Anyone know anything about Epilepsy(in dogs)

[shaun7]

My dog had a fit this morning which really wasn't nice! It's her second one in about 4 months
The Vet said she most likely has Epilepsy and has put her on medication, which she will need for the rest of her life Although
he is doing more tests tomorrow to make sure!

She is a 2 year old German Sheppard cross Husky a much loved family pet!

Has anyone ever had a dog with this? We're not sure what to expect The Vet told us it could get worse, but the medication
will stop her getting "Clusters" and having a fit that she will not wake up from

Thanks

 

[The Beep Goes On]

Our dog Starr (cocker spaniel mix) has had a few. Usually about once a year. They usually happen the same way...salivating, muscle lock-up, vacant eyes...sometimes she will have an accident as well. Then she seems better for a minute and another seizure occurs...usually two; one after another. We just hug her and keep her safe until it's over. The vet told us the same thing as you. We have a theory in the family that her seizures may be brought on by chocolate, but not sure...we just don't give her any. She broke into my chocolate stash once and had a seizure shortly afterwards.

 

[shaun7]

Our dog Starr (cocker spaniel mix) has had a few. Usually about once a year. They usually happen the same way...salivating, muscle lock-up, vacant eyes...sometimes she will have an accident as well. Then she seems better for a minute and another seizure occurs...usually two; one after another. We just hug her and keep her safe until it's over. The vet told us the same thing as you. We have a theory in the family that her seizures may be brought on by chocolate, but not sure...we just don't give her any. She broke into my chocolate stash once and had a seizure shortly afterwards.

That's a funny thing, the Vet asked if she ate raw meat! My missus said no, but that's not really true. We don't feed her raw
meat, but she will eat anything she can catch, even frogs!

 

[ClonedSIM]

I've got a Cocker Spaniel with seizures too. We have her on Phenobarbitol, again for life, but she hasn't had one in a few months, so far so good.

 

[shaun7]

I've got a Cocker Spaniel with seizures too. We have her on Phenobarbitol, again for life, but she hasn't had one in a few months, so far so good.

I was wondering if the medication will change her personality at all? The vet did say she would be wobbly and tired for a couple
of weeks, but what about long term

 

[ClonedSIM]

It's been about 3 months since we put her on the medication, and we haven't seen any noticeable effects in her yet. We have our fingers crossed that it won't change, because she was a rescue dog and pretty messed up to begin with. Full of separation-anxiety and she always seems paranoid about something, easily startled. But she was like that before, so it's nothing the medicine caused.

 

[JimmyT]

We had a Pom who starting having them when he was about two years old. Only having them about once in a couple of months the Vet said to wait until they became more frequent. When he started having them every month he was put on meds. (Pheno) for the rest of his life and only had one or two more in the following months then he never had another. He hung out with me until April of this year He was 15 years old and my best friend still miss him.

Later Jim

 

[ClonedSIM]

We had a Pom who starting having them when he was about two years old. Only having them about once in a couple of months the Vet said to wait until they became more frequent. When he started having them every month he was put on meds. (Pheno) for the rest of his life and only had one or two more in the following months then he never had another. He hung out with me until April of this year He was 15 years old and my best friend still miss him.

Later Jim

I shave my Pomeranian too, Jim. He's a cute one, sorry about you loss.

She's never had a problem with seizures, but she went completely blind last month. Her eye-sight had been going for awhile, but it finally went for good. She's still getting used to it. I think that if it was just furniture and walls she had to deal with, she'd be cool, but the other dogs move around so much she gets lost sometimes.

 

[shaun7]

Thanks af1733 and Jimmy t

I feel better about it now

 

[Montana Jim]

Years ago I had a GSD that was epileptic. At two years old he started having grandmal seizures and we medicated him for over eight years, three times a day, six pills each time. He started with Pheno and then we added another med which now escapes me.

Epilepsy is usually the last and worst diagnosis vets decide on after ensuring no other issues are causing the seizures. For example, food, plants, injuries...etc. My GSD settled into a "seizure routine" (clusters of 4 - 8 seizures every two or three weeks) after the meds became effective - never stopping the seizures, just helping to control them.

We loved our pooch and decided to medicate him... I'm glad I did but will never do it again. He lived with it for along time, but eventually, depending on the fierceness of the events, it can cause brain damage.

Last year I put down a different seizure dog after the third set - I'll never go through that heartache or put a dog through that again (quality of life). I say that, but do NOT regret having done it for my GSD.

Epilepsy is inherited... breading your dog in now not an option.

I am wiling to answer questions of a personal nature, but you'll find a lot of on-line K9 epilepsy information and vets are well versed in the illness.


Good luck, hang in there... I'm sorry.

 

[shaun7]

Years ago I had a GSD that was epileptic. At two years old he started having grandmal seizures and we medicated him for over eight years, three times a day, six pills each time. He started with Pheno and then we added another med which now escapes me.

Epilepsy is usually the last and worst diagnosis vets decide on after ensuring no other issues are causing the seizures. For example, food, plants, injuries...etc. My GSD settled into a "seizure routine" (clusters of 4 - 8 seizures every two or three weeks) after the meds became effective - never stopping the seizures, just helping to control them.

We loved our pooch and decided to medicate him... I'm glad I did but will never do it again. He lived with it for along time, but eventually, depending on the fierceness of the events, it can cause brain damage.

Last year I put down a different seizure dog after the third set - I'll never go through that heartache or put a dog through that again (quality of life). I say that, but do NOT regret having done it for my GSD.

Epilepsy is inherited... breading your dog in now not an option.

