Epilepsy seizures

DP · June 15, 2007, 11:14:39 AM

I don't normally post but I have been reading for quite a while. Our two critters have not had too many problems but the youngest Smokey had a seizure last night. He had had one last month but we thought it was the fertilizer we used on the yard. We did not let him on it but we thought he might have gotten into it on the concrete. Well the vet told us last night that the type of seizure was more indicative of Epilepsy rather that a toxin or an imbalance in his blood. (She ran full blood work and I mean FULL and all came back negative) I am interested in what experience others have had with this. The vet said that typically they start with just one every few months and then sometimes increase in duration and frequency. She was not yet concerned that he had two with in a month of each other because the seizures were short and he came right out of it both times very quickly. He acted tired for about an hour and slept hard last night but he was his normal type A hyperactive personality for the most of the evening. The vet said that he is not harmed by these mild seizures. I am still worried. The boys are in the kennel during the day when we are not home so I do not know if we have missed some seizures. I guess I am looking for some reassurance that this is not as bad as it seems to me. I guess I am just freaked out about the diagnosis

Barb · June 15, 2007, 04:34:30 PM

It is scary - but is able to be controlled by medications. Several here have been through this an should respond with their experiences and advice.

Always scary to see out babies hurting......rays on the way. Please keep us posted!

krs123 · June 18, 2007, 10:10:29 AM

My Max has had about 4 siezures in the last year or so. I asked my vet about it the last time i had him there (03/07). She said they could do bloodwork and put him on medications for it. He hasn't had one since January (that i have seen) and he seems to be just fine. I chose not to put him on meds for it because sometimes the meds can sometimes have side effects too. I think he has them because he chases and kills lizards and some lizards (from what i hear) can have something in them that can cause seizures in dogs. HIs seizures are usually mild and last about less than 5 minutes. Although, if they did become more frequent and bothersome or damaging to him i would definently re-discuss options with my vet. When he does have one, i usually just sit with him quietly and tell him its okay and stroke him softly. Good luck! and let us know how he does.
Kim

Merion · June 18, 2007, 11:43:10 AM

We had this problem with my boy Zeke. But he had the cluster seizures where he would go right back into one as he was coming out of another. How old is Smokey?
We did have to medicate Zeke because they were the cluster ones. The milder ones would be like 5 min or less but then the clusters would go on for 10-25 min. That is when you really have to worry. If you do need to medicate I don't think it made a big difference in his behavior. He made it to 15 1/2 so he had a long and happy life even with the seizures. He still had them maybe 4 or 5 times a year. Just make sure if you have to do the medicine they do blood work tests to check and make sure he is in the theraputic range. As he had more we had to up his dosage over the years but there is a big range in it so you have a ways to go if it doesn't help to start. You just want to use the least amount needed to control it so you have an option if he gets worse.
When he had them I just sat and held him an talked quietly to him. Bright lights, flashing lights and loud noises or voices can make them worse so try to keep calm.
Good Luck!!!
Merion & the ZZ's

Jenny G · June 18, 2007, 12:12:31 PM

Berman has had 4 seizures since December. I had no idea what was happening to him when he had his first. My vet ran blood work and everything came back negative. He doesn't want to put Berman on medication since the seizures aren't frequent nor very intense. They last about 5 minutes each and Berman is pretty conscience during them - he even tries to give me kisses as I pet him and talk sweetly to him. He's never lost control of his bowels, but there have been times when I've come home from work to accidents and wonder if he could've had a seizure.

I asked my vet if there is any possibiltiy of brain damage and he said the seizure would have to be really intense - like last 30 minutes or longer or be very frequent - one after the other. So for now we're not on meds and I just try to comfort him as much as possible till the seizures pass. I'm hoping he won't have anymore, but I'm not counting on it.

We're sending lots of rays your way. Please keep us updated!

Valerie · June 18, 2007, 12:40:58 PM

Can I ask a dumb question? What does a a seizure in a dog look like? Do they flail like a person having a seizure? How do you know your dog is having a seizure?

I hope I never see one, but I just want to know just in case.

