Desperately Need Advice!

[Bosshog_Boo]

Hi Everyone,

I am in desperate need of advice. My kelpie bitch is fitting. I will fill you in on the situation.

- She is 3yo & will be 4yo in August.

- She started having an OCCASIONAL minor fit approx 6 months ago. I thought it may have been late onset epilepsy (I had a Chi that was also epileptic). These started after she had picked up a paralysis tick.

- After the tick I put her on a preventative program. I thought perhaps she had a reaction to the products so stopped using them. The fits still occured.

- I can not find a trigger.

Now this is bad enough but the last four days she has been having severe seizures. She has been fitting day and night (approx 10 in a 24hr period!!!). She did not eat and barely drank and lost considerable weight. She has settled down today and is herself again.

This is extremely upsetting for me and I just dont know what to do. I lost my Chi due to a seizure (She fitted and never woke up again) and I am worried I will lose her the same way. I also dont want her last days to be a misery but I dont want to give up on her either. I feel like I am being selfish because having her euthanised may be the kindest thing for her but I am almost physically sick at just the idea of having to go through with it. The vets I have spoke to have practically brushed me off, saying it "happens". Sure it does "happen" but not to a healthy young kelpie with no previous history of it!

Any help will be gratefully appreciated. Please I am at my wits end and I guess so is she.

[InspectorRex]

Get your dog to another Vet and get a second opinion. I know it is a Holiday weekend but if it were my dog it would be at the vet right now!

[cavNrott]

.

Edited May 8, 2009 by cavNrott

[shekhina]

Another for the emergency vet, hope she will be OK ;)

[bowser]

You need to take your dog to an emergency vet and make them take you seriously.

That many fits over a 24 hour period indicates that something is seriously wrong. It could be a number of different things, but only someone who is qualified in that particular field will be able to tell you for sure.

Good luck ;)

[Erny]

The vets I have spoke to have practically brushed me off, saying it "happens". Sure it does "happen" but not to a healthy young kelpie with no previous history of it!

;) Another for "emergency Vet". Now ...... if you haven't already gone there. Good luck. Let us know how things go.

[Owned by Shelties]

Personally I would be taking your dog to the vet straight away it may be easter but think of your poor baby. If this was your child you'd be straight down the hospital right????

For the health of your doggy and peace of mind for yourself please don't let this go on till tuesday or may very well be planning a funeral instead

[Okami]

VET!!!

Good luck

[nobul]

Another Vet NOW

[petaj]

Yep, seizures indicate a neurological lesion in the brain (supratentorial) - this is a problem that needs to be dealt with by a vet and not here ;) hope things work out

[Staffy-Lover]

Seizures happen for a gazillion different reasons and all of them require vet care.

My boy was only 23 months of age when he started seizuring. He has been diagnosed with epilepsy and it has been a constant fight ever since. He does not have a trigger for his epilepsy it is a type that is genetic. He currently has severe seizures every two weeks and has been on medication since last september. We are still mixing and matching to see what works best for him. Would i PTS - NO, not unless i thought he was in pain. It is very hard to deal with seeing him fit, but the next day he is better, it is only one day per fortnight that he is not himself - the rest of the time he is a naughty little lovable rat bag.

He is otherwise an extremely healthy fit dog.

BUT - there are soooo many different things that could be wrong with your dog so you really really do need to have a vet look at him, OR you very well could be in danger of loosing your dog to the seizure.

Very important - when the dog fits, it is highly important to keep its body temperature down. We wrap cold wet towels around my boy after his seizure and we wipe him down with them during his seizure . If your dog is having 10 in 24 hours then it is in great danger of frying its internal organs so make sure you keep the dog cool. Make cold water with ice blocks in it available for the dog when it is better - use ice cream to help cool him down - BUT do not use freezing cold water as this might set the dog in shock !!

If your dog fits for longer than 4 or 5 minutes without a stop then you seriously need to get it to a VET RIGHT AWAY. !!

The rule generally is if the dog fits more than once in the hour then you also need to get it to the vet.

I hope to goodness that your dog is better, keep a close eye on the dog and keep it cool.

Edited April 16, 2006 by Staffy-Lover

[Bosshog_Boo]

Update - I have found a vet who has been very helpful, he will come to me as well, rather than me trying to get to him with an upset dog and an upset owner (me!) - even have his mobile number if anything happens at any time at all!. She is booked in to have blood tests etc this week. **Fingers crossed that it is nothing serious**

She is doing really well today - back to her old self again. Even all her annoying habits are welcomed at the moment!

