seizures
 Hi all, although we are new to posting, we have been readers for years. Our OES Chauncey had a seizure 2 nights in a row about 2 weeks ago, called the vet and he said that epliepsy usually developes before 6 years of age, Chauncey is 9, so he thought it might be a brain tumor, just keep an eye on him on let him know if he had any more. This morning he had one. They only last 2-3 minutes, seams like forever, and after he seams to be confused for a minute and just very tired. Within 15 minutes he is fine. I'm calling the vet as soon as they open and was just wondering if anyone else has had this happen. |
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| I personally haven't, but I have friends with dogs who have seizures. Many times it is able to be controlled with meds. Of note - our family (when I was a child) had a basset hound who had developed seizures at an older age. I'm not sure how old he was, but I know he was over 6. They were epileptic (which basically means any other cause has been ruled out - like tumors, etc.) in nature. |
| So sorry you're all going through this! Seizures can be challenging, especially determining the underlying cause. Meds can make a big difference, but (like any long-term medication) can take a while to balance out just exactly the correct dosage. You don't mention if Chauncey shows any symptoms leading into the seizures (panting, drooling, excessive pacing or suddenly standing stock still - there are many possibilities). You'll want to describe those to the vet as you identify them. Good luck!  |
| Jack had just had his first a week prior to his death. In reading up on them, causes vary, dog may have one their entire life. If it becomes fairly frequent, causes could be investigated. Medicine helps reduce their frequency. The severity and after effects vary. I know one OES who would be blind afterwards. It would last a hour or two. Jack had no real after effect except more wobbly when he walked. 90 minutes after his seizure he got up and wobbled down the hall for his breakfast! Best description I've heard of them is a thunderstorm in the brain. They are frightening, just move things away from the dog so they don't bash themselves, remain quiet until the seizure has passed and then quietly talk to them, put off touching for awhile until you know touching won't overburden their nervous system. Keep other dogs and animals away as they will attack a dog having a seizure. |
| Thanks to all of you that have replied. As far as how he acts prior, I don't know because they start while I am sleeping and being a light sleeper, his movements wake me. I have noticed that his vision may be affected for a short period afterwards, plus he moves kind of doppy, but those only last a short time. The vet just called and said he is going to start him on phenabarbatol, (spelling is probably wrong, lol) so we will see how he responds to that. Will keep you posted, thanks again. |
| I'm sorry your going through this. I hope it's epilepsy and not a tumor. A dog with a seizure disorder can be very scary at first. Its completely normal after a seizure for anyone dog/person to be "out of it" and tired. It takes it out of you! If it turns out he has epilepsy, with proper diet and medication it can be controlled and your dog will live a long happy life. Pheno is a common drug in the use of controlling seizures. He will be wobbly at first but once the medication stabilizes in his system he will be back to normal, (or even like a pup again) however watch his food intake because pheno can cause a dog to think he's hungry and cause them to gain weight (also goes with thirst). I have an epileptic hound. He's happy, healthy (a little overweight now) and 7 1/2. Gideon (older picture)  |
| My sheepdog had a seizure this morning. I thought he was having the usual nightmares dogs have, but he started shaking violently and I didn't know what was happening, I was trying to wake him up thinking he was dreaming, but it wasn't working, he almost bit me, I turned the light on and he was shaking and I didn't know what to do, then he stopped shaking and his back legs got very stiff, I was calling his name but his eyes were glazed and he just wasn't there. When he came out of it, he got off the bed and was walking into things, he walked down the first flight of stairs and his legs buckled underneath him. He made it down the rest of the stairs. I immediately took him to the vet. He'll be 7 next month. I've never seen anything like this in all the dogs I've ever owned. They ran a blood test on him and the dr said everything was normal. She said he had a seizure and wanted to know if he wet the bed or deficated, I told her I didn't know because I didn't look and I wanted to get him to the vet immediately. She said to watch him and see if he has anymore and to time them. After being at the vet for 3 hours we were on our way home. I have been a basket case all day and can't stop crying. When i got him home, he wouldn't stop barking I didn't know what was wrong with him. I finally got him to calm down. I checked the bed when I got home and he definitely wet the bedspread and deficated, luckily I have alot of blankets on my bed so it didn't go thru the mattress. I'm scared to death and don't want to leave him alone, I have to go out tomorrow night and with xmas coming I won't be home Saturday night or Monday night. I'm so afraid something will happen when I'm not home. I'm watching my son's 2 dogs so I don't want them to hurt my dog if this happens again. They were barking this morning when my dog "Mac" was having his seizure. I recently changed his food could this have been something that could have caused this. I know the vet told me the next thing would be an MRI, I have pet insurance but I don't think I could still afford it. The worst part of the vet visit this morning was when they took him to put the iv in his leg and they brought me in another room, the SAME room I had to put my last Old English Sheepdog down. I swore I would never go in that room again. I'm deathly afraid of losing him. I've had alot of dogs in my years and have loved them all, but he has been the best dog and friend I've ever had, I will be totally devistated if anything happens to him. Anyone have anything that I could do. He is overweight and I've been trying to get him to lose weight. This is the worst thing I have ever gone thru. If and when he has another one what should I do? I know the vet told me to time it and then call them. Someone please help. |
