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I'm not sure if anyone here has much experience with epileptic dogs but I would love any advice if you do. We have an amazing 4 year old austrailian shepherd. He's always been very healthy. Little over 3 months ago we changed his dog food from diamond natural(he's ate since birth) to pedigree(which I regret anyways). It seems shortly after that he had his first full seizure. It was so scary, didn't understand what was happening. After talking with vet, they had us wait to see if he had more. 2 weeks and he did. Each one he recovered instant and they were around 1-3 min long. After having 3 he went on Keppra. A very low dose. For 2 months he was seizure free and we had forgotten about it all(other then to give his pills twice a day).
So, then our vet recommended us weaning him off Keppra. She believed his seizures may of been triggered from him being on trifexis flea pills - he has always been using. Within a week to week and half we gave him the lowest dosage of Keppra. That day, he had 4 seizures! I called and was told to give an extra dose then continue back to his previous dosing the next day. For 24 hours he was fine. Then at 8pm the next night he started to frantically run around. He was scared, seemed to be seeing things and was running into everything. It lasted an hour, which lead to a seizure. After, he didn't seem to quite recover. Another hour and he had another full seizure. After this he starting having partials(12 altogether maybe) in between full seizures. It continued on. We were on the phone many times. Vet kept saying to give more and more Keppra.. But it didn't stop them. He was at the point were he wasn't coming out of them and we were scared to death. Rushed him to the ER vet(seizured entire way there and as we brought him in). They used Valium diazepam and he did respond. After using phenobarbital his seizure stopped. We were very surprised as the vet told us how bad it was and his temp was so high! It was a horrible experience, for him and us that I never want to go through again! I'm scared to death it will happen again!
So after staying overnight and at the vet the next day he came home and has been on Keppra and phenobarbital. High dose for now. He has the side effects which are lessening but hasn't been as bad as I read could be. He is very responsive and is pretty much himself besides the side effects(weak legs, tired). It's been 6 days and no seizures so far. Will be going to vet in a week for check up and blood test again. I am so on edge.. It's been really hard for me to get back to a normal after that 6 hour episode. I feel so bad for him.. And so worried he will have another like it. I constantly am watching him and checking and listening. If he yawns I start to panic.. Until I see it's JUST a yawn. How do owners with epileptic dogs not stress over when/if a seizure will happen? I'm just so worried.
I just wondered if the cluster and status epilepticus was a result only from the medication change? Is it going to be likely he has it again since he did once? I know nobody can say for sure, but do you have any experience with it yourself?
We are about out of pedigree and definitely think we need to get him on grain free, seems corn can be a trigger? Could that of started it in the first place? Any suggestions for good grain free food..? Anything that is more affordable, I know many are very pricey? The pills alone are quite costly.. Plus the vet bills. It's worth it though if it controls his seizures(sure hope so) like it did before. I so wish we hadn't taken him off Keppra and feel that his dose was dropped to quickly.
I just feel like we may of cost him his life or shortened his lifespan by dropping the meds.. I have read dogs who have had status or severe clusters have a shorter lifespan expectancy then those who never experience those. I just feel so sad.. He is doing well recovering but am concerned for his future. Am I worrying to much? Is it possible he may still be well controlled again? Anyone with any experience with epileptic dogs who has opinions and advice would be so appreciated. I know I'm rambling and asked a ton of questions..!
Last edited by Icemodeled; 09-04-2016 at 11:07 PM..
I don't have an epileptic dog and I'm sorry you have to go through this. It's frustrating and painful to watch your dog suffer and not know what is the right thing to do.
Most of your questions should be reserved for your vet. Every dog may have a different response and your vet must have a good reason to do what he feels is best for your dog. Talk to your vet about your concerns. If you still feel his answers are insufficient or not agreeable to how you want your dog treated, find a second opinion, an older and experienced veterinarian if you can find one.
I would not change his food assuming it may caused his seizures. That may or may not be true. Most dog foods are relatively safe. I haven't found any studies done on grain free dog food and its benefits other than allergies to dogs yet. Not to say Pedigree is that great but if you want to switch and save some $$, try Petsmart Simply Nourish dog food. One of my dogs can't eat corn and both pups are doing well on that food.
I'm not sure if anyone here has much experience with epileptic dogs but I would love any advice if you do. We have an amazing 4 year old austrailian shepherd. He's always been very healthy. Little over 3 months ago we changed his dog food from diamond natural(he's ate since birth) to pedigree(which I regret anyways). It seems shortly after that he had his first full seizure. It was so scary, didn't understand what was happening. After talking with vet, they had us wait to see if he had more. 2 weeks and he did. Each one he recovered instant and they were around 1-3 min long. After having 3 he went on Keppra. A very low dose. For 2 months he was seizure free and we had forgotten about it all(other then to give his pills twice a day).
After using phenobarbital his seizure stopped. We were very surprised as the vet told us how bad it was and his temp was so high! It was a horrible experience, for him and us that I never want to go through again! I'm scared to death it will happen again!
