My buddy (dog) has epilepsy

[Gard]

...anyone else here have this situation?

Last night, about 11:30, bringing him in for the night, he was acting oddly - I'm "puppy sitting" my boss' two Corgis (great little dogs), and I thought that maybe his behavior was related to feeling a bit out of sorts because there were two new dogs in his "pack", and he maybe felt like he wasn't the #1 anymore (he still is, of course).

Typically, I have them sit at the gate and be still for a moment before bringing them in, usually he just immediately pops his butt on the deck and sits waiting patiently, but last night, he wouldn't sit at all...then he turned his back on me and laid down facing away from me. I figured it was just that "jealousy" thing, and decided to get all four pups (his sister is in there as well) in the house, then give him a bit of attention to let him know it was all still good, he's the #1 pup...well, they all scoot in, he gets just inside the door and lies down again.



Very unusual indeed, as usually he trucks into the kitchen and starts looking for his treat. So, I sit next to him on the floor, still thinking he's got his nose out of joint because of the "new" dogs. Reach out to give him a scritch, and he falls over, paws stuck straight out in front of him, head tilted back, barely breathing, not "seeing", and rigid as a board.



Of course, at this point I FREAK OUT!



Grab my keys, my wallet, toss on sneakers (didn't even tie 'em), grab Simon, jump in the car and take off.

I must have been quite a sight, with a rigid 60 lb Samoyed/Shepard mix laying across my lap driving down the road to the emergency vet.



The bottom line is, after they gave him a few tests, the vet sat and told me that he had apparently had a petit mal seizure. I remember then that back in July, he had some kind of "incident" when only my g/f's daughter was home, but by the time I got home (about 10 minutes after the call), he seemed just slightly out of sorts and I passed it off as heat-related (it was 90+ that day), so apparently, this is his SECOND known seizure now. The vet said that medication was not indicated, if he is having what are really mild events, spaced about 6 months apart, it is not something that affects his quality of life, and we should just be aware and observant.

Anyhow, if anyone can relate similar experiences, and maybe tell me that we don't really have anything to worry about (which is essentially what the vet says), it would sure make my mind a bit more at ease - Simon is my best bud in the universe and that was a really bad experience.

Here's my buddy, just because it's an excuse to post his pic again :

[René_Julien]

Good to know that your dog is allright at this time.


I've got a similar story... And I do not mean to make you worry Gard.


I had a Golden Retriever who had occassional epilepsy attacks.
Those attacks were scary.
Shaking, foaming at the mouth and urinating.
I had many nights staying up with him making sure he'd make it through the night. (Sleeping in a lawnchair outside next to my dog.)

The vet concluded there was fluid surrounding his brain, often resulting in pressure cause epilepsy. (Or something like that.)

He got medication for it. 2 little pills I had to give him everyday.

Until one time he had several attacks following shorty (within a week).
The last attack was very heavy.

He suffered a brain seizure from it.
He was demented afterwards. Those were very sad days to watch him.
He barely responded to his name, moved slowly, stumbled against everything. Not hungry very much.
Watching him you know he was feeling very miserable.

A week after his last and heaviest seizure I made the decision to put him to sleep.
A hard thing to do, bringing him to the vet and not returning without him.
He got an injection and he died quitely in my arms.
He looked peaceful when he slowly died... without pain.
I was pretty depressed for days.

I had good times with that dog, it was a good friend.


That was about a year and a half ago.
I haven't had a dog since.

Some day I will get another one.
Probably like I always do, I will adopt an older dog.
Always adopted mature dogs and never had problems with them.




Gard, I hope everything will be fine for your dog.
Wishing him the best health.

[Bass7755]

We had the same experience with our Golden Retriever Brisco.
He had his first seizure when he was about 2 years old.
The vet also told us that meds were not necessary unless
we felt he might have a seizure and injure himself.
He was spoiled and would sleep on our bed while we were at
work. We felt like there was a small possiblity that he might
have a seizure while we were gone and fall off the bed.
We put him on a small dose of Phenobarbital that we would
give with his food. He only had about 3 seisures that were
spaced about 2-3 months apart. But we felt that using
the Phenobarbital to control the seizures was the best choice
for our piece of mind and for Brisco.