| I'm sorry you have to go through this. It is very scary the first time. Read very carefully: Take a deep breath and CALM DOWN! Dogs with seizure disorders can live a very healthy happy life! If he has another, don't move him or touch him. Move objects and other pets away from him. Do not go near his mouth. Let him ride it out. When he comes out of it, try not to let him walk. He will be disoriented EVERY time and can injure himself by falling, tripping etc. He will be tired and its normal to sleep after. Time them. Anything longer than 5 minutes is life threatening. I dont know your sons dogs but none of my family's dogs or my other dogs have attacked my dog for having a seizure. |
| Thank u. I just having to wait it outif the vet says its an epeleptic seizure why couldn't she just give him the medicine. Why do we have to wait |
| Read my post from last July. Seizures are thunderstorms in the brain, they totally control the dog, you cannot stop them, nor should you. yes, a seizure can last "forever" or so it seems. Don't touch or stimulate the dog, let the storm pass. Afterwards, let the dog rest. He may be blind, deaf, unable to use his legs. For sure there's been pee and maybe poop. The after effects clear fairly rapidly, but they may sleep more the rest of the day. i know a sheepdog who lived about 7-8 years with seizures. The dog was on antiseizure meds but the owner decided on a holistic diet, raw feed and was able to withdraw the meds. This may not work for you, but just a note that other dogs have gone on with a long life. Explain he vet an MRI is not in your bank account. I had to do that with Harry. There's no shame, you are not letting your dog down. And let's say they were to find a brain tumor......what then? Operation and more $$$$$? No, you give the best you can with what you can. For sure have the thyroid tests.......maybe there is some low numbers where a supplement might help. As for the party tomorrow....put your pup in a safe room while you are gone. Good bone, comfortable blanket and have a good time. Explain to the dog sitter why you are isolating the dog and ask that he check in on the pup to make sure there hasn't been a poop release from a seizure. Usually they are not frequent in the beginning. The meds are not usually assigned until the second seizure occurs just to make sure it is an on going thing and not a random act. |
| According to his blood test he had the Dr said all was fine. His liver his thyroid. She said she didn't see anything. I got in touch with the breeder to see if there was any history from the parents and she supposedly said no they r both fine. |
| Yes, the first thing to do is calm down and take a deep breath. My Golden had seizures...he's at the bridge now but I can let you know what happened. That first one was scary. We had him at the Vet within the hour. Took all the normal tests and all came back normal. Watch and see what happens. Taylor had two parts to his seizures. He would start out shaking, non-responsive, and than he would sort of come out of it, he could see us and respond by wagging his tail, but couldn't stand and then just a minute later he would go back into it again with the shaking but that second part passed quickly. In a few minutes he was fine. We never had to put him on meds because it only happened about once a year. Like you I was scared to leave him alone but that passes. His second one took me by surprise because it was about a year later. I was home alone and I was on the couch and heard scratching and looked over and he was seizing. I just moved things and waited. I'm not sure of his age but I think he was about five. Yes, its scary. Some dogs have one and its done. Some like my Taylor had them infrequent and some need meds. For now, when you leave keep the dogs seperated. For now, its a wait and watch...it may never happen again. |
| Well its been 18 hours since Macs seizure. I'm scared to go to sleep. He's been resting all day. He will hop up on my bed and hopefully nothing will happen thanks to all for your help. |
| I'm so sorry to read of Mac's seizure. You are understandably beside yourself with worry. I'm so sorry, we understand how you're feeling and we're here for you to talk if you need to. |
| Thank you everyone, Its' been a little over 48 hours and so far he's still o.k. The dr. wants me to watch him for the next 6 weeks. I hope he does not have anymore. When he had the first one I didn't know what to do, Iprobably made it worse cuz I didn't know you were not supposed to touch them, I thought he was just having a bad dream and I kept shaking his leg and tried to hold his head where he almost bit me then I knew something was wrong because he has NEVER tried to bite me. When I turned the bedroom light on I couldn't believe what I was seeing I just kept screaming his name, when the shaking stopped and his back legs got stiff and his eyes were glazed I thought for sure he had died. I now know not to touch them because it can only prolong the seizure. I've been on google alot these past 2 days and this board and another board I'm on. So lot's of "friends" have helped me through tthis and telling me their stories. I found a video on you tube of a dr. talking about dog seizures and epilepsy. I talked to my dr. last night and had tons of questions for her, why not put him on something now before another one hits him? She said it wasn't wise to do that. I just don't want him to have another one or a long one and by the time I get him to the vet it's too late. My vet is about 20 minutes away and I always have to go over stupid train tracks and I always pray there isn't one, the only way around it would take me further away from getting there. I can't believe someone actually posted a video on you tube of their dog having a seizure, it was the worst thing I've ever watched. Maybe it was a good thing? Then I thought maybe Ishould do that if Mac has another one so I can show the dr.? I had to go out last night and I couldn't really enjoy myself. My husband was home with him but there was an hour in between when he was alone. I have to go out periodically this afternoon and I have to go out tonight and no one will be with him so I may have to come back and forth just to check on him? What do you all think, I know there's nothing I can do if he has one but the thought of leaving him for several hours has me worried sick. My daughter owns 2 dance studios and it's her party tonight and I have to be there so I will have to go back and forth, it's only about 10 minutes away from me. I'm worried sick and any little movement he makes I jump up and see if he's o.k. |
Here's Mac a few hours after we got home, exhausted and resting. Here's what they did to his poor leg for the IV sort of reminded me of a poodle  And here's Mac the following day  |
| So sorry to hear about Mac's seizure. Though even one is cause for concern, if there are others, especially fairly close to the first one, that is a sign something is definitely wrong. Your vet would have to rule out other things before just giving meds for seizures as you have to be sure of diagnosis first in order to treat properly. I would suggest keeping him separated from the other dogs while you are away. The other dogs can become very agitated watching this as it happens and yes, it is not altogether impossible that they might hurt him. Nothing against them - probably part of a "pack" instinct I would guess. At least he would be safe if kept in another part of the house unless you are there. Linda Z |
| Update: It's been 16 days since Mac's first seizure, he hasn't had another....yet. I'm like a hovering mother watching his every move. Sometimes he seems to stare into space which is one of the signs or so I've read. My dr. wants to wait the 6 weeks so see IF he has another one and how many. She also said this could have been his only one, I've read that dogs could have 1 and never have another one, I'm hoping Mac is in that percentile. I still hate leaving him, when I watch him sleep and he twitches I immediately jump up and touch him to see if he's just dreaming which he is. I'm hoping I wasn't the one who caused that seizure cuz when he was twitching that night, normally when even a human does that and has a bad dream you want to wake them up, and I had held onto his paw to try and wake him and it only made him shake all the more. I feel guilty doing that, now that I know I wasn't supposed to touch him at all. Other then that, I keep a watchful eye on him. Just wanted to update you all. |
| Well its been a little over 2 weeks and he's been fine. Sometimes it seems that he's in his own little world and it scares me. Everytime he twitches I jump up and touch him. I read that putting ice on a dogs back will shorten the seizure. Has anyone tried this? It's a little after 3am now and he's been twitching a lot in his sleep. I can't fall asleep for fear he may have one. |
Jamie wrote: Well its been a little over 2 weeks and he's been fine. Sometimes it seems that he's in his own little world and it scares me. Everytime he twitches I jump up and touch him. I read that putting ice on a dogs back will shorten the seizure. Has anyone tried this? It's a little after 3am now and he's been twitching a lot in his sleep. I can't fall asleep for fear he may have one. Hon, all dogs twitch in their sleep  I understand completely why you're up and worried. I do. A friend's dog had seizures. He had his first documented seizure while I was watching him  It ranks on the most horrible moments of my life list. Terrifying. It's been going on a decade now since that happened and only in the past couple of years have I NOT at least fleetingly remembered that moment when i see my own dogs twitch in their sleep. But his seizure didn't start that way. He was up and at'em, waiting for me to feed him breakfast, when he suddenly keeled over and started seizing. After that, and my heart stopping every time just about any dog around me as much as twitched, I finally realized how often perfectly normal sleeping dogs twitch.  And it's a lot. Was he by any chance on any medications when he had his first seizure? Long shot, but a friend's OES had a seizure the first and only time she gave her flagyl (metronidozol) Seizing is a fairly rare, but documented potential side effect. She never gave it to her dog again and dog never had another seizure; lived a healthy 15+ years. I know it's no good telling you to stop worrying. But odds are he's just dreaming or whatever it is dogs do that make them twitchy in their sleep. After your 50th or 500th or whatever it takes in your case false alarm, you'll start to relax again. Have never heard of the icing back approach. Fingers crossed he never has another seizure. Kristine |
| My stomach is always in knots now. It was a restless night. I have to leave him this afternoon and I don't want to go. I wish I could afford the mri, I'm not sure if my insurance covers it. I'm going to call the vet tomorrow to see exactly how much it is then call the insurance company to see if they cover it. My brain is working overtime ever since the Dr said brain tumor. |
| He has not been on any medication. The only thing that was different waS his food was changed from pedigree to purina. I put him back on pedigree. Is there a certain dog food that's good. |
I don't know if your vet works this way but I know that my vet, if we had to do something very expensive (which, thank heavens, we have not so far, just the routine stuff  ) would let us pay in installments. It might be worth asking. Of course, check with your insurer too, to see what they cover. As for the twitching, my girls twitch like crazy during certain stages of sleep. I think that it is the same with people, certain stages of sleep are twitchy. I hope you get the answers you need to put your mind at ease. |
