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My Dog Just Had A Fit Or Seizure


SueM
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Under direction of my Vet I had to administer Kal's doseage every 12 hours so that the effects remained steady. Half in morning. Half at night. Was awkward splitting the half size pills into quarters, but with a pill splitter it was do-able.

:eek:

I am also a little surprised the Vet hasn't recommended splitting the dose.

How is he Varicool? I hope all is well.

If he is still on only one dose I would suggest the evening to administer. I would, at a guess, say that most epis experience seizure activity in the wee hours of the morn or late at night. That's not to say they won't have them at other times but most seem to be in the pm.

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Hope all is well with your pup Varicool.

I would definately dose twice a day 1/4 tablet not once a day 1/2. PB needs to make sure it is given no more than 1/2 hour early or late and can't ever be missed.

You will need to make sure that water is always available for pup now as pb makes thirst alot.

Regarding the seizure video :

Definately looks like an epileptic fit, although not that severe believe it or not...my boy can actually bounce across the floor because the fits are so bad... so expect that perhaps in the future this could happen and be prepared so you don't panic. I would say that the actual fit only went for just over 2 minutes and the rest of the time he was in the post ictal stage - which is after the actual fit. Once he became conscious and sat up and started licking his lips i thought this was post ictal -- Puggles what do you think????

I would suggest that you make water available to pup as soon as he sits up as the licking of licks suggests that he is thirstly which my boy gets really badly. also you might find he is ravenously hungry and wants to sniff things. The post ictal phase will actually change so if next time he does something different like pace or seem to be blind don't panic as this is common. My boys post ictal phase sometimes is just laying there, sometimes he is blind and walks into everything, sometimes he goes crazy and runs and jumps etc..

Also try putting an ice block on his back or rubbing him down with a wet towel because unless the weather is freezing his body temperature is actually very very high during the seizure and dogs are most at risk of virtually frying their organs during this time if they don't get cool. You can buy this bowl that u put in the freezer that i keep for this when my boy comes out of his seizure...

I didn't see alot of foaming at the mouth which is great news for you but you may expect this in the future..... the only time i go near his mouth during a seizure is if my boy is actually chocking on the mass amount of foam that he produces. if so i get a damp cloth and quickly give his mouth a wipe making sure no fingers are near his and not shoving the cloth into his mouth or anything... note that this is only if he is obviously choking.

next time i would be interested to see the video after the fit is over if possible....

i hope all is well now and the pb works

PUGGLES - i hope xmas was non eventful in terms of seizures for monte... we got through safely thank goodness !!! Fingers crossed that the new year brings a quiet time from seizures for all epi babies.

Edited by Staffy-Lover
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PUGGLES - i hope xmas was non eventful in terms of seizures for monte... we got through safely thank goodness !!! Fingers crossed that the new year brings a quiet time from seizures for all epi babies.

:rofl: Apart from 2 focals, we have been virtually 'seizure free' for the last 4 months!!

Monte also has varying post-ictal behaviour but more often then not he is manic in between each grand mal and very restless but tired after them all.

Monte drinks some water and I always give him a little jam on bread after seizure activity to help with his energy. Another epi list I am on advises to give them some ice cream.................

I am lucky with Monte as he drools but it is not over the top excessive. He doesn't urinate or defecate either which many dogs do during a seizure.

Staffy-lover, it must be a huge relief for you to finally have the seizures under some kind of control now after all this time.

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Thanks for all the advice,the medication doesnt seem to be effecting him at all so far, after he comes out of a seizure he just goes and has a sleep for a few minutes and is back to normal, ...nothing since the 26th of December but I suppose I wont know if its working for a few weeks yet....

Edited by varicool
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Puggles, do you think the jam with bread helps with Monte's post-ictal? KC seems very frantic after a seizure, I am not sure if she is temporially blind? She runs into things and and that is about another 2 minutes and then pacing for another 15-30 minutes. I think the post-ictal is worse than the seizure because she seems distressed (and we get foaming and urinating during seizures!). We have used a cold towel after the frantic bit is over as she heats up but haven't tried feeding her anything after one.

She had a focal (?i think) boxing day, stress related I'm sure, but nothing major since the cluster in late November. She seems to be dealing with her meds a lot better than she did last time she was on them. Wonder if this is the difference between her being 18 months and 4.5 years. She can still do agility on 30mg bid and when she was younger she just slept a lot and looked woozy on the same dose.

KC sends kisses to all the epi-pups and their mums and dads!