He lived another 10 years and never had another seizure.
The Phenobarbital didn't have any negative effects on him
and he was a normal, happy and awesome dog.
He pasted away in June. I miss him so much!
I'm sure Simon will be fine! He's a good looking boy!!
Dan

Originally Posted by Gard

...anyone else here have this situation?

Last night, about 11:30, bringing him in for the night, he was acting oddly - I'm "puppy sitting" my boss' two Corgis (great little dogs), and I thought that maybe his behavior was related to feeling a bit out of sorts because there were two new dogs in his "pack", and he maybe felt like he wasn't the #1 anymore (he still is, of course).

Typically, I have them sit at the gate and be still for a moment before bringing them in, usually he just immediately pops his butt on the deck and sits waiting patiently, but last night, he wouldn't sit at all...then he turned his back on me and laid down facing away from me. I figured it was just that "jealousy" thing, and decided to get all four pups (his sister is in there as well) in the house, then give him a bit of attention to let him know it was all still good, he's the #1 pup...well, they all scoot in, he gets just inside the door and lies down again.



Very unusual indeed, as usually he trucks into the kitchen and starts looking for his treat. So, I sit next to him on the floor, still thinking he's got his nose out of joint because of the "new" dogs. Reach out to give him a scritch, and he falls over, paws stuck straight out in front of him, head tilted back, barely breathing, not "seeing", and rigid as a board.



Of course, at this point I FREAK OUT!



Grab my keys, my wallet, toss on sneakers (didn't even tie 'em), grab Simon, jump in the car and take off.

I must have been quite a sight, with a rigid 60 lb Samoyed/Shepard mix laying across my lap driving down the road to the emergency vet.



The bottom line is, after they gave him a few tests, the vet sat and told me that he had apparently had a petit mal seizure. I remember then that back in July, he had some kind of "incident" when only my g/f's daughter was home, but by the time I got home (about 10 minutes after the call), he seemed just slightly out of sorts and I passed it off as heat-related (it was 90+ that day), so apparently, this is his SECOND known seizure now. The vet said that medication was not indicated, if he is having what are really mild events, spaced about 6 months apart, it is not something that affects his quality of life, and we should just be aware and observant.

Anyhow, if anyone can relate similar experiences, and maybe tell me that we don't really have anything to worry about (which is essentially what the vet says), it would sure make my mind a bit more at ease - Simon is my best bud in the universe and that was a really bad experience.

Here's my buddy, just because it's an excuse to post his pic again :

[santucci218]

my dog, Patches, had a seizure on a rather hot day as well. I guess its normal on extremely hot days for dogs, as they have such thick fur and all, they must run much hotter than us. Since then i have always been sure to keep her inside on such days, or only leave her out for a little. She has been okay since. I suppose just check for stability between days. Don't want any extreme abnormalities throughout the day to cause any disruptions.

[Gard]

Rene', I'm very sorry to hear that story, but you did the right thing.

It sounds like your dog was having what the vet described as grand mal seizures, thankfully, Simon is having petit mal seizures, and so far (hopefully) they are spaced at at least 6 months apart.

As for getting another dog, I've always believed that the best way to honor the love a pets gives you is to give that love to another animal when your friend passes. I hope you can do that one day. Adopting an older dog as you have done is a beautiful thing, because so few do that.

[SSINTENSE]

I doggy sat a small dog once (forget the breed) and the owner forgot to tell me he had epilepsy. While I was taking the dog for a walk he started frothing out the mouth and pissing himself, then proceeded to convulse on the street. I freaked out ofcourse, since I am the one taking care of the animal and I had no prior knowledge of any kind of abnormality.

From what I hear, epilepsy probably won't be lethal until old age. But it certainly is a sad thing seeing a dog convulse like that.

[SSINTENSE]

Originally Posted by René_Julien

Good to know that your dog is allright at this time.


I've got a similar story... And I do not mean to make you worry Gard.