We are about out of pedigree and definitely think we need to get him on grain free, seems corn can be a trigger?
My epileptic dog was on a daily dose of phenobarbitol which successfully prevented seizures. With situations like this I like to get a second opinion from another vet (not in the same practice). Personally, I would gravitate toward a holistic vet who will have a different approach and knowledge base. I have found acupuncture very helpful with this sort of idiopathic health issue. If you decide to go this route you want a holistic vet with advanced training in acupuncture (as opposed to a traditional vet who has taken a class in acupuncture).
A lot of the time there simply isn't any way to know what triggers a seizure. The Pedigree may or may not have been a factor. At any rate, I would switch your dog to a better food. Fromms, Instinct, Taste of the Wild, and Canidae Pure are all good brands.
My epileptic dog was on a daily dose of phenobarbitol which successfully prevented seizures.
A lot of the time there simply isn't any way to know what triggers a seizure. The Pedigree may or may not have been a factor. At any rate, I would switch your dog to a better food. Fromms, Instinct, Taste of the Wild, and Canidae Pure are all good brands.
I don't see the connection between Pedigree and seizures. I agree better dog food would be a good idea. I'm not sure why you switched from Diamond, but my dogs do well on it. Perhaps switch back to it?
Thanks for the replies so far! We actually did switch vets, we moved during this period. Our new vet did say he didn't think the drop in dosage was right, was to quick and since he was being controlled should not of been adjusted.
Cheese nugget - I will definitely ask our vet about the food before switching and will check into the brand you recommended. I have asked many questions and unfortunately the vet always gives vague unsure answers.. I know there's a lot about epilepsy that even vets do not understand. Mainly why I was hoping to get info from those with experience of it.
Twelve paw - how severe were the seizures your dog ever had? His were about 2x a month, but after lowering the med dose of course they ramped up horribly. Now I just hope the pheno which he wasn't on before, will control it again. He has the side effects of the pheno but not severe thankfully. I have heard a lot about holistic vets and epilepsy. Also many who say the seizures lessened when switching to a grain free diet or raw diet. Thanks for the brand recommendations, will look into each!
Scoobysnacks - what research iv done it's believed that wheat, corn and other grains are neurotoxins and can be related to triggering seizures. This is just what I have seen online, quite a lot of info on it. Though I don't think they have 100% proof of it. When looking into the pedigree we gave him shortly before his first seizure the main ingredient, corn is 90% of the food - used as filler. It's not that he would never of had a seizure or be epileptic but could possibly of raised his threshold enough to cause it. Again, I'm not saying this is certain in anyway. We switched from diamond because we were moving and the location we bought it from didn't exist where we were moving to, so we decided to go with something more easy to fine at stores. He always had done well on diamond prior and wish we had just kept it he same - seizures or not.
Anecdotally, my neighbor had two Golden retrievers that were both epileptic. One day she told me that when she Switched the dogs food from pedigree the seizures stopped. As noted by your vet, Trifexis has been tied to seizures in dogs?
Although I did not have personal experience with an epileptic dog I have been on anti-seizure medication for five years as treatment of facial neuralgia. A few years ago, my neurologist cut my dose to drastically in an attempt to transition to a different medication. What he did was very dangerous as it was to rapid of a decrease and risked causing seizures. Although I did not experience seizures, I suffered severe side effects that lasted several weeks after returning to my prior dose. Anti-seizure medication must be carefully titrated down.
Thanks for the replies so far! We actually did switch vets, we moved during this period. Our new vet did say he didn't think the drop in dosage was right, was to quick and since he was being controlled should not of been adjusted.
Sounds like a better vet.
Twelve paw - how severe were the seizures your dog ever had? His were about 2x a month, but after lowering the med dose of course they ramped up horribly. Now I just hope the pheno which he wasn't on before, will control it again. He has the side effects of the pheno but not severe thankfully. I have heard a lot about holistic vets and epilepsy. Also many who say the seizures lessened when switching to a grain free diet or raw diet. Thanks for the brand recommendations, will look into each!
Shelly was an emergency foster (= severely obese, bald, and epileptic) who had been fed Old Grandad all her life. I immediately put her on one of the brands I recommended (don't remember which as it was 8 years ago) and got her out taking walks.
She had only been with me a day or two when she had a severe seizure that lasted almost an hour. Thankfully I was working from home then and was able to be with her. Called the rescue- they weren't aware of it, but went to vet and he said to wait and see if there was another seizure. Well of course there were other seizures within a month that were equally bad. Vet did bloodwork and put her on a low dose of phenobarb which prevented further seizures.
About the nutrition: sure, many dogs can do well on less than ideal food. However, a couple of things to keep in mind.
1) any kind of kibble- whether high quality or Old Grandad- is difficult for a dog to digest as it is highly processed, has many different additives and/or by-products, and bears absolutely no resemblance to a dog's "real" or ideal diet.