Thank you all very much for your help and advice. I was feeling a bit over whelmed the other day. I have already been through this all before and I was feeling like I was a jinx for my dogs. If I could send you all roses I would!!

[ShesaLikeableBiBear]

Good you have found a caring vet, hope the tests go ok next week.

[shekhina]

Wonderful that you've found such a caring vet. I hope the bloodwork helps to get this under control

[Staffy-Lover]

let us know how it all goes - i have my fingers crossed for you.

PS - if it turns out to be epilepsy there are a few people on dol (including me) who have epi dogs who are here for your emotional support - as you know it can be very draining and you sometimes just need someone who understands what you are going through to lend an ear.

My fingers and toes are crossed for you and there are lots of staffy wishes coming your way!

[~Anne~]

Sattfy-lover has said it all..... if he is experiencing multiple seizures as he is you need to be very aware of the term 'status epilpticus'.

Status occurs when the seizure doesn't stop, hence why you are advised to immediately race to the vet if he continues to seize for more than 5 minutes (actuall convulsing time).

As Staffy-lover mentioned there are a few of us with eplileptic dogs. I have an epilpetic Pug, called Monte, who suffers multiple seizures and can have up to 6 within an hour... this is also commonly referred to as a cluster. Luckily for us we have now been seizure free since early Feb...... I'm touching wood as I speak. Monte was diagnosed with epilepsy over 2 years ago now.

Are you in NSW? Both Satffy-lover and I could recommend Vets if you are. I also have an appointment to a specialist Veterinary Neurologist on May 2 in the Sydney area if you are interested in hearing the results of this.

OT- Staffy-lover have you heard of the trials being conducted by Syndey Uni on epileptic dogs? PM me for details if you are interested.

[Owned by Shelties]

Puggles, I would be very interested in hearing th results of the trial? I too had an epileptic whom I had PTS in Jan 06 due to complications from brain surgery that was ment to help fix her epilepsy.

Would be very interested if you could keep us updated

Cheerrs Trace

[petaj]

Yeah, seizures can happen in many different conditions but the brain lesion that may have resulted from the condition is what causes the seizure. Unless the neurology professors were wrong (not necessarily being a smartass here, I don't always agree with my lecturers).

Just in case that comment earlier was aimed at me.

Edited April 16, 2006 by petaj

[Bosshog_Boo]

Hi Everyone!

Thanks so much for your support! I can get myself pretty head up over things and lose the ability to think clearly! I convince myself the worst is going to happen.

I live in Brisbane, I was in NSW and had a fantastic vet down there (he even opened up at midnight when I had my Chi and she had her first seizure) it has been hard to find one up here even half as good as my vet down south! But I havent had any good experiences so far with vets here. They dont seem to care at all. Maybe I am being a little sensitive but they have a "Oh those sorts of stuff happen" attitude for eveything. I ring up almost in tears when she picked up a tick "oh that happens", I ring up to say she is fitting "Oh that happens, cant really do anything, just dont give her food straight away" GRRRRR!!!

For those who have epi dogs are they on medication?? My chi was on valium but only to calm her after a seizure (she had triggers so sometimes we could stop the seizures from happening by giving her valium if she was "starting" - her main trigger was the cat believe it or not!) She did not have to have anything everyday.

Thanks again

[Jed]

If you are in Brisbane, try West Chermside Vet. Clinic, in Appleby Road. They are excellent, but not cheap. Other posters may be able to suggest other vets who are good. The one you have found sounds good.

Fits can be caused by various tumours - brain, insuloma, liver etc, by epilepsy, or by hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), or by an injury to the brain, or certain types of poison. Your dog's history rules out some of the possible causes.

Blood tests will rule out some of the other things - and the spinal fluid can be checked (general anaesthetic) to rule out a brain injury.

It would be handy if the dog was at the vets when it had the fit, but it never seems to happen that way.

These tests are not cheap, but will certainly put your mind at rest, and ensure that you get the best outcome. It's important to note the behaviour of the dog between fits - is she normal, excitable, head pressing etc? How often they occur, and whether there seems to be some cause, so you can tell the vet -- the more information, the more likely the diagnosis is to be correct.