I had a Golden Retriever who had occassional epilepsy attacks.
Those attacks were scary.
Shaking, foaming at the mouth and urinating.
I had many nights staying up with him making sure he'd make it through the night. (Sleeping in a lawnchair outside next to my dog.)

The vet concluded there was fluid surrounding his brain, often resulting in pressure cause epilepsy. (Or something like that.)

He got medication for it. 2 little pills I had to give him everyday.

Until one time he had several attacks following shorty (within a week).
The last attack was very heavy.

He suffered a brain seizure from it.
He was demented afterwards. Those were very sad days to watch him.
He barely responded to his name, moved slowly, stumbled against everything. Not hungry very much.
Watching him you know he was feeling very miserable.

A week after his last and heaviest seizure I made the decision to put him to sleep.
A hard thing to do, bringing him to the vet and not returning without him.
He got an injection and he died quitely in my arms.
He looked peaceful when he slowly died... without pain.
I was pretty depressed for days.

I had good times with that dog, it was a good friend.


That was about a year and a half ago.
I haven't had a dog since.

Some day I will get another one.
Probably like I always do, I will adopt an older dog.
Always adopted mature dogs and never had problems with them.




Gard, I hope everything will be fine for your dog.
Wishing him the best health.

Sorry to hear about that. I never realized epileptic seizures could cause permanent damage.

My GF actually has infrequent epilepsy, but she never had a grand mal.

[TallLankyBastyd]

Sorry to hear Simon has to put up with seizures... hopefully, they can be managed to be as infrequent as possible. Scary sight to see...

My Great Dane Haus just bloated and flipped his gut a month or so ago... wouldn't have known anything was wrong with him had I not known the tell-tall signs... I thought I'd lost a 2nd GD bud in less than a year and a half! He is doing fine now.

Goldarn pets... they can be hard on the soul... yet so good for it.

Side note to dog lovers... two great dog-related books for your holiday reading pleasure:

- The Art of Racing In The Rain
- Merle's Door

Hang in there Simon!

[Gard]

Originally Posted by TallLankyBastyd

Sorry to hear Simon has to put up with seizures... hopefully, they can be managed to be as infrequent as possible. Scary sight to see...

My Great Dane Haus just bloated and flipped his gut a month or so ago... wouldn't have known anything was wrong with him had I not known the tell-tall signs... I thought I'd lost a 2nd GD bud in less than a year and a half! He is doing fine now.

Goldarn pets... they can be hard on the soul... yet so good for it.

Side note to dog lovers... two great dog-related books for your holiday reading pleasure:

- The Art of Racing In The Rain
- Merle's Door

Hang in there Simon!

Glad Haus is OK

...just seeing the title "The Art of Racing In The Rain" got me to start tearing up a bit. Beautiful book, cried like a BABY when I finished it. "Marley & Me" told from the DOG'S perspective.

And yes, some of us are not complete without our animal halves, aren't we? I was so scared last night, until the vet told me he was essentially OK. Losing that smiling goober would make me useless for a week or more....

[ldervish]

Similar story to RJ's and others here, my 15 year-old peke had very occasional seizures, kind of like an inhibited sneeze attack, for years. She'd go through a spell and then clear up and be "normal" for a long time.

Then the seizures became stronger and the frequency increased. The vet checked for diabetes and other diseases and did blood tests, all normal. The seizures' dynamic changed, and instead of doing the "sneezing" thing, as the attacks came on she would feel it beginning and become agitated, maybe walk in circles or start stumbling. Then she would lock up, let out an unearthly shreik, and pass out. The vet said that was a "scared cry" b/c she didn't know what was happening to her. If I was her, I'd have been terrified too. It was awful to watch her go through that.

At that point she had experienced three bad seizures in 24 hours. He gave her a dose of phenobarbital (used to control epileptic seizures) and sent us home with more to dose her with. After two more seizures in the next couple hours, we took her back and had her put down. That was a year ago, and we still haven't gotten over it.

I suspected a brain tumor, but it could have been epilepsy or some other neurological event I suppose, and there are a couple of other causes of similar behaviors that an internet search turned up, but I can't recall them now. Without an autopsy there is no way to know. The feeling of impotence was overwhelming but we finally resolved that we had done all we could do, and that we did what was best for her.