2) looking at the body as a whole system requires understanding each bodily system working in harmony with other systems. When the digestive system has to work harder, then other organs have to pick up the slack. If various organs have to work harder to process food, then it puts stress on other organs, especially the liver (or gallbladder or pancreas, etc) which can then become compromised.
3) one of the things I like about both my holistic vets is that instead of treating the symptom- in this case the epilepsy- they look for the root cause of the symptom. Western medicine by and large simply treats symptoms; holistic vets schooled in acupuncture and eastern medicine look at illness differently, so symptoms are indicative of a system that is for whatever reason out of whack and/or a compromised organ.
If I were in your situation- I would put my dog on either raw or a freeze-dried (= more digestible) food to take the stress off the digestive system and liver. And start seeing a holistic vet who can recommend specific organ support via herbal remedies and do 2-3 acupuncture sessions to get your dog's systems back into good working order. As well, because epilepsy can be a symptom of a compromised liver- I would also put dog on Milk Thistle to help the liver clear toxins.
It is worth noting that when Shelly had a blood panel to look for causes of the epilepsy, her liver function was way out of whack. I didn't know then what I know now, so I didn't put that together that the compromised liver and her inability to efficiently flush out toxins could be the root of the epilepsy. As it was though she lived another 3-4 years before she died of cancer. Once we got her nutrition straightened out, she lost weight (10 lbs!), had a shiny glossy velvety coat, and stopped having seizures.
If you are interested in looking into the freeze-dried food, we use Honest Kitchen and/or Stella and Chewy's. It is much easier to digest than kibble. I believe the Stella and Chewy's if freeze-dried raw whereas the HK is freeze-dried cooked. Either one would be easier to digest though than kibble.
Shadowne - yes I have read many stories of people switching their dogs food and it making a huge difference in their seizures. Our vet in Ohio told us when it first happened to immediately stop using trifexis. She said it's not recommended for epileptic dogs and it can be a trigger. I haven't done any research on it since - he is off of it now - but I hadn't heard of that prior. Thanks for the post and experience you had with the change in meds. I'm sure for dogs it can be the same type of issues to.
Twelve paw - yes we are happy with this vet so far, they're very caring. I still wish vets would teach a little more about the seriousness of giving their meds at the same time each day(for pheno, read online is very important) but wasn't really mentioned. Also, never said much about the side effects. Our Ohio vet awhile back gave us meds for our dog and failed to give the side effects. If they had, it would of saved some stress and concern.
Anyways, thanks so much for your post and all the info! I'm definitely looking into it all. It's great to hear Shelly lived another 3-4 years after her seizures started, I feel right now that it will be very short term for our dog - I guess just worry and unsure still how the meds will work. He has been on the phenobarbital 1 week exactly now and no seizures so far. I'm hoping it will be controlled well, then make some adjustments to diet. I have been reading a lot about milk thistle and it seems quite positive for the liver, I know pheno can cause damage. The vet said in time he wants him to slowly come off pheno, but will have to see. Thanks again for all the info!
My dog (Coton de Tulear) had a seizure (long duration) basically the week of his 4th birthday. After discussing with the Vet, we agreed to monitor him for any future episodes and not to instantly jump to meds. His liver test checked out ok at the ER and at that time it was unsure whether it was a one-off event or something more serious. Also at that time, my wife was 9 months pregnant and on bed rest with our first child. So our household was already enduring a high level or stress due to a complicated pregnancy. Thankfully, my mother, who works within the vet industry, was at the house that day and instantly recognized what was occurring.
Perhaps it was a week or two later while at work I received a frantic call from my wife in tears that the dog was having a serious seizure and she was driving him to the ER. Again the Vet discussed meds but I was still reluctant to go down that road. Approx. one month later I received the same call but this time my wife had our son who was only a couple weeks old. I did not want to risk the welfare of my wife and son having to drive in these stressed situations so we started the dog on Pheno.
We just celebrated the dog's 7th birthday which would mean almost 3 years with medication. Through the years we've kept him at a relatively low dosage which is just within the minimum therapeutic range. We did have to minimally increase the dosage at the beginning of this year as his body become more tolerate. At one point the Vet was planning to slowly reduce dosage as he had been seizure free from some time but a seizure reared its ugly head. The drug is hard on the liver so I obviously want the lowest dosage possible. But, with that he does have 3-4 episodes per year - at least that we know of. The last 2 of 3 seizures he had this year I've been home for and they have been short in both duration and intensity. Hopeful that is the trend going forward.
My lab is on pheno also. It has worked very well and she has not had any seizures since being on the meds. One thing I did was take her off of a high protein food as I read that could possibly cause them.
The pheno here got very expensive about a year ago. It was costing around $100 at the vet for a months supply. I ended up getting a script from the vet and called all the different pharmacies. I now get it at CVS. 3 month supply for $23.00. BIG DIFFERENCE!! Big pharmacies have higher buying power than the vets office.
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