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My Dog Just Had A Fit Or Seizure


SueM
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I thought I'd provide an update on Molly:

She's been stable on her dose of Phenomax since diagnosis last March/April. No seizures when we've been home/with her, none also the two times she's been in boarding. No evidence of any seizure activity at all. :D I'm as careful as can be with the timing of her dose but sometimes, it's off by as much as two hours. :rolleyes: Rare, but it does happen. Last night, with Cyclone Helen approaching, I fed the dogs an hour earlier than usual and gave Molly her dose at that time. And we were a tad late in getting breakfast this morning with no apparent issues.

She had her annual checkup in November and the vet didn't recommend checking her levels but waiting until March/April again so we have a year's gap between initial onset and second review. But so far, everything looks and seems great. I hate to get too positive though as I know things can and do change without warning with epilepsy. :D

Hugs to all our special epi dogs. :D

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Okay another update. Maddie had a third grand mal last evening, the third one and again when on a walk. Just when we cancelled the MRI argh. Anyway her last blood work came back improved in the liver values but the white count still low. The vet does not think anything there that would result in grand mals.

Last night she fell on her side, seized for just under two minutes then lay still. I touched her on the side and she made a yelping noise and then started seizing again this time for just under 1 minute. I didn't touch her again for a few minutes after she stopped. She was panting fast and didn't try to get up. We were in the park next to my house so I picked her up and started carrying her, she was quite floppy and heart going very fast. Near to the house, about 5 minutes later, she picked her head up and looked at me, so I put her on the ground and she could stand up but not walk. Put her on the couch and rang the vet. He said to start medicating her. It was two weeks between the first and second and three between the second and third, so she is now on 45mg BID of Pb. She had a big sleep and was then fine. This morning she is good, had a little walk and was normal, wanted to chase birds, I kept telling her off if she started running! The vet still thinks hold off on the MRI, she how she goes on the meds, he thinks only do the MRI if she gets worse/seizures closer together or shows other neurological symptoms. Also it will be another two weeks before they can use the human hospital MRI again anyway. I think for now, as far as he is concerned, I now have two epi dogs.

KC seizures are quite different. She has one of between 30 seconds to one minute, but she does not fall down or lose consciousness, she snaps, stares, foams and urinates. Then she runs blindly for about 20 seconds, then she paces for up to an hour.

Edited by CaseyKay
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  • 5 weeks later...

Add an update: Madds is now one month on Pb, and seizure free (yay!). She was bit wobbly for the first two weeks and then came right, and seems back to her usual self. She had her levels tested a few days ago, and they are 105 (range 88-176), this is the exact same level KC tested at just before christmas. She had some other blood work, interestingly, her white count which had been very low is back in normal range. We don't know if that means anything related to her seizures. The weather has also gotten cooler again which helps. She has put on some of the weight she lost in January, one good thing about Pb! KC had a minor seizure last week, didn't urinate and no scary post ictal just went back to sleep. I can handle that sort of seizure.

Hope all the other epi dogs are going well :bottom:

Edited by CaseyKay
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  • 4 weeks later...

Harvey who has been having a very mild seizure regularly every 30 days or so, he recovers quickly and is fine in a couple of minutes had two today the first minor and the second 10 minutes later was a severe one he was still fitting when her got to the vets :o , he is currently at the emergency vet being monitered overnight, I am interstate and very worried :laugh:

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Oh Varicool he's a little s#@* to do this to you, probably sulking because you're away.

Lets hope he had a good night at the vets and is home this morning. Ring if there's anythink I can do.

Have you got a lift from the airport? :o

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Oh Varicool he's a little s#@* to do this to you, probably sulking because you're away.

Lets hope he had a good night at the vets and is home this morning. Ring if there's anythink I can do.

Have you got a lift from the airport? :laugh:

He has been transferred to another vet,Carley is picking me up from the airport thanks for the offer,he is staying their for the day under observation and will go home this evening,no more seizures since Carley took him in last night so thats good..

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How long did the second seizure last for Varicool? Did he actually go into status or was it just a long grand mal?

I hope everything is ok. Update us when you can.

I am not 100% sure how long the second one went for Puggles will know more when I get home Monday..

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That must have beem frightening for you Varicool! I hope Harvey is better and you can give him a hug soon.

Puggles, when do you class that a seizure is status and not a very long grand mal? I thought if more than 5 minutes?

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It used to be continuous seizure activity of 30 minutes or more in duration. In this classification (and in the later thinking of status as well), Monte goes into status as he does not become fully conscious (aware of his surroundings) in between his seizures when he has clusters and his clusters usually last for 45 - 60 minutes.