You will need to keep a close eye on your friend, watch for a progression or change in his behaviors that indicates trouble. I hope your friend can be helped by medicine when he gets to that stage.

Enjoy the good days.

[René_Julien]

Originally Posted by Gard

Rene', I'm very sorry to hear that story, but you did the right thing.

It sounds like your dog was having what the vet described as grand mal seizures, thankfully, Simon is having petit mal seizures, and so far (hopefully) they are spaced at at least 6 months apart.

As for getting another dog, I've always believed that the best way to honor the love a pets gives you is to give that love to another animal when your friend passes. I hope you can do that one day. Adopting an older dog as you have done is a beautiful thing, because so few do that.

Yes, my dog had a serious medical condition with that fluid between brain and skull.
He lived to be 9 and a few months.

Good that your dog doesn't has it this serious. That's an awesome looking beast you have there.
Makes me want to get a new one as well.


Well, I did get and still have 2 other "pets" after my dog.
A draught horse and a donkey.
My neighbour behind me has a horsefarm.
Where our property joins I have a stable.
My neighbour has about 300 horses... I don't know for sure, it varies all the time. Mostly draught horses (or cart horses, how do I say this in english?). He breeds and sells them obviously.

My neighbours, father and son, actually take care of my horse and donkey. They are the experts and they don't mind at all. They have acces to my stable and I have acces to their meadow.

Both loveble creatures. Donkeys are awesome and sweet.
Very good pets if you have the space for them.
The horse is at the end of its days, I think she is about 15 years old and probably will live for another couple of years.
In the summer I went occassionally on romantic trips with my gf on the horse, through the fields and meadows behind where we live, and a bit of forest.
Mostly I just walk it than ride the horse.

Originally Posted by SSINTENSE

Sorry to hear about that. I never realized epileptic seizures could cause permanent damage.

My GF actually has infrequent epilepsy, but she never had a grand mal.

Well, we can't compare the two.

My dog's epilepsy attacks were a sympton and not a medical condition on its own. (I'm not knowledgable in the medical field.)

It was not flashing lights that cause epilepsy attacks.
But maybe there are many forms of this.

[René_Julien]

Originally Posted by ldervish

Similar story to RJ's and others here, my 15 year-old peke had very occasional seizures, kind of like an inhibited sneeze attack, for years. She'd go through a spell and then clear up and be "normal" for a long time.

Then the seizures became stronger and the frequency increased. The vet checked for diabetes and other diseases and did blood tests, all normal. The seizures' dynamic changed, and instead of doing the "sneezing" thing, as the attacks came on she would feel it beginning and become agitated, maybe walk in circles or start stumbling. Then she would lock up, let out an unearthly shreik, and pass out. The vet said that was a "scared cry" b/c she didn't know what was happening to her. If I was her, I'd have been terrified too. It was awful to watch her go through that.

At that point she had experienced three bad seizures in 24 hours. He gave her a dose of phenobarbital (used to control epileptic seizures) and sent us home with more to dose her with. After two more seizures in the next couple hours, we took her back and had her put down. That was a year ago, and we still haven't gotten over it.

I suspected a brain tumor, but it could have been epilepsy or some other neurological event I suppose, and there are a couple of other causes of similar behaviors that an internet search turned up, but I can't recall them now. Without an autopsy there is no way to know. The feeling of impotence was overwhelming but we finally resolved that we had done all we could do, and that we did what was best for her.

You will need to keep a close eye on your friend, watch for a progression or change in his behaviors that indicates trouble. I hope your friend can be helped by medicine when he gets to that stage.

Enjoy the good days.

Sorry to hear you experienced this too.

You feel really powerless in that situation.
I hope you can come to terms with this loss, and get another dog to love some day.

[Gard]

...I'm feeling a bit better now.

SS, that's unconscionable, leaving a pet in someone else's care without letting them know about a condition like that. I will be 1000% certain that anyone taking care of Simon EVER will know of the seizures and how to react to them.

ldervish, I'm sorry to hear of your loss, but like Rene', it was the right choice. I hope I never have to make it for Simon, but if so I will. No animal should suffer like that. I am watching him like a hawk now, the vet was pretty direct in telling me that it WILL progress, but HOW it will progress is unknown. It could be rare events throughout his life, or they could become more common and require treatment. I'm hoping for the rare version, he's such a happy, healthy dog, I just hope that bodes well for him.

Rene', interesting, Keith (the boss...y'know) has a pet Percheron and a pet donkey! The donkey is a riot, funny little dude, always harassing the Percheron. The Percheron is just as sweet as can be, until someone tries to RIDE her...which seems to happen at Christmas parties... Thanks for saying Simon is an awesome looking beast - he's just an awesome dog, no beast about him, he's the mellowest dog you'll ever meet, curls up like a baby in my arms when I pick him up.

[Ziltoid]

My last dog, had what the vet and us, thought was epilepsy, turns it was something else brain related (I was pretty young, forgive me on the lack of details, we learned that quite late to, after several months he was diagnosed for epilepsy), the meds for epilepsy, or any kind of med for that matter weren't working, it was happening one every month or so. One week, he was doing it near daily, few days after he did 3 in the same morning... every time he was getting hurt hitting stuff if we weren't around to move it, then when he would come back to itself I think he thought we had beaten him or i don't really know, it was truly horrible the look he was giving us. the end doesn't really needs to be told, we did what we thought was the best for him no matter how hard it was on us.

That dog was simply awesome, best dogs for kid I've ever saw of my life, Was a mix of lasapso and poodle.

[RWP]

Sorry to hear about your pooch. But it may not be as bad as you think. I had a White Lab for 13 years that would occasionally have some kind of seizure where he would be unable to walk and fall over on his side. It seemed to get better the older he got and eventually went away completely.

[kesslari]

Good luck with this, Gard. I hope it's infrequent, or can be medicated. I had a soundman once whose dog was on anti-seizure meds, and it worked out fine. We worked together for a few years, and the dog was great that whole time.

[LilRay]

Originally Posted by Gard

...anyone else here have this situation?

Last night, about 11:30, bringing him in for the night, he was acting oddly - I'm "puppy sitting" my boss' two Corgis (great little dogs), and I thought that maybe his behavior was related to feeling a bit out of sorts because there were two new dogs in his "pack", and he maybe felt like he wasn't the #1 anymore (he still is, of course).

Typically, I have them sit at the gate and be still for a moment before bringing them in, usually he just immediately pops his butt on the deck and sits waiting patiently, but last night, he wouldn't sit at all...then he turned his back on me and laid down facing away from me. I figured it was just that "jealousy" thing, and decided to get all four pups (his sister is in there as well) in the house, then give him a bit of attention to let him know it was all still good, he's the #1 pup...well, they all scoot in, he gets just inside the door and lies down again.



Very unusual indeed, as usually he trucks into the kitchen and starts looking for his treat. So, I sit next to him on the floor, still thinking he's got his nose out of joint because of the "new" dogs. Reach out to give him a scritch, and he falls over, paws stuck straight out in front of him, head tilted back, barely breathing, not "seeing", and rigid as a board.



Of course, at this point I FREAK OUT!



Grab my keys, my wallet, toss on sneakers (didn't even tie 'em), grab Simon, jump in the car and take off.

I must have been quite a sight, with a rigid 60 lb Samoyed/Shepard mix laying across my lap driving down the road to the emergency vet.



The bottom line is, after they gave him a few tests, the vet sat and told me that he had apparently had a petit mal seizure. I remember then that back in July, he had some kind of "incident" when only my g/f's daughter was home, but by the time I got home (about 10 minutes after the call), he seemed just slightly out of sorts and I passed it off as heat-related (it was 90+ that day), so apparently, this is his SECOND known seizure now. The vet said that medication was not indicated, if he is having what are really mild events, spaced about 6 months apart, it is not something that affects his quality of life, and we should just be aware and observant.

Anyhow, if anyone can relate similar experiences, and maybe tell me that we don't really have anything to worry about (which is essentially what the vet says), it would sure make my mind a bit more at ease - Simon is my best bud in the universe and that was a really bad experience.