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Puggles, do you think the jam with bread helps with Monte's post-ictal? ............................

From what has been described to me (by both human epileptics, other people with epi dogs and Vets) the blood sugar levels are sapped during the seizure and sugar is an instant fix. I give Monte the jam to help his energy levels during his recovery.

During his post ictal phase I usually hold him and stroke him to stop him crashing into things. He also runs around frantic as if blind and he does this in between each seizure during a cluster as well. It usually lasts anywhere from 2 -3 minutes to around 10 minutes. Usually he will allow me to hold him. Sometimes I will put him back down for a short time and then pick him back up again. Being a small dog this is easy for me but it would be much harder with a larger breed.

He also goes to the toilet in between the seizures in a cluster but not during the seizure.

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CaseyK - what you describe is exactly what my boy gets. the blindness is horrible isn't it and he also loses his bowels during the seizure aswell. and is also frantic etc...... although he changes patterns from time to time and sometimes it is different.

Amazing how many epi dogs there are... two years ago when my boy first began i didn't even know dogs could have epilepsy.

take care

PS - i use icecream after seizure to cool down and to give the sugar hit.

plain vanilla ice cream..... the healthiest one you can find.

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Staffy-lover, I didn't know any epi dogs until KC had it either. I know what you mean about little dogs Puggles. KC is little for a border collie (around 12kg), I don't know how people cope with bigger epi dogs. 10 minutes is a long time for the frantic stage (well it always seems like hours anyway, I guess). If KC is in her crate due to clustering, she spins in her crate during this part.

I think I will have to buy some good ice cream then for future episodes...just have to re-package it "brocolli" or something so my husband doesn't eat it!

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My boy is 30kg and i think that is why he has such a hard time because when he has a really bad seizure he will actually bounce.. and i mean bounce right up off the floor with every one. We had to buy a new bed that is close to the floor because he would seizure and fall the metre to the floor badly...

When he has a bad one i actually phsically have to lay on him sometimes to try and stop him from smashing into things....

Poor bugger must be so sore after them.... hmmmmmmmmmmm gee i wish they would find a cure.

so maybe harvey's seizure was a bad one... but he just doesn't have the size to bounce...???

I remember when my boy first had his seizure i said to the vet that it went for about 10-15 minutes ---- the vet said NO it can't have cause if it did you are in big trouble as that is very serious... he said next one actually look at the clock... i did and it was 2 minutes heheheheh just seemed like longer in such a panic :laugh: but the post ictal can go for ages...

Edited by Staffy-Lover
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I remember when my boy first had his seizure i said to the vet that it went for about 10-15 minutes ---- the vet said NO it can't have cause if it did you are in big trouble as that is very serious... he said next one actually look at the clock... i did and it was 2 minutes heheheheh just seemed like longer in such a panic :eek: but the post ictal can go for ages...

Yes, I know what you mean. It does seem like forever.

When Monte clusters though is does go on for ever and ever. He has a seizure, runs manic, has a seizure, runs manic and this will go on for 5 or 6 seizures in a row.

The time in between each seizure is getting shorter too which is a huge worry. It used to take between 60 - 80 minutes for him to have a cluster of 6.... now he does it within 40 - 60 minutes which means he is closer to going into status. :laugh:

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Puggles,

My boy used to cluster but the neuro told me that as soon as he has a seizure i should give him a whole dose of meds.....and that with the size of my dog i could give him a couple times his meds without any probs... and then to give him his normal meds at normal time.. u would have to ask about the size of your dog to see how many doses you could safely give him.

BUT... this broke the clusters !! He hasn't had more than 2 in a row... and that only a few times... since we began this method. Previously he used to cluster like your monte.

Dr Childs suggested this for us.... i would strongly suggest finding out for yourself if you don't already use it..

So say u give monte his tab at 5am and 5pm and he had a seizure at 3am... you give him a dose then at 5 you give him his normal dose.

it is working fantastically so far !!! (fingers crossed and touch wood i haven't jinxed myself )

Edited by Staffy-Lover
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Puggles,

My boy used to cluster but the neuro told me that as soon as he has a seizure i should give him a whole dose of meds.....and that with the size of my dog i could give him a couple times his meds without any probs... and then to give him his normal meds at normal time.. u would have to ask about the size of your dog to see how many doses you could safely give him.

Yes, we already do this but we administer rectal valium instead of his usual meds. The valium can be given twice to try and control it.

If we didn't give him this I would assume he would have more then 5 or 6. :laugh:

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