| Bricky twitches a lot when he sleeps. It wakes me up cuz he sleeps on the bed. I just clap once and he wakes up. He then goes back to sleep. |
| Here's what I would ask my vet first: if it is a brain tumor - is there anything we can do? (I.e. would knowing change the outcome) Potential follow up question: if it really doesn't change anything, then what good would an MRI do anyway? On the flip side, if (hopefully) ruling out a tumor would make you feel better and you can somehow swing it, insurance covers it or whatever, that may be worth it. If he has another seizure in the not too distant future, your vet will most likely consider putting him on whatever meds they use these days to control idiopathic epilepsy. If he responds, then odds favor it being IE and not a tumor. It's not quite that black and white. But time would most likely tell. If it's a tumor, he will instead deteriorate. If it's IE, then hopefully he responds to meds and you deal with getting the meds right. If he doesn't have another seizure, then hopefully it was some kind of transitory thing and life goes on. Food shouldn't cause seizures. Now, there is some suggestion that allergies may serve as triggers in some dogs, but if he's never had allergies before it's kind of unlikely that a simple food change would matter. I don't know of any food that is better than another in this regard. The biggest concerns about seizure dogs is that they are kept in a safe area when you can't be there: no stairs they could fall down, no other dogs to potentially attack them - those are probably the biggies as I recall - sure your vet already filled you in on that. Whether you're there or not really doesn't matter unless he starts to have cluster seizures, in which case you need to get him to the nearest ER where they'll try valium (or at least that used to be the protocol) to disrupt the seizure activity. NOT ALL DOGS HAVE CLUSTERS by any means, so I'm not mentioning that to make you freak out even more. It's just that it's really not good for your health to live in the kind of worried state you're in. Somehow you need to come up with routines that will make you feel better about living your life with him, even having to leave him at times. It's more painful for me to read about the pain you're in than your dog's situation because, being a dog, he lives moment to moment. Us humans, we just can't do that. I know. The basic blood testing you did effectively ruled out, at a guess, usual seizure inducing suspects such as liver disease and diabetis. If an MRI won't really make a difference one way or another, then take a deep breath, hope for the best, prepare for the worst, just in case, hope some more for the best but time will essentially tell you one way or another. That in itself is hard to accept. But if you're fearful all the time that fear is going to rub off on him. He'll know something is wrog and he'll worry - about you! Suspect I have some idea where you're coming from. Things I can't control send me over the edge too. Perhaps try to focus on the things you can control? The here and now, enjoying being with him, finding small ways to make you smile and him be goofy and happy? Because he really does sound like he's doing OK at the moment, yes? Kristine |
| If I did know about a tumor I would definitely have to find out how much everything would cost because I don't have that kind of money, I'm outta work, my husband is on SS and we're both on unemployment, I'm lucky enough to keep the payments up on the pet insurance. If it is, I would want to know because if its too expensive and I don't get it treated and he deteriorates in front of me I would have to make the decision to put him down, I don't want him in pain. I'm still worried because every once in a while he will start rubbing the side of his head, left side around where his eye is up against the couch. I thought I had read that somewhere that that is the sign of a tumor. As I said before I checked with the breeder to see if there was any history in Macs parents and she said no, of course she could be lying but who knows. If it's the inevitable, I am going to be totally devistated. MY first OES lived for 12 years, her lungs started filling up with liquid, vet said they could drain in but it would only come back, I took her home after her check up and that night she was trying to walk up the stairs and fell, I grabbed her, she looked at me and literally told me mommy please take the pain away. I had to put her down, I didn't want her in pain, I layed on the floor in the office and held her head in my hands and she peacefully went. I know I will not be o.k. if it comes to that again, I do know that out of the 10 dogs I've had since childhood he has been the best, I love him the most, hes the perfect dog. He has always followed me around everytime I get up he's right by my side, he thinks hes a lap dog. I also know that I will not get another dog. I can't handle the pain. I've watched 3 of my dogs die right in front of me, I can only take so much. |
| Well it's been 19 days and no seizure yet but thats all I do is stare at him all day waiting for it possibly to happen. I hate leaving the house, I don't want him to be alone, I know theres nothing I can do while he's having it. I've been googling dog seizures since I'm blue in the face and alot of it was very helpful but it's still, what happens if he has one, then another one on top of that and I'm not home to get him to the vet and then theres that problem, how in the world could I even pick him up and get him in the car. My head is in knots but I'm sure hoping that this was the only one he will have. |
| We've gone 3 weeks and so far so good, I'm still a basket case and watch him constantly. I still hate leaving him. Hopefully everything will be o.k. I pray everyday that this was a one time thing. |
| That is very encouraging. Kristine |
| 4 weeks and counting, everything still seems o.k. Still can't sleep at night cuz I keep my eye on him constantly, everytime he starts twitching I jump up to see if he's o.k. and bothersomly wake him up to see if he's responding to me. I think he'll get to the point where it's "mom I'm o.k." and then he gets off the bed to lay on the floor!" Still worrying. So when we finally hit 6 weeks and everything IS o.k. do I call my vet, take him in for a checkup, what do you suggest?  |
| If six weeks and no seizure, sit down, open bottle of champagne, sip a glass and sleep for a week Vet visit not necessary. Getting there... Kristine |
| Before all of this happened I was going to put Mac on Rimadyl for his hip joints. The Dr. knew about it during Mac's check up last year. I still haven't gotten it and wanted to get it but now I'm not sure if I should give him any medication during this 6 week wait period. Input please? |
| Today is Mac's 7th birthday, Thursday will be 5 weeks hopefully with no more seizures, I pray everyday that there will be no more and then he has a lot more birthdays. |
| Fingers crossed - and HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mac!! |
| As of 6:30 this morning its been 5 weeks since macs seizure. I am praying harder then ever and keeping my fingers crossed. By the way he loves his green beans! |
Jamie wrote: As of 6:30 this morning its been 5 weeks since macs seizure. I am praying harder then ever and keeping my fingers crossed. By the way he loves his green beans!  |
| Way to go... keeping my fingers crossed! |
| So glad to hear that Mac is doing fine. That seizure may have been a one-time event. It's possible that certain circumstances all came together at once, and will not be repeated, so please, please, please try and relax just a little bit. Dogs are very sensitive to their owner's emotions, and when we are stressed out, they pick up on it. The more relaxed you are, the better for Mac. Laurie and Oscar |
| Thanks, I try to relax. I'm just a basket case when I have to leave the house and he's by himself. Keeping my fingers permanently crossed and praying |
| As of 6:30 this morning it has been 6 weeks. We made it to 6 weeks, Mac has had no more seizures, I still keep an eye on him and am still worried but a little more relaxed knowing we went the 6 weeks. The only thing he does that scares me is every once in a while he will rub his head or eye up against the couch, so I don't know if he's rubbing his head because it hurts or if it's because he has hair in his eye. When he does that I usually hold his head and push all the hair out of his eye and move his eyelashes up. Do oes' eyelashes HAVE to be long? I normally clip them a tad. I'm praying it's just hair in the eye and nothing in his head. Still keeping my fingers crossed. |
| As of Thursday, 7 weeks, no seizures. Just wanted to update everyone. |
 So glad he is doing well! |
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| 8 weeks, no seizure. Just checking in . |
Very good news!!!  |
| Still paranoid and trying not to show it. |
| 11 weeks and 4 days, Mac had another seizure, it last about 45 seconds to a minute, maybe, this one looked different then the other one. He wet and deficated again. This time he didn't look like he stopped breathing like the last time and his eyes were wide open sort of aware that I was there but not really. When he came out of it, he was sort of stunned again, now he just is wired. I'm not sure if I should give him any water. I called the vet and they said, because it only last a short time and this many weeks he seems to have his seizure under control? What the hell does that mean? I know I won't be able to fall asleep after this and will go back to a basket case watching every move again. |
| You should ask him to specify if in doubt, but I take it to mean he's assuming idiopathic (primary) epilepsy, but not to the point at this time where he feels he needs to be on meds to control the seizures. I'm really sorry he had another seizure, but it is enouraging that he went so long between them and the one he had was of such short duration. Hopefully it will remain so. Even if he was on meds there's no guarantee he wouldn't have another seizure; most of the meds used (hopefully) control the frequency and perhaps the severity seizures, but don't guarantee a dog will never have another. And the meds themselves can be pretty toxic in their way, so the fact that the vet doesn't think they are necessary is probably a good thing. Hang in there. And talk to your vet about your fears. Kristine |
| Idiopathic is what she said the first time when I took him to emergency and had a blood test. I just thought we were on the good road. I had just stopped worrying when I left the house. Now I'm back to being a basketcase and I have to leave this afternoon for a few hours and will be worrying. 3 days short of 12 weeks. I'm just afraid of him having one when I'm gone and what happens if he has one on top of another and I'm not here to get him to emergency. I don't want to come home and find that he had passed all alone. That would just tear my heart out. Then I think if he ever did have clusters they say to get him there right away but he's so heavy how would I get him out of the house and in the car. All my worries have come back |
| I've read so many things on this and I know it says they really don't know what's happening but when I looked at his eyes while it was happening he just looked like he was asking me to help him. |
| So the more information I find and read on Google the more paranoid I'm getting concerning a brain tumor. I'm so depressed and confused right now |
Jamie wrote: So the more information I find and read on Google the more paranoid I'm getting concerning a brain tumor. I'm so depressed and confused right now If it was a brain tumor his seizures would have gotten worse and more frequent already in all likelihood. The fact that he went so long between seizures is actually encouraging. You need to somehow come to terms with the fact that your dog most likely is epileptic. Many epileptic dogs live many years. At some point he may need to be on meds. When you leave the house you try to leave him confined to an area which is such that if he does have a seizure he hopefully won't hurt himself. A friend's rescue poodle, who had an impressive list of other illnesses, lived a normal life span and his seizures were the least of his problems and perfectly controlled. Your dog, on the other hand, seems otherwise pretty healthy, so it's up to you to mentally wrap your mind around that, take a deep breath, enjoy every day with him and hope for many, many more. I know it's hard right now, but you could drive yourself crazy over this, and, hopefully, for no good reason. Hang in there. And talk to your vet again and explain your fears. Hopefully he or she can put at least some of them to rest. Kristine |