Here's my buddy, just because it's an excuse to post his pic again :

Gard,

I'm no dog but I've had two Grand Mal seizures. Total loss of consciousness and short term memory. First One happened on Fathers Day 2005. It's all related to the CP but oddly mine was adult onset.

As a human I can tell you a seizure is like having fought for your life to the point of total exhaustion and when you regain consciousness you have ABSOLUTELY no energy and every muscle in your body is sore as if you'd labored as hard as possible for 12 hours.

That's the reason for the "turbo fan" powerchair. There isn't much danger in the seizures themselves but I normally walk on forearm crutches and If I were to seize and fall from a standing position, my neck could easily break resulting in paralysis etc.

This is why I can't score all the gear I want as quickly as I'd like. Nobody's willing to give me a shot at working due to the liability.

Life ain't easy being LilRay but I keeps on smiling anyway

Take care of your padner, if you notice him seize, let him rest with you. He'll dig the time.

God Bless, Ray

[John Bigboote]

My Rott/Lab mix (about 7) has occasional seizures -- sometimes none for months, sometimes several in a week. Her body tenses up and shakes, her breathing is shallow and labored, her paws tense up. We just hold her and whisper sweet nothings in her ears until it passes, usually after four or five minutes. Then she stands (on shaky legs), bolts for the front door, goes out to relieve herself, and then it's like nothing ever happened.

We've been unable to link it to anything she's consumed, though anything with salts (nitrates, etc.) might trigger it. The vet said they're not dangerous, and it's optional whether we put her on anything; any medicine he would prescribe might or might not have an effect, so we've elected not to. She's awesome otherwise!

(well, except for that breath!)

-jb

[rjny36]

My dog Sam has seizures occasionally. The vet prescribed phenobarbital for him and it's done very well. He still has one every few months, but not nearly as bad as it was before the medication. The seizures he does have last less than a minute, and he "comes to" much faster.

There haven't been any behavioral changes, either, so I suppose I'm pretty lucky.

[Gard]

Originally Posted by LilRay

Gard,

I'm no dog but I've had two Grand Mal seizures. Total loss of consciousness and short term memory. First One happened on Fathers Day 2005. It's all related to the CP but oddly mine was adult onset.

As a human I can tell you a seizure is like having fought for your life to the point of total exhaustion and when you regain consciousness you have ABSOLUTELY no energy and every muscle in your body is sore as if you'd labored as hard as possible for 12 hours.

That's the reason for the "turbo fan" powerchair. There isn't much danger in the seizures themselves but I normally walk on forearm crutches and If I were to seize and fall from a standing position, my neck could easily break resulting in paralysis etc.

This is why I can't score all the gear I want as quickly as I'd like. Nobody's willing to give me a shot at working due to the liability.

Life ain't easy being LilRay but I keeps on smiling anyway

Take care of your padner, if you notice him seize, let him rest with you. He'll dig the time.

God Bless, Ray

Ray -

My ex's son, Ryan, who also has CP, would have seizures from time to time as well, so I know where you're coming from. Also, my best friend in college would have petit mal seizures, but he got an "aura" about 5-10 minutes before he seized, so he was able to get "safe" and let someone know what was about to happen.

Freaky situation unless you understand it, to say the least. Once I got used to the above situations, I handled them fine, but the first experiences are very unpleasant for BOTH the victim and whoever is with them. Now that I understand Simon's situation, I can handle it better.

We're hoping to not need meds, based on the frequency at this point, but we are definitely going to be paying CLOSE attention to it.

Oh, and don't sell yourself short, I heard some girl from down your way refer to "that guy Ray, the one in the turbofan chair, he's a DAWG!"



-------------------------------------------------------------

Everyone, thanks, I really appreciate the replies and good wishes. Simon seems quite fine today, a bit slower than usual (probably related to that feeling Ray mentions about being wiped out after the seizure), but pretty much normal otherwise - mellow, an attention hound, sweet as can be.

It just scared the pookie out of me last night, and I was still wiggin' this morning...