I think now the general thought is any seizure activity that extend beyond 5 mintues however.

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Hi everyone,

Just thought I would pop on here and give an update...

On Wed night Harvey had a 4-5 min seizure from which he recovered from as normal. Within 10-15 mins, however, he had another, and would not snap out of it. I took him straight to the e-vet (where i work, thank god, and 2 mins away) and he was given Valium anally. He was still in status/long petit mal(np paddling?) when I left him there, and eventually was back in the land of the living after 2 hours.

He was transferred to regular vet the next morning for babysit and no more seizures. I took him home Thursday night, all good, we left his catheter in just in case he needed a dose real quick but thankfully wasnt needed. He went back to regular vet for another babysit today as I had to work. He is home again now and still no seizures.

Phenobarb bumped up to 1/2 tab 30mg AM and PM. His Pb bloods were in the low end of normal range so he has room to move with higher doses.

He is still feeling a little tired and sad/sorry for himself, but his appetite has picked up and that little Harvey tail is going a million miles an hour!

Don't worry yourself Varicool, he is cuddled up with me and loving every minute the little sook.

You got yourself some good discounts along the way too as I mentioned your sob story lol!!!

So i guess the diagnosis is still unknown, hopefully the higher dose will control the seizures however. One of the Medicine specialists mentioned hydrocephalus as a possible cause but without an MRI you will never know...

Here he is:

post-6189-1204883937_thumb.jpg

Notice the "Get Well" loveheart vetrap and new collar Varicool! I thought he deserved a treat for being a good boy!

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Hi everyone,

Just thought I would pop on here and give an update...

On Wed night Harvey had a 4-5 min seizure from which he recovered from as normal. Within 10-15 mins, however, he had another, and would not snap out of it. I took him straight to the e-vet (where i work, thank god, and 2 mins away) and he was given Valium anally. He was still in status/long petit mal(np paddling?) when I left him there, and eventually was back in the land of the living after 2 hours.

He was transferred to regular vet the next morning for babysit and no more seizures. I took him home Thursday night, all good, we left his catheter in just in case he needed a dose real quick but thankfully wasnt needed. He went back to regular vet for another babysit today as I had to work. He is home again now and still no seizures.

Phenobarb bumped up to 1/2 tab 30mg AM and PM. His Pb bloods were in the low end of normal range so he has room to move with higher doses.

He is still feeling a little tired and sad/sorry for himself, but his appetite has picked up and that little Harvey tail is going a million miles an hour!

Don't worry yourself Varicool, he is cuddled up with me and loving every minute the little sook.

You got yourself some good discounts along the way too as I mentioned your sob story lol!!!

So i guess the diagnosis is still unknown, hopefully the higher dose will control the seizures however. One of the Medicine specialists mentioned hydrocephalus as a possible cause but without an MRI you will never know...

Here he is:

post-6189-1204883937_thumb.jpg

Notice the "Get Well" loveheart vetrap and new collar Varicool! I thought he deserved a treat for being a good boy!

Thanks MRI is out of the price range unfortunately unless they will let me pay it off over a year :eek: I hope it isnt that it doesnt look good on google.
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Good to hear he is back on the mend.

How old is Harvey and how long has he been experiencing seizures??

I would think if it was fluid on the brain his long term prognosis wouldn't be good at all and you would also see other symptoms.

Have they considered adding bromide to his drug regime?

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Stopping Cluster Seizures:

My Staffy used to cluster seizure when his epilepsy first started. We took him to the Neurologist who said that when he siezures, wait till he is able to eat

the tablets (in cheese) himself and give him a full load of meds straight after the seizure to stop cluster. Then meds as usual, even if only a few hours between seizure meds and normal ones. He doesn't have to be 100% to do this, just enough to be lucid enough to eat and swallow.

Since doing this, i can count on one hand the number of times he has clustered.

Not sure if you guys do this but i strongly recommend it, or atleast talk to your vet about it as it has been a wonder for us. Also the neuro recommended fish oil tablets, which i have written about a few times. She said that while there is no hard evidence about their power, that fish oil is good for the heart and brain and can't hurt. but that she believes that it has an effect on the epilepsy.

ALSO, Varicool - when i took my boy to the neuro she didn't even have to MRI to tell me that it was definately not a tumour etc. She just got him to walk up and down stairs and turn in circles and do a few activities and she said she could tell from that. So i am not sure if you have taken him to the neuro yet and they recommend an MRI or if you are thinking MRI to check,,,, but you may just be able to see neuro and get feedback. Much cheaper option.

Anyhow - i hope all the epi babies are safe and sound.

take care

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