| Maddog is right. Your dog is probably epileptic and so many live to a ripe old age. Mine just turned 9! (I had his age wrong earlier, bad doggy mom.) He was diagnosed when he was 5. His epilepsy is the least of my concerns as he ages. He has joint issues, is kinda overweight (on a diet) and is dog selective. When he first got diagnosed I stayed up for 3 days straight as he also had clusters at first. He has one maybe every 4-6 months now. Last summer must have been his last one. It seems like forever since his last one. Don't worry so much, just keep a journal of when he does have a seizure, for how long and what type for regular check ups. |
| Thanks everyone for sort of calming me down still I will always worry. |
| We had a basset when I was a teenager who had epileptic seizures. He had occasional (rare) break through seizures, but lived to a ripe old age. He took meds daily and had routine blood testing to check levels. On the brain tumor thought - a rescue basset (I also volunteer for basset rescue) who was adopted by a friend of mine did have seizures that started one day - they gained rapidly in frequency and intensity, he also had some pretty marked behavioral changes and aggression - yes, he had a brain tumor. His behavior was very bizarre, compared to a normal dog, it was very obvious something besides regular seizures was what was going on. Take deep breaths - many, many dogs and humans are out there, doing just fine with their seizure disorders. PS - I'm a (human) RN, and neuro was my specialty for 15 yrs. |
| It's been 3 weeks as of this morning, no seizure. I still jump up in the middle of the night if he moves. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and pray every day. |
| Hi Jamie, I have been reading this thread and I can still feel the fear I went thru with Isabelle. The first thing I was told was to make a journal, sometimes an allergy will trigger a seizure, so if you can find a common link between the events. My vet had me get a "low ingredient" dog food (2 or 3 ingredients, no grains) as grains, red dyes, additives (etc) were a common allergen. A side note, I made dog food, meat & brown rice only. A full panel blood test (repeatedly) was the key (no MRI) to finding Isabelle's illness. Hopefully, epilepsy is the case for you, as it can be controlled completely by meds. My vet sent me to a Vetrinarian Teaching Hospital (located near Ithaca, New York) for further testing, and they (hospital) have a "pay as you love plan", payments on an open ended loan for vet care. The teaching hospital has the latest technology, and the lastest breakthroughs in medicine. You are not that far away (8-10 hour drive here to Chicago). I hurt for you, and if I can help, please get in touch. I know exactly what you are going thru, and couldn't even read the posts because it was so fresh. My prayers. |
| Thank you |
| 3 weeks this past Monday and he just had another one about an hour ago. Called the vet had to bring him in so I'm sitting here and waiting and crying |
| O.K. had blood work, everything "seemed" o.k. according to the Dr. They put him on phenobarbitol and for the next 3 days he is to have 2 in the morning and 2 at night, after that it gets cut to 1 1/2 in the morning and 1 1/2 at night. She said these pills will make him groggy out of it. This was the first one he had in the afternoon. different then the last one and the first one, we were both laying on couches and all of a sudden I heard him jerk, his teeth started chattering, I jumped up and held him so he wouldn't fall off then remembered the ice pack, ran to get that, put it on his back, he was looking right at me, and tried to snap at me, my hands were no where near his mouth, just kept it on his back and kept talking to him. He peed but didn't poo this time. Terrible thing to watch, I thought it would be a little easier since I saw the last 2. Hopefully this medicine will work? Dr. wants to see him in 3 weeks for another blood test to make sure his liver is o.k. Another night of no sleep. |
| It's been a week since Mac started his phenobarbitol. He doesn't even twitch when he's sleeping. It has made his back legs weak tho. I've been sleeping on the couch all week cuz I'm afraid he may fall off the bed. I'm going to have to put a runner down on my kitchen floor. Every once in awhile he will slip and his back legs will split. I'm afraid he will hurt his hip. It was bad yesterday, I had to help him up. I hate seeing him like this. He's only 7. Some say when they put there dogs on phenobarbitol their seizures stopped, others say different. I feel so sorry for him. I hate seeing him like this. |
| It takes about a week or two for the pheno to be regulated in the system. When Giddy was on it, it took about a week for him to unwobble himself. Pheno can make a dog unsteady on its feet, tired, overeat and over drink at first. Watch your dogs food intake. Gideon gained 15lbs on pheno. |
| Mac had to lose weight to begin with. I know he wants to eat more, he'll stand there and bark at me, it's like he's saying "gimme more food" I tell him no and he still barks at me so I try to ignore him. I don't need him gaining more weight so how do I do that? I know he's drinking more water as well, but he just pees that out, I'm just worried about him gaining weight back. He was on a diet to begin with because they wanted him to lose weight and he lost about 5 lbs. I finally had to sleep in my bed last night, I creeped up the stairs while he was asleep, about 5 minutes later I heard him coming up the stairs. I had to help him up on the bed but once he laid down he didn't move, I woke up periodically to make sure he wasn't near the end of the bed but ever since he's been taken pheno he falls asleep and basically stays in the same position. I think we both finally had a good nights sleep. I just had to help him off the bed as well and down the stairs. I think he missed sleeping on a bed as much as I did. |
