephaly due to vets not understanding what they are dealing with. Help us get the word out about Cletus and schizencephaly.

DONATE:
If you can, please donate to Cletus' campaign http://igg.me/p/217159

HELP GET THE WORD OUT:
Please help me to get the word out about Cletus and schizencephaly. Contact your local news organization about Cletus or have your local news organization contact me directly at dsilber27@hotmail.com

ELLEN DEGENERES:
Please help us by contacting Ellen through FB and tweet through the avenue below...

Submit Cletus' story to Ellen for us to potentially be on her show: http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/respond/?PlugID=432

http://www.ellentv.com/be-on-the-show/10/

http://www.ellentv.com/

Tweet her: http://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/

STATISTICS:
As far as Cletus' doctors are aware of, Cletus has the only known reported case of open lipped schizencephaly in a canine. The key word here is reported. Most vets are not aware that schizencephaly exists or they are not aware that this condition is possible in an animal. Cletus is living proof of this possibility.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are 78.2 million dogs in the U.S. (http://www.humanesociety.org/). Some sites state that schizencephaly affect 1.54 per 100,000 people. According to rightdiagnosis.com, schizencephaly affects 1 in 2719 people or 0.04% of the population (http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/lists/preval.htm). The fact is that no one is sure how many people schizencephaly truly affects. If we assume these same statistics in dogs, it equates to up to 31,280 dogs out there with schizencephaly in the U.S. alone.

THANKS:
Cletus and I want to thank the following Websites/Magazines/TV Stations/Etc for sharing Cletus' Story:
- ABC TV affiliate WCJB TV20
- Aplacetolovedogs.com
- Dawgbusiness.blogspot.com
- Experienceproject.com
- Fakeitfrugal.blogspot.com
- Houndgirl.com
- Jcagain.com
- Lovewhatsmissing.com
- Movementforhope.org
- News-pics-videos.com/schizencephaly-diagnosis
- Picturesofdogs.net
*** If I missed anyone, please let me know, thanks***

Thank you for your support,

Doug & Cletus

11/1/2012 - No seizure this Halloween :)

11/1/12 - Well, we made it through the night with no problems :)  I was sooooooo nervous leading up to last night being that it was Halloween and it was the excitement of all the kids coming to the door last Halloween that kicked off Cletus' first seizure.  We get literally hundreds of little ones trick-or-treating in our neighborhood so it is non-stop beginning around 5:00pm.  I decided to give Cletus some Levetiracetam around 6:00pm to be on the safe side.  I only give Cletus the Levetiracetam when I feel that he will be in a stressful situation, like a really bad thunderstorm for example.

Cletus was still VERY excited with all the kids.  To try to calm the excitement, I put chairs on the front porch and sat out there to hand out the candy.  I left the front door open with a gate across it so Cletus and Magnum could see the kids without having to look out the window.  This trick calmed Cletus down from barking and running around to just sitting there and watching with his cute face resting on the top of the gate.

The Levetiracetam, which I very rarely give to him, made Cletus really tired, so he went to bed pretty early.  I hate giving him drugs that make him tired but in this case it was for his own good and it made both of us feel better.  He slept through the night, looks great this morning, and he did not have a seizure, so I think I made the right call.

NOTES:
The more exposure we can get for Cletus, the more likely it is that we can help other animals out there suffering from open lipped schizencephaly. Cletus can't be the only one with this condition. Animals must be getting misdiagnosed and dying from OLS due to vets not understanding what they are dealing with. Help us get the word out about Cletus and schizencephaly.

I want to thank the following Websites/Magazines/TV Stations/Etc for sharing Cletus' Story:
- ABC TV affiliate WCJB TV20
- Aplacetolovedogs.com
- Dawgbusiness.blogspot.com
- Experienceproject.com
- Fakeitfrugal.blogspot.com
- Houndgirl.com
- Jcagain.com
- Lovewhatsmissing.com
- Movementforhope.org
- News-pics-videos.com/schizencephaly-diagnosis
- Picturesofdogs.net
*** If I missed anyone, please let me know, thanks.

If you can, please donate to Cletus' campaign http://igg.me/p/217159

As far as Cletus' doctors are aware of, Cletus has the only known reported case of open lipped schizencephaly in a canine. The key word here is reported. Most vets are not aware that schizencephaly exists or they are not aware that this condition is possible in an animal. Cletus is living proof of this possibility.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are 78.2 million dogs in the U.S. (http://www.humanesociety.org/). Some sites state that schizencephaly affect 1.54 per 100,000 people. According to rightdiagnosis.com, schizencephaly affects 1 in 2719 people or 0.04% of the population (http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/lists/preval.htm). The fact is that no one is sure how many people schizencephaly truly affects. If we assume these same statistics in dogs, it equates to up to 31,280 dogs out there with schizencephaly in the U.S. alone.

Please help me to get the word out about Cletus and schizencephaly. Contact your local news organization about Cletus or have your local news organization contact me directly at dsilber27@hotmail.com

Please help us by contacting Ellen through FB and tweet through the avenue below...

Submit your story to Ellen to potentially be on her show and have her help "change your life": http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/respond/?PlugID=432

Tweet her: http://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/

Thank you for your support,

Doug & Cletus