DP · June 18, 2007, 01:25:03 PM

Smokey will be three in September and the vet said this was a common age to have them. Both times we wittnessed the seizures he was walking and started looking wobbly. I thought it was his back and that had my adrenaline going. Then within 5 or 10 seconds he stretched his legs out and his body was tense and he fell over sideways. When i picked him up he stayed stiff and straight with his legs out stiff (lookes like he was stretching) and I put him on the couch. Within 15 to twenty seconds he loosened up and looked like he had just woken up. He recognized me immediately and wanted on my lap. I was holding him for about one minute and i saw his eyes look at me like he was not focusing. he then stiffened up again and stretched his legs out stiff again. I had to set him on the couch again because i was afraid i might hurt him by holding him wrong. The stiffness only lasted for 15 to 20 seconds. He did this cycle of 2 seizures about 1 minute apart both times. The vet said that the second stiffening was a continuation of the first seizure and not necessairly a second seizure and since it did not last more that 2 minutes total it was not as much of a concern. I have looked up information on some of the medication she was talking about and it appears to be the doggie equivalent of valium? It looks like it might take him from a hyperactive A personality to a more mello laid back personallity (more like our 6 year old Champ (not a show dog but named by my son)). She is not ready to put him on anything yet because it does not seem to be sever enough yet. My daughter will be working evenings this summer and she will be able to watch for the seizures over the summer time. To all who replied, thanks for all the info I am feeling much less alarmed by the diagnosis today. I have also re-read many of the old posts on seizures and i feel better able to discuss this with the vet if he has anothe seizure. She does want us to call in any time he has one so that she will have an accurate record. She is a great vet.

Jenny G · June 18, 2007, 03:33:43 PM

Quote from: Valerie on June 18, 2007, 12:40:58 PM
Can I ask a dumb question? What does a a seizure in a dog look like? Do they flail like a person having a seizure? How do you know your dog is having a seizure?

I hope I never see one, but I just want to know just in case.

Berman's were like this too. He just kinda started falling over on his side - the last one I thought something was wrong w/ his back or back legs. He got real stiff and shook. He looked at me and kept licking his lips and even tried to reach up to kiss me. The last one was kinda weird because his eyes started watering really bad and he had big tears rolling down his face. Each time he's had one, when the seizuer is over, it's like nothing in the world has happened. He runs and plays and his is normal ornery self.

Merion · June 18, 2007, 09:45:36 PM

Hope this helps Valerie. Seizures can have many forms. Sometimes they look like they are just biting at flies, or shaking and they can also look like they are just staring at something. My mother had one of those when she came here from the nursing home. She refused all her medicines and one of them was not supposed to be stopped unless you did it gradually. I saw her staring at the ceiling and she didn't respond when I talked to her so I called the nursing home and of course they said she never had any problem there and had no idea why she would now. About that time she started shaking and started to come out of it. The next day I talked to the hospice nurse about it who had come to check on her and she was sure that was what the problem was. Most of the time my dogs have laid on their sides and it looked like they were moving their legs like they were chasing something. Kind of like they do in their sleep but they have their eyes open and look like they aren't seeing anything. It did seem to make Zeke relax more and the seizures were shorter when I petted him and talked to him and he didn't try to fight it as much.
I should have said that you also should take notice of when the seizures are and what is going on. If you notice that certain things set them off, that would let you know what to watch out for.

Merion & the ZZ's

Doxherding Karen · July 22, 2007, 04:10:18 PM

My dog Cooper was a border collie/lab mix doxie wannabe. In April 2004 he had his first seizure. it was about two in the morning and he had just gone outside for a quick "make break". He suddenly fell of the bed stretched his back at stiff as he could, started flailing his legs and making this high pitched scream. I thought it was strychnine poisoning at first. (I had only moved a month before, and I thought some neighbor was out to get my dogs.)

I no sooner had the emergency vet on the phone when he snapped out of it and looked like he was fine!

But that was the first grand mal seizure and they continued for the next two years. We had him on phenobarbital and it helped somewhat, but at one point in 2006, he was so drugged he was almost unconscious. Our vet said if we had to, then drug him til he's knocked out, but we had to stop the cycle of seizures. They finally slowed down.

In May 2006 we took him in for his routine blood work, wll of which came back normal. Four months later, while I was in the hospital, he stopped eating and blood tests revealed severe liver compromise. Dr. Rosenberger, one of a dying breed of old fashioned vets, palpated him and found a large mass in the center of the liver. He said I could go for an MRI, but it wouldn't tell him anything he didn't already know - that it was almost certainly cancer and inoperable, due to the size and location. Two days later, our hearts broke as we put Cooper down. He was just a great friend, a big, goofy, lovable "doxie brudder" to Guinness, who looked for him every time I came home for weeks afterward.

Anyway, sniff, sniff, take good care of you little one and stay on top of the blood work and the meds. Good luck.

Karen