kaos Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 Hi Fellow BC Board members, My sammy dog (pure mutt with a fraction of BC) had a series of small seizures last night and was still "punchdrunk" today. We have been in to the vet and and done blood work this afternoon. She is not on any seizure meds, she has been like this before but we just assumed she was having a little dementia episode or was frightened of something (she has severe SA and anxiety) I feel like an absolute ass. I wondered if that is what it had been but let others talk me out of it. Not for the dogs sake but for the family wallets. She has started eating again now and her eyes have cleared up. I guess I am just really scared that this is a signal of the end. She is 12 this august and is in fabulous health, fit and trim. Sorry to dump it on here, I guess I just needed to tell people who would understand. She is my best friend, and we had agreed that she had to live to atleast 15 or 17...she isn't one to break a solid deal. Any one else faced this sort of thing with a senior pet? Sara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 Hey Sara, I don't have any great advice re: cluster seizures, but I don't see why the seizures have to spell the end. What did the vet say? When was the original seizure? If it's only occasional, I don't think I'd worry a whole lot, if the vet says she's not in danger while they're happening and you can keep her from hurting herself. Seizures are hard because there's not much you can to do help when it's happening, but unless the vet finds some dire underlying cause, I wouldn't write her off yet. Sending lots of good mojo your way! J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cactuskate Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 Hi Fellow BC Board members, My sammy dog (pure mutt with a fraction of BC) had a series of small seizures last night and was still "punchdrunk" today. We have been in to the vet and and done blood work this afternoon. She is not on any seizure meds, she has been like this before but we just assumed she was having a little dementia episode or was frightened of something (she has severe SA and anxiety) I feel like an absolute ass. I wondered if that is what it had been but let others talk me out of it. Not for the dogs sake but for the family wallets. She has started eating again now and her eyes have cleared up. I guess I am just really scared that this is a signal of the end. She is 12 this august and is in fabulous health, fit and trim. Sorry to dump it on here, I guess I just needed to tell people who would understand. She is my best friend, and we had agreed that she had to live to atleast 15 or 17...she isn't one to break a solid deal. Any one else faced this sort of thing with a senior pet? You might try a product called "rescue remedy". you can buy it at health food stores. It's for the "anxious" dog...it does seem to work for my one BC during thunderstorms and it is recommended for seizures. My heart goes out to you. I lost the battle with my "once in a lifetime" BC to epilepsy....but he had the grand mal variety. I wouldn't wish that nightmare on my worst enemy. There is alot of information on the internet about siezures. I had no idea it was so common. If they are just small seizures that don't last very long she has no reason to break that solid deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sea4th Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 My Dolly cluster seizured from the time she was about 10 months old and it's what finally she succumbed to at the age of 11 yrs. old. It's probably as hard on you as it is on your dog. I know that was the case with Dolly and me. One thing I did the last few years was always keep a half gallon of vanilla Breyer's ice cream and when she appeared to be through with her seizure episode, I'd give her a spoonful of it. It's cold, it's sweet and replaces some of what might have been depleted during the bout of seizures. It seemed to bring her around a little quicker. For a long time after Dolly died, I couldn't look at Breyer's on the store shelves. I had to fight the thought of picking one up for Dolly and then realizing I didn't have to anymore. That's my suggestion anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amelia Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 If your dog is having seizures, there are meds other than phenobarbitol that may greatly reduce or even eliminate the seizures completely. The anxiety your dog suffers goes hand in hand with the seizues by the way, and may be reduced or eliminated as well by meds such as Soloxine which establish proper thyroid function. Holistically, you can try DMG (dimethyl glycene) which is enhanced by B12 vitamins. Vitamin E and Taurine have been known to be beneficial as well. All of these can be bought over the counter at the health food store. Many vets have no clue how to diagnose or treat a dog with seizures and simply give them phenobarbitol, which may help control them at the expense of your dogs cognition, but will also impair liver function and kill them over time. I strongly suggest that you contact Dr. Jean Dodds, a vet who specializes in dogs with seizures and has studied the underlying causes such as hypo-thyroidism, one of the main ones. If you will have your vet send her a blood sample, she will make a diagnosis and recommendations for treatment. Please visit her website: http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/HEMOPET.HTM or contact her: Hemopet Office: (Wed/Thurs) Phone: 714-891-2022 -- PST Fax: 714-891-2123 11330 Markon Dr Garden Grove, CA 92841 USA EMAIL: Hemopet@hotmail.com There is no connection between old age and seizures that I'm aware of and entirely possible that you can improve the quality of your dog's life and keep her around for some time. It is my opinion that we over vaccinate and over dose our dogs with chemicals like Ivermectin for monthly heartworm prevention, yearly rabies, DHLPP, Bortadella and snake bite that severly compromise our dog's immune systems and can lead to hypothyroidism and seizures. I subscribe to Dr. Dodd's vaccine protocols for all my dogs, which is to test rather than medicate/vaccinate wherever possible. Those protocols are available on her website. Good luck with your dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 Meds for anxiety don't have to be expensive. Many are on the $4 a month lists at Walmart and Target. One of my own dogs is on 3 different medications for anxiety and I pay about $50 for 3 months worth of all of his drugs. Old dogs don't just start having seizures unless there is something wrong (tumor, infectious disease, other). If you want an answer I would suggest seeing a neurologist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sea4th Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 just curious. Are there different meds, depending on the origin of the seizures? Dolly had idiopathic epilepsy and was just on phenobarb for a couple of years. When she was about 4, I went to another vet and we added potassium bromide and noticed a big improvement. She still seized, but most didn't appear to be as violent and the episodes were weeks apart, instead of every 3 weeks. So obviously Sammy, an older dog, began seizing recently. I'd also look for another cause, but depending on what it is, are the seizures in this case treated differently, or do you just continue to control the seizures in an older dog while trying to determine the cause? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 You can treat the seizures, but whether or not you can control them depends on the cause. Some types of seizures will not respond to traditional medication. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Reichard Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 If I recall correctly fom when I had to know too much about seizures and epilepsy: Dogs who start seizing under or around two years old will often be diagnosed with idiopathec epilepsy, but dogs over eight usually have seizures as a result of another, underlying condition. As Amelia writes, thyroid problems can be one of those conditions; there are others. I would talk long and hard with the vet as seizures cause tremendous anxiety not only on the dog but on you as well. I'm very sorry this has happened to your dog. edited to change "Alemia" to "Amelia." Who would want to be "Alemia"??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 There is a seizure type developed later in life - old dogs have been known to develop psychomotor (aka complex partial aka behavioral) seizures. I know because my old girl Sierra started having these around age 10-11. She now 13 and the phenobarbital has done wonders. The neurologist she sees has several old dogs who've developed this problem when they got old. We ran every test on Sierra and there's no known underlying cause. This is all anecdotal though; I'd suggest looking into some of the underlying causes since it might be something easily fixed. Sorry you're having to go through this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Liz, The last time I was at the vet picking up some of Willow's heart meds, I mentioned that Enalapril was on the $4 list at WalMart. The tech's response was "Yeah, too bad you can't use it." I thought then about posing the question here. If I have a scrip from my vet, will WalMart (Target) fill it for the $4 (or whatever) price (even though it's clearly for a pet rather than a human)? The enalapril isn't terribly expensive at the vet's, but some of the other meds are, and as I'm currently unemployed, every little bit helps.... J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Reichard Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Liz,The last time I was at the vet picking up some of Willow's heart meds, I mentioned that Enalapril was on the $4 list at WalMart. The tech's response was "Yeah, too bad you can't use it." I thought then about posing the question here. If I have a scrip from my vet, will WalMart (Target) fill it for the $4 (or whatever) price (even though it's clearly for a pet rather than a human)? The enalapril isn't terribly expensive at the vet's, but some of the other meds are, and as I'm currently unemployed, every little bit helps.... J. I have been given scrips for "human medicine" for my dogs that had to be filled at a regular pharmacy and have had no problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaos Posted June 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Hi Every one, Thank you so much for the replies. She is my heart dog and has pulled me kicking and screaming through some very difficult times. Don't worry I wasn't writing her off, I was just terrified that she was having clusters and not recovering very fast. My MIL's dog went from one now and then to constant uncontrollable clusters...so I guess that is why my mind went to doom and gloom. We are still waiting on the blood results but my vet seems inclined to place her on phenobarb if she seizes again within a month's time. Thanks for the tip about the ice cream, I will keep some on hand in the future (have to keep it hidden from the Dh and kids) She wouldn't even lick a bit of peanut butter I tried to give her, she is a phenomenal food hound so that was a major red flag for me. I live in Ontario, Canada and am pretty sure Walmart charges a lot more for prescription fees, I will certainly check it out. I wish we could get a prescription filled at the pharmacy, Kaos (our BC mix) is on Clomipramine which at $37 dollars for 60 tablets and two tab twice a day is an expense I would love to be able to buy bulk. Why wasn't I born rich instead of beautiful? (snerk) I am really hoping that Sammy's seizures are caused by something relatively easy to fix, she has been through enough in her life (Ex research dog at the University of Guelph) ... she deserves a gentle and worry free retirement! She is finally almost back to normal, walking properly and her eyes are sentient again. She is still off her food but I am going to grab some nice meaty lamby bones for her and see if we can't tempt her hound side to dive in. Thanks for all the support, you guys are wonderful, I knew I could count on you all. Sara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancy in AZ Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Sara, when I was buying clomipramine for Jill I had it compounded at a pharmacy that specializes in vet meds. (i've since taken her off of it since there was no improvement.) They have a presence online, but also have a brick and mortar facility. 60 caps cost me $28 including shipping. Because she was on 40 mg and pharma manufactured tabs didn't come in that size, compounding was the best solution for us anyway. If you'd like their info, PM me and I'd be happy to give it to you. Julie, I have frequently had scrips from my vet filled at a pharmacy. ETA Sara, have you checked to see whether you can purchase through Walmart online to get the $4 scrip? http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=233543 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Liz,The last time I was at the vet picking up some of Willