Anyones dog have repeated seizures?

[Prime Yossarian]

So 2 weeks ago my dog SAM had her first seizure - it was 6am and I had been asleep for about 2 hours. She sleeps at the foot of my bed, she just just went rigid and started foaming at the mouth.

After a minute or two, SAM relaxes but is obviously blind, searching around for my voice then jumps up startled and runs straight into the wall, falls down beside the bed and is freaking out. After several minutes her eyesight comes back, she was really scared, disorientated and confused. She ends up putting her hackles up, snarling and barking at me. shes a medium sized dog and I was actually sceptical about my chances of coming out unhurt if she decided to attack me.

The aggression only lasted about 30 seconds then she started whimpering and limping around the house, one side of her body paralysed.

About two minutes later she was agitated and kept doing laps of the house, but seemed pretty unaffected after that and no further muscle issues.

I took her to the vet and he said her blood was all fine and it was just an unknown cause and I shouldnt worry until shes having 3-5 seizures a week if that ever happens.

shes had 2 more in 2 weeks and another one last night. Shes only 3 years old and otherwise in great shape. Gets plenty of exercise etc. the only issue shes had is some sores on the back of her legs which are slowly going away by using a cone collar and anti bite spray, but she keeps breaking the collar off and licking through the spray - despite hating the taste of it. I'm no scientist, but thought her staying up late licking at the wounds when she gets the collar off could cause extreme fatigue and contribute to the seizures.

Anyone have a dog with epilepsy and frequent fits? how did it play out? is it something your dog lived with for a while or was there a timeline where things got a lot worse?

Really worried about the little one.

CLIFFS: dog has epilepsy, got any related advice/anecdotes?

 

[mb23100]

my sisters dog (who i trained from a pup) started getting seizures at about one year old....first vet said the same thing yours said...second one actually seemed to care and put him on medication to control it.....still gets seizures but way less frequently and not as intense.....maybe once a month as opposed to three a week....hope this helps....get a good vet....

 

[Prime Yossarian]

yeah the vet said the medication was pretty harsh on their livers and I should try and avoid going down that route as long as was practical. Not sure what to think TBH.

 

[GrindingANARCHY]

I've never witnessed a dog having a seizure. Wish you all the best TS!

 

[Flemmy Stardust]

 

[Chaos Spawn]

my family had a shetland sheepdog (they look like mini-collies for those unfamiliar with the breed) when i was a kid that had epilepsy.

his seizures started when he was still under a year prob 9 - 12 months if i remember correctly. he was in my room sleeping next to my bed when he has his first one. it was pretty traumatic for me, so i know what you are going through and you have my sympathy.

he was a pretty nervous dog, but never aggressive. he stayed nervous and extremely shy even after he was medicated, but i don

 

[MrVet]

So 2 weeks ago my dog SAM had her first seizure - it was 6am and I had been asleep for about 2 hours. She sleeps at the foot of my bed, she just just went rigid and started foaming at the mouth.

After a minute or two, SAM relaxes but is obviously blind, searching around for my voice then jumps up startled and runs straight into the wall, falls down beside the bed and is freaking out. After several minutes her eyesight comes back, she was really scared, disorientated and confused. She ends up putting her hackles up, snarling and barking at me. shes a medium sized dog and I was actually sceptical about my chances of coming out unhurt if she decided to attack me.

The aggression only lasted about 30 seconds then she started whimpering and limping around the house, one side of her body paralysed.

About two minutes later she was agitated and kept doing laps of the house, but seemed pretty unaffected after that and no further muscle issues.

I took her to the vet and he said her blood was all fine and it was just an unknown cause and I shouldnt worry until shes having 3-5 seizures a week if that ever happens.

shes had 2 more in 2 weeks and another one last night. Shes only 3 years old and otherwise in great shape. Gets plenty of exercise etc. the only issue shes had is some sores on the back of her legs which are slowly going away by using a cone collar and anti bite spray, but she keeps breaking the collar off and licking through the spray - despite hating the taste of it. I'm no scientist, but thought her staying up late licking at the wounds when she gets the collar off could cause extreme fatigue and contribute to the seizures.

Anyone have a dog with epilepsy and frequent fits? how did it play out? is it something your dog lived with for a while or was there a timeline where things got a lot worse?

Really worried about the little one.

CLIFFS: dog has epilepsy, got any related advice/anecdotes?

I'm currently a 4th year Veterinary Student studying for a Medicine/Surgery exam, so this counts as study! Procrastination FTW.

First I need some more information. Some general stuff to start off with.

What is her breed (any predispositions)?
What happened before the event? (Anything differing from normal, I know you were asleep but anything helps)

The seizure itself was the rigid part with the frothing at the mouth, was she relatively still or convulsing/ paddling the air?

What was the colour of her gums/ tongue during the event?
Did she void her bladder during the event?
When was her last meal prior to the event?
Does she have any other medical conditions or was she undergoing any treatment or medication?

Also I know you described it as being several minutes, but due to adrenaline/ stress on your part they often seem alot longer than what they really are. So next time she has one, if at all possible could you time and record how long the seizure lasts (Breaking it down into the individual phases would be very helpful as well e.g. 1 min rigid/ convulsing + 1 min aggressive + 2 min blind etc.)

What are the intervals of the seizures, are they evenly spaced out or are they coming in clusters i.e 2-3 in a day then nothing for a couple weeks.

The blindness, ataxia (disorientation), aggressiveness is due to something called a Postictal phenomenon, a transient clinical abnormality of Central Nervous System function.

Sorry for all the questions, but seeing as I can't actually examine the patient I need all the information I can get! Thanks!

 

[MrVet]

Sorry one more couple more lol!

What country are you in (in case I need to add any exotic diseases to my differential list) and what is her vaccination history?

Edit (Also did the Vet just run bloods or did he do a Urine analysis as well?)

 

[Prime Yossarian]

thanks, gonna call the vet tomorrow and advise him of the frequency and get a 2nd opinion if he doesnt think meds are required.

Really shit experience as she goes from being in obvious distress to intensely aggressive for a short burst which is really out of character for her. She's a staffy cross with ridiculous bite strength - I live by myself but would hate to have someone get hurt if she has an attack around someone unfamiliar.

anyways, works over so im gonna spend some time with goofy bitch.

this is her as a pup in a little prison we made while she was sleeping on the lawn - not too impressed about it.

 

[Squirting Gun]

I'm currently a 4th year Veterinary Student studying for a Medicine/Surgery exam, so this counts as study! Procrastination FTW.

First I need some more information. Some general stuff to start off with.

What is her breed (any predispositions)?
What happened before the event? (Anything differing from normal, I know you were asleep but anything helps)

The seizure itself was the rigid part with the frothing at the mouth, was she relatively still or convulsing/ paddling the air?

What was the colour of her gums/ tongue during the event?
Did she void her bladder during the event?
When was her last meal prior to the event?
Does she have any other medical conditions or was she undergoing any treatment or medication?

Also I know you described it as being several minutes, but due to adrenaline/ stress on your part they often seem alot longer than what they really are. So next time she has one, if at all possible could you time and record how long the seizure lasts (Breaking it down into the individual phases would be very helpful as well e.g. 1 min rigid/ convulsing + 1 min aggressive + 2 min blind etc.)

What are the intervals of the seizures, are they evenly spaced out or are they coming in clusters i.e 2-3 in a day then nothing for a couple weeks.

The blindness, ataxia (disorientation), aggressiveness is due to something called a Postictal phenomenon, a transient clinical abnormality of Central Nervous System function.

Sorry for all the questions, but seeing as I can't actually examine the patient I need all the information I can get! Thanks!

I have no idea about any of this but you sir seem like a good person. This happened to one of my late Huskies.

 

[Prime Yossarian]

I'm currently a 4th year Veterinary Student studying for a Medicine/Surgery exam, so this counts as study! Procrastination FTW.

First I need some more information. Some general stuff to start off with.

What is her breed (any predispositions)?

Staffy Kelpie Cross

What happened before the event? (Anything differing from normal, I know you were asleep but anything helps)

I had gone to sleep around 4am, (i work nights) and she was sleeping next to me. the attack happened around 6am.

The seizure itself was the rigid part with the frothing at the mouth, was she relatively still or convulsing/ paddling the air?

Yeah, she was paddling and had strong convulsions.

What was the colour of her gums/ tongue during the event?

I think bluish grey but not 100%

Did she void her bladder during the event?

yep and her anal glands

When was her last meal prior to the event?

cooked meat and dry food (science diet high energy food)

Does she have any other medical conditions or was she undergoing any treatment or medication?

she had a rash on the back of her legs that she had been chewing at, on antibiotics. The course of antibiotics is now over, the rash is improving, but still there and I've been spraying no bite on it and had a cone on her head, which she has figured out how to take off when Im not around.

Also I know you described it as being several minutes, but due to adrenaline/ stress on your part they often seem alot longer than what they really are. So next time she has one, if at all possible could you time and record how long the seizure lasts (Breaking it down into the individual phases would be very helpful as well e.g. 1 min rigid/ convulsing + 1 min aggressive + 2 min blind etc.)

Yeah, I thought I might have over estimated things, but tried to think back on how many times I told her to calm down and think I said it about 20-30 times so around a minute for the seizure, 45sec-1 min for blindness, 30 seconds of aggression and 3-4 minutes of disorientation. i'll try and time it or film it if it's practical next time.

What are the intervals of the seizures, are they evenly spaced out or are they coming in clusters i.e 2-3 in a day then nothing for a couple weeks.

1 the first week, 1 while I was away (foam evident on her nose) one the next night and one a week later.

The blindness, ataxia (disorientation), aggressiveness is due to something called a Postictal phenomenon, a transient clinical abnormality of Central Nervous System function.

Sorry for all the questions, but seeing as I can't actually examine the patient I need all the information I can get! Thanks!

Also I'm Australian, her vaccines are up to date, but she did have her booster vacc 3 days before her first seizure and was started on the antibiotics (for her legs) a few days before to her first seizure.

Thanks a lot buddy!

 

[MrVet]

yeah the vet said the medication was pretty harsh on their livers and I should try and avoid going down that route as long as was practical. Not sure what to think TBH.

The 2 First Line therapies for seizures are Phenobarbital and Potassium Bromide. Apparently it's due to the personal preference of the vet on which treatment as both have their Pro's and Cons.

Phenobarbital is the one I assume your vet is talking about, will cause Neutropenia (reduced white blood cells or decreased immunity) and liver disease.

Potassium Bromide will also cause some side effects, namely Polyuria, Polydipsia, Poly****ia (Excessive urination, drinking and eating) and maybe some uncoordination/ lethargy, however these are all reversible when you take them of the treatment.
Downside is that this treatment has to be taken for up to 2-3 months before you will see any effects of the treatment.

Both drugs are typically pretty effective in reducing the interval/ number of seizures.

If these are ineffective, you will normally see alternative treatments being used or the 2nd line drugs e.g. Clorazepate, Gabapentin, Felbamate etc.

 

[MrVet]

Also I'm Australian, her vaccines are up to date, but she did have her booster vacc 3 days before her first seizure and was started on the antibiotics (for her legs) a few days before to her first seizure.

Thanks a lot buddy!

Cheers for the reply! I'm actually right across the ditch in NZ haha. Do you by any chance have the box of the antibiotic or know the exact name? Antibiotics like Penicillin, metaclopramide, enrofloxacin can actually lower the seizure threshold so, they could have played a part in the seizures.

 

[Prime Yossarian]

Cheers for the reply! I'm actually right across the ditch in NZ haha. Do you by any chance have the box of the antibiotic or know the exact name? Antibiotics like Penicillin, metaclopramide, enrofloxacin can actually lower the seizure threshold so, they could have played a part in the seizures.