| All the seizure meds have some lethargy and side effects like you describe - same in humans too. There is an adjustment period until your body gets acclimated to it. In regard to his diet - you could try the green bean diet. Most dogs like green beans, and they are zero calories and with the fiber create a fullness. You can try canned, frozen or fresh. Some dogs like the cut, some prefer french cut. Just want to avoid the canned that have sodium. What you do is supplement part of his dog food with green beans - subtracting a volume of kibble and replacing it with beans. You can start out with small amounts, then increase as needed to get desired weight. We use this a LOT with the bassets in our rescue group, as most of them lead sedentary lives and get way too fat. Most people attracted to bassets aren't active!  |
| Isn't phenobarbitol an old anti-seizure med? I thought there were newer, better ones. At least for humans. Maybe they don't give these newer ones to dogs? |
| Yes I have been giving him green beans. We get fresh and I steam them, he loves his green beans. I ran out and haven't been able to get some but will today. Thanks! |
| Tomorrow will be 4 weeks since Mac started his medication. Last Wednesday he had his check up. His bloodwork came back o.k. When he first started the medication it made him very tired and he slept alot. It also made his back legs weak and sometimes I had to help him stand up or walk up the stairs. He's a lot better now. Knock on wood, nothing has happened yet. I'm hoping nothing happens, keeping my fingers crossed and praying everyday to St. Francis. I have to get a refill soon, there are 3 different kinds of medication on PetMeds but I'm not sure which one to get. I don't know if I should just stick with the medication I get from the vet which is probably costing way more then PetMeds. I will have to call his Dr. and ask her which one is the best one to get. Anyone know which one I should get? |
| 9 weeks yesterday, so far so good. Hopefully this medication is working |
| good news!!! What is Mac on for a med now? |
| Still on the pheno, pill and a half in the am and pill and a half 12 hrs later |
Jamie wrote: Still on the pheno, pill and a half in the am and pill and a half 12 hrs later OK, was just wondering if they had switched you or not. Good luck!! |
| 11 weeks today, so far so good |
Jamie wrote: 11 weeks today, so far so good Very good!!! |
Hi seizures are horrible i know. Very scarey but remember your dog is unconsious and knows nothing. I have a bouvier des flandres who had 3 fits and then nothing for 18 months. she was put on medication last june for epilepsy and she was 9. The vet said it could be a brain tumour but is obviously not as it would have progressed by now. So dogs can develop it later for no apparent reason. The medication has some bad side effects and i thought i would never get my dog back but slowly as the balance was achieved there she was! It was a very difficult time but now she has not had a seizure for 6 months ( the less the better ) and has returned to her normal self. Dont give up dogs can lead ordinary fruitfull lives after they adjust to the medicine. Good luck sue  |
| 12 weeks this past Wednesday, everything a ok |
| So its been 15 weeks with no seizure. I came home from work today to diarrhea and vomit all over the kitchen floor. Since I have my sons dog I'm not sure which one could have been sick. Mac had some diarrhea on the side of his face and I washed his face. My sons dog was cowering under the kitchen table looking guilty making me think it was her and not mac. I figured if mac had diarrhea it should have run down the back of his legs and his butt. About 10 minutes ago he got up walked in the kitchen and threw up a little. I got him outside and he did a little more. It's yellowish in color. Should I be worried? He's been eating a lot of grass and leaves the past few days when he's outside. I'm hoping this isn't from the medication. |
| Well as of October 6, Mac has gone 6 months without a seizure. He has his checkup in December and I pray that I will never see another one of those again thanks to the pheno. Just thought I'd give you an update. |
| 6 months!! Yeah! Oh, you'll see another, but then you know what they are and that the meds do help! A cluster of new seizures would indicate the meds need to be adjusted. You still have a fine, loving sheepdog who enjoys life and you should be enjoying life with him. |
| Thats great! I am so happy for both you and mac! |
| Very good news. And yes, you likely will see more seizures over time, mainly because of the fine line balance of giving just enough meds to control the seizures, but not a lot more. |
| It's almost been a year since Mac has had a seizure. He went on the medication April 3rd. He was supposed to have his blood checked in December but I wasn't able to go with all the snow storms we've been having. I was finally going to take him next week. This morning we did the usual, I fed him, he went out. About half an hour later, he threw up a small pile of food, I let him out and he did another small pile, to make a long story short, He threw up several times, drinking water and constantly barking. the last time he threw up it was a big watery pile of brown dog food clumpy. He finally stopped barking and seemed to calm down. He's been laying down and then about an hour later he threw up again, but not alot. It seemed like he was coughing and breathing weird. I'm waiting for my Dr. to call back. I pray to God that it isn't his liver because I waited too long. Awhile later he was playing with the other dogs, running back and forth and running for his toy. He's laying down again. I googled trying to find information and picked up his water so he doesn't keep drinking it. He's calm again but I'm deathly afraid that it is the pheno. I'm sure he threw up his morning dosage and I don't know if I should give him another dosage. The timing is so bad because I'm low on money and my vet has to have money to do anything. I have to borrow from a relative which is really embarassing but I would do anything to get him checked out. Dr. finally called back, she can't see him but they referred me to another Dr. and my Dr. will be there anyway so I'm taking him at 4:30. Has anyone whos' had their OES's on pheno gone through this. I am so afraid and I can't stop crying just thinking about it. I'm praying that it's just a bug, if it was any other dog that wasn't on pheno I would just think that he had a bug or ate something yucky. |