I am wiling to answer questions of a personal nature, but you'll find a lot of on-line K9 epilepsy information and vets are well versed in the illness.


Good luck, hang in there... I'm sorry.

Thanks Jim, The vet has assured us that she is not consious when this happens and knows nothing about it, but I'm not so sure as her eyes went back to normal long before she was able to walk properly and then she fell over in the garden

It's a horrible thing to see, especially for the kids!

 

[Montana Jim]

I know the dog does not endure the seizure but does deal with the after-effects... wobbly legs, heated body temps, muscle activity...

Don't forget your own quality of life.

Just wanted to share, it's more common than most of us think.

 

[shaun7]

I know the dog does not endure the seizure but does deal with the after-effects... wobbly legs, heated body temps, muscle activity...

Don't forget your own quality of life.

Just wanted to share, it's more common than most of us think.

Having her put down is not an option, and I'm sure my kids would have me put down first

 

[mikeofaustin]

a friend of mines weiner dog had this. The dog knew it was about to have one when it would get close to a wall and just wait... They just hold her and wisper softly to try to calm her down. Med's don't work for her.... but good luck. I have a GSD too and love her like anything. I would hate for that to happen to my very much loved one.

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Just saw this post, and had to reply.

We dealt with this for 16 years in our one Husky/Shepard dog. At about 1 year of age, while on our property, some jerk in a truck deliberately ran off the road, onto our property, specifically to run him over. He almost died, but, with our great vet, he survived. However, he was left with seizures - for the rest of his life. It started out with 15-20 in a row, several times a day. The vet put him on phenobarbitol, high dosage, and as the seizures got less and less, he lowered the dosage. After about 9-12 months, we had them completely under control - and his dosage was fairly low. About once every 8-10 months, he would sometimes get a very small, very short duration seizure, but it was more of a few seconds of staring, rather than the previous stiffening, drooling, shaking, panting ones he had before.

He lived to be 17+ years old, and when he did die, it was of cancer, not from the seizures. The pheno was cheap insurance for his health $8.50 for a 3 month supply. And I would do it again in a country minute.

B

 

[pygmy]

With 40+ years dealing with dogs I can say the most common cause of fits, premature death,
kidney and liver failure is feeding your dog the wrong pet food.
Most commercial food is garbage laced with toxins for preservation such as nitrates and sulphur dioxide. Also , as with humans, deadly allergens can maim your pet, such as peanut waste.
50% of pelletised dog food is cereal waste scrap and the rest is de-hydrated meat slurry waste.
In the report I've supplied dead diseased dogs have been used in commercial food.
With can food ,would you feed your own human family Spam. If not then why feed your pet something worse than spam.
http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/Pet_Food_API.htm

The best food is fresh raw non-diseased meat from a butcher with a raw egg once a day.
All he needs is 80% raw meat, 10% bone, 5% organs, and 5% liver and he will have a balanced diet.
A dog doesn't need vegetables, as it can , unlike humans , synthesize vitamin C and other nutrients.

 

[shaun7]

Just saw this post, and had to reply.

We dealt with this for 16 years in our one Husky/Shepard dog. At about 1 year of age, while on our property, some jerk in a truck deliberately ran off the road, onto our property, specifically to run him over. He almost died, but, with our great vet, he survived. However, he was left with seizures - for the rest of his life. It started out with 15-20 in a row, several times a day. The vet put him on phenobarbitol, high dosage, and as the seizures got less and less, he lowered the dosage. After about 9-12 months, we had them completely under control - and his dosage was fairly low. About once every 8-10 months, he would sometimes get a very small, very short duration seizure, but it was more of a few seconds of staring, rather than the previous stiffening, drooling, shaking, panting ones he had before.

He lived to be 17+ years old, and when he did die, it was of cancer, not from the seizures. The pheno was cheap insurance for his health $8.50 for a 3 month supply. And I would do it again in a country minute.

B

Thanks mrs Orblanco,

She hasn't had any more seizures so far, but she has only just adjusted to the new medication(Epiphen) which made her dozy
and unsteady!

Hopefully she won't have any more like the last one And luckily she is insured

 

[shaun7]

With 40+ years dealing with dogs I can say the most common cause of fits, premature death,
kidney and liver failure is feeding your dog the wrong pet food.
Most commercial food is garbage laced with toxins for preservation such as nitrates and sulphur dioxide. Also , as with humans, deadly allergens can maim your pet, such as peanut waste.
50% of pelletised dog food is cereal waste scrap and the rest is de-hydrated meat slurry waste.
In the report I've supplied dead diseased dogs have been used in commercial food.
With can food ,would you feed your own human family Spam. If not then why feed your pet something worse than spam.
http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/Pet_Food_API.htm

The best food is fresh raw non-diseased meat from a butcher with a raw egg once a day.
All he needs is 80% raw meat, 10% bone, 5% organs, and 5% liver and he will have a balanced diet.
A dog doesn't need vegetables, as it can , unlike humans , synthesize vitamin C and other nutrients.

Thanks Piggy, funny enough the Vet asked us if she ate raw meat! My missus said no, but she will eat anything she can catch, or
dead thing she can find!

 

[pygmy]

This tells me Shaun that doggy is not happy with the food your giving her.
Also why didn't you ask why the vet enquired about meat.

 

[shaun7]

This tells me Shaun that doggy is not happy with the food your giving her.
Also why didn't you ask why the vet enquired about meat.

We've tried her on everything, and she mostly empties her bowl over the course of a day. She hoards food though, if she's not
hungry and it's something she has scavanged, she will bury it!
There are holes all over the garden where she puts stuff