The antibiotic is called amoxycillian.

I should be over in NZ around the end of the year. Really looking forward to it.

 

[Hollywood Jack]

The 2 First Line therapies for seizures are Phenobarbital and Potassium Bromide. Apparently it's due to the personal preference of the vet on which treatment as both have their Pro's and Cons.

Phenobarbital is the one I assume your vet is talking about, will cause Neutropenia (reduced white blood cells or decreased immunity) and liver disease.

Potassium Bromide will also cause some side effects, namely Polyuria, Polydipsia, Poly****ia (Excessive urination, drinking and eating) and maybe some uncoordination/ lethargy, however these are all reversible when you take them of the treatment.
Downside is that this treatment has to be taken for up to 2-3 months before you will see any effects of the treatment.

Both drugs are typically pretty effective in reducing the interval/ number of seizures.

If these are ineffective, you will normally see alternative treatments being used or the 2nd line drugs e.g. Clorazepate, Gabapentin, Felbamate etc.

I find it funny how legitimate medical advice from an expert gets filtered out because it inadvertently contains a misspelling of a slur for homosexuals within medical terminology.

 

[t3c9]

not a dog but a pet animal, my gf's 13yr old cat has them. very nice cat loves everyone, she rescued it off the street as a stray kitten. its on phenobarbitol to lessen the duration of the seizures, their brains overheat & it's very bad. The longest one was a few minutes, now with meds they are all less than 30 seconds.

 

[flyingnecklock]

My dog Yuki used to have seizures a lot. She is an american eskimo and is almost 17 years old now and she hasn't had one in years. We took her in to a vet and they could find nothing wrong with her.

It was a horrible thing to watch a dog go into a seizure, Yuki's body used to lock up and she would lose her motor skills. I remember my father having some sedative meds from his psychiatrist and he would just cut a tiny sliver off of it and pop it in her mouth, she would usually snap out of it a few minutes after that.

She had a few mild one about a 1.5- 2 years ago and I would just lay with her, pet her and try to calm her down. They didn't last as long and were'nt nearly as violent as the ones she had in her earlier days.

Despite going through a lot of seizures as a pup and young adult dog, she has been very healthy in her golden years. Here she is enjoying a day at the pool.

Hey Mr vet, how do you feel about medical marijuana for dogs and cats? I have had some good results when my dog was in pain (not siezure related) and it really appeared to make her feel better. I made a little bit of tea and mixed it with her wet food. Did wonders for her honestly and helps with her arthritis.

Here's a couple of links with veterinarians promoting it..

http://www.theweedblog.com/veterinarian-administers-medical-marijuana-to-dogs-says-it-works-wonders/

http://www.digtriad.com/news/watercooler/article/284229/176/Medical-Marijuana-Isnt-Just-For-Humans

 

[slamtown]

Growing up I had a retriever that would have seizures from time to time (started when she was middle aged I'd say). It is definitely not an easy sight to see and quite scary. The frequency tapered off as she got older and she lived to be 16 years old. One of the best dogs I ever had. The vet might be able to help with some medication. Sucks seeing your dog like that, but the occurrences should lessen with time. Good luck

 

[greygoose]

My previous boston had them. He was on phenobarbital for 7 years. It kept it in check mostly, but ever so often (i think) he had them. it's pretty sad since there's nothing you can do to comfort them during an attack. Apparently it isn't uncommon in the breed.

 

[Prime Yossarian]

She had 2 more on the night I posted the OP. minute and a half seizure followed by a 5 minute post seizure disorientation period and restlessness for about half an hour after that.

I told the vet a week ago that I was using an antiseptic spray on the rash on the back of her legs and he said there shouldn't be any issues with that.

I googled all the ingredients in the spray and it had a small amount of tea tree oil in it, which apparently can cause neurological reactions in dogs.

I put her in the bath and rinsed it all off, told the vet and they didnt seem that concerned about it, but -touch wood - she hasnt had one since.

it's only been 2 days, but hoping the tea tree oil in the spray was what set it off.