| No, I haven't had one on pheno, but side effects are a risk. I hope you get good news later today. He's not the only pukey sheepdog around here today. |
| It could be totally unrelated to the pheno. He could have just got into something. (Not that he would because we all know no sheepie is naughty ever, lol) Sorry he is sick. A yr seems a little soon to have liver problems from pheno. We are all hoping for the best for you and mac here! |
| Good luck. Hope you get good news. |
| Ok they took blood from his arm and are running several tests. Doc gave him an anti nausea shot. He got a full physical and even took care of his Anal glands. Dr said everything looked fine from the outside. I have to wait till tomorrow to find out the results. . Feeding him boiled chicken and rice every hour to make sure it stays in his stomach. He went thru a lot today poor puppy. Doc said he was the best dog she saw all day long. He's resting now so far so good with the food. |
| Well Mac had his low fat cottage cheese and rice for breakfast. So far so good. He had his pheno so far so good. He seems to be feeling better. For lunch he will get his boiled ground meat and rice (shades of my father in law remembering how he used to cook his dogs food) for lunch and then his chicken and rice for dinner. I can't believe he gained 3 more pounds since he was seen last. I've watched his food and he's been eating healthy weight food! Dr. still wants him to lose at least 5 to 10 lbs. He now weighs 100lbs! I told the Dr. that Mac's dad weighed 100 lbs and his mom weight 87 lbs. I thought it was normal but I guess she still wants him to lose weight. Hopfully everything will be o.k. Hopefuly will have good news from the Dr. today. |
| Good news so far! |
| I'm just worried, because I have to work at my daughters dance studio now and I'm leaving him alone. I hope everything is o.k. He was fine all morning, no throwing up or acting weird. Called the vet to see if they have the results in but they didn't yet. I'm hoping everything is o.k. |
| Finally heard from the Vet and everything came back A O K. She said something was slightly elevated but nothing that concerned her. He hasn't vomited in over 40 hours and seems to be holding down his special diet and water.  |
| Wonderful news! |
| I've re-read through this whole thing and the one thing I get is that you need to settle down. What ever is going to happen will and you being there or not will not change the outcome. I'm not trying to be mean and its been said by alot of folks here. Deep breath, remember you CAN NOT change the out come. You have him on the pheno now and it sounds like it is helping. Dogs get sick just like people. I have one who eats grass every chance he gets, but then again he eats anything that he can get into his mouth. Your dog ate something that didn't agree with him and he got sick. Nothing is going to change that. I'm saying this because it sounds like you are worrying yourself and all this is going to make YOU sick. The dog is doing fine...its YOU I'm worried about. |
| Well as of April 3rd it has been 1 year since Mac had his last seizure. I am so greatful! Thank God for pheno. I still worry every day tho especially when I have to leave him. He means everything to me, out of all the dogs I've had since I was a child he is by far the most best dog I have ever had. I love him more then I could even explain and leaving him even for a minute is so very difficult. I would be lost and totally devistated without him. He just turned 8 this past January. My last OES "Nana-Martha" was 12 1/2. I pray everyday that he goes beyond that. |
| Hi Jamie! So glad to hear the good news that Mac is doing well. Go Mac! Cheers Sue Jamie wrote: Well as of April 3rd it has been 1 year since Mac had his last seizure. I am so greatful! Thank God for pheno. I still worry every day tho especially when I have to leave him. He means everything to me, out of all the dogs I've had since I was a child he is by far the most best dog I have ever had. I love him more then I could even explain and leaving him even for a minute is so very difficult. I would be lost and totally devistated without him. He just turned 8 this past January. My last OES "Nana-Martha" was 12 1/2. I pray everyday that he goes beyond that. |
| Just an update and a little plug. First off, Mac is still doing very well I still have that little worry in the back of my mind tho and it always get's a little stronger when I go to bed. Hopefully he will stay that way. I couldn't handle seeing another one of those, I won't even say the word! He had his checkup a few weeks ago and everything is fine. He's my baby and I love him so much I can't explain it but I'm sure you all understand. Now here's the plug. My daughter own's a Dance Studio and if any of you are on Facebook I'd appreciate this very much: Hi everyone, just need a little of your help. My daughter's dance studio Expression Dance Studio is about 30 votes behind, if they win a camera crew goes to her studio and it would be great publicity. If you click on the blue link, it will take you to the Rainbow Dance Facebook Page of the video. You may have to like Rainbow first before you can dance, you can always unlike it tomorrow since today is the last day to vote. Once the video is there "Lil Timberlakes" click on the video and when it starts playing then click on LIKE https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10 ... =3&theater |
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