OT- My newly adopted dog has seizures.

[andtckrtoo]

Originally Posted by luvexercisedvds

Hi everyone!

Thank you so much to all of you who replied with kind thoughts, support and advice. Much appreciated!

For sure his seizure frequency was down played but I think it was because the previous owner knew I was the right person for him, she refused many, many people and I'm glad she was very cautious.

The previous owner said that he was having 10-15 minute seizures and vomiting after, my DD has timed the seizures since we've had him and they are running about 3-4 minutes and no vomiting. I have been talking with my vet and we are trying to find the best meds for him but I will not put him on anything until we can observe a few more seizures, I have him on a vet recommended food and I am hoping this will help as he was on a terrible commercial food that I looked up and other owners had commented that it actually caused their dogs to become very ill and have seizures. There is a wealth of information about seizures online but what I was hoping to find, is people who have experience with this issue and positive results with different meds other than phenobarbital as this med has many side effects.

I just want to hug you. I'm so happy this boy has you as his person.

[angie_nrs]

As others have already said "thank you" for being patient and taking care of this boy. It takes a really dedicated and special person to do that

You might want to do a search and find out some more information on the breed of dog you have. We have beagles.....mix actually, since we have one from the pound and none of the others were papered. We have had beagles all of our lives and all but one has had seizures. Thankfully they were far enough apart that we did not have to put them on phenobarb. They would only have seizures 3-4 times per year but it was scary for them (and us) when they had them. If they were crated when we weren't home....you just never know. But, post-ictal is pretty evident. Their eyes were dilated, loss of bladder control, possible vomiting, extreme panting, shaking, sheepish with ears down, etc. We'd just know if they had a seizure (within a reasonable amount of time) even if we didn't observe it......they just didn't act right or had some of the lingering symptoms that I just listed that you would see in a regular seizure. The vet said there wasn't really much you could do about it....just comfort them as much as you could. He said if the seizures got more frequent he would put them on meds, but until then just keep an eye on it and document it so you could keep track of seizure activity.

Some dog breeds are prone to it.....beagles are. The only beagle we had (still have) that didn't have a seizure was a male. But that might just be a coincidence for us. The females (3 of them) all had them, but thus far hasn't been a huge issue or fatal event.

I'm not sure if my experience is anywhere close to what you are experiencing but I hope you can find a solution. Best of luck to you and your boy.

[rosepetals]

Some pets are more sensitive to medications. Things like flea treatments in some dogs can cause problems. Depending on what breed of dog you have may possibly be a link. I recently adopted an Aussie. I found out from reading online, heart worm medication is linked to neurological issues in them. Collies were also on the list. They react to it 70% of the time. There was a long list of medications that are linked to triggering neurological issues in Aussies and collies.

Read up, research on the breed of dog you have. I ended up getting my dog tested. They have genetic testing that is pretty reasonable, before medicating with the ivomectin. It made hubby and I feel safer.

Hugs. Good luck with the seizures. I heard medication can usually keep things under control.

[RoseOOPs]

Years ago I had a cocker spaniel who had epilepsy. Some breeds are prone to seizures. Max lived a very happy active life. I did have him on meds. Even with the meds. poor Max still had seizures, but not as often. Max crossed the rainbow bridge when he was 10. He started to have cluster seizures, and the meds no longer helped him. I tried to give Max the best life I could, and in turn he was a great friend.

Before the meds. Max was having grand mal seizures several times a week.

[Gams]

I have had several dogs with seizures (I currently have one that has seizures). All my dogs have done well on phenobarbital and I wouldn't hesitate to give it to any of my dogs. The dogs I have had in the past had their seizures controlled completely on the pheno - one lived to be 18 and the other lived to be 16. The dog I currently have that has seizures has been experiencing periodic seizures still, but we just recently upped his pheno dosage, so we will see how that is working in another week or so. My vet only puts them on medication if the seizures are frequent. No cause for the seizures was ever discovered in any of the dogs and I went through a lot of testing with the first one at the vet college in St. Paul, only to be told they didn't have a clue as to why he was having seizures.

[ardnas]

One of our rescue dogs is sensitive and allergic to many things and has had seizures in the past and we know his brother still in rescue has them much worse and all the time. We switched our dog to a premium wet food and instead of feeding twice a day we broke it up into mini meals 5 times a day to stabilize blood sugar, added organic kelp & organic virgin coconut oil to his diet along with a supplement, stopped any/all treatments - no vaccines (titer test to make sure they are not needed, most dogs are immune for life after puppy vacs), no heartworm pills for winter months (make sure you are educated on the heartworm cycle and how preventatives work), no flea or tick preventatives (use Diatomaceous Earth around yard, in dog beds, on dog & vacuum daily), do not use any chemical cleaners in our house or on our lawn, and only wash him with a natural neem & coconut shampoo (which also repels fleas & ticks and stops itching). He has yet to have another seizure and his ear margin dermatitis has gone away (we were told it was an incurable disease and he would require meds for life to treat it). He had been to 3 or 4 vets who tried to prescribe antibiotics, steroids, shampoos, meds, all types of things but I refused and believe in trying a natural route first, which in his case proved to be what he needed and he's been seizure-free ever since, going on at least a year. Other things have also cleared up or improved - this poor dog had so many health and behavior issues, as do all of our rescues. Please try natural remedies before resorting to meds or chemicals. Canine seizures are pretty common and doesn't always mean your dog has epilepsy. Dogs are lower to the ground and anything on your shoes/floors/carpet/lawn/laundry is getting into their system, so be careful what you use & do and remember vets make money off whatever vacs, tests, pills, etc. you buy - it is a lucrative business for them and they do not always have your pet's best interest at heart. That said, there are some great vets out there and if you can, see a holistic vet for more suggestions.

[PhyllisG]

I have been reading this thread with interest even tho my dog does not have seizures. My cat had them years ago and he has since crossed the bridge. His came on suddenly and when he was older. No reason for the seizures was ever determined.
I would like to know the name of the neem coconut shampoo you use for your dog.
I too stopped giving both my dogs and cats annual vaccinations for the same reason. Check their titers! At first my vet was appalled but he eventually agreed and is now much more conservative with his vaccination recommendations for all his clients.

[ardnas]

Tropiclean Neem Shampoo

[PhyllisG]

Thank you Sandra.

[snapfish45]

I didn't read all of the posts, but I want to thank you for adopting. Our adopted dog, Troy, had one seizure soon after we adopted him. We took him to the vet who did blood work on him. The blood work came out fine and he never had another seizure. We never found out the cause of it. Hopefully the food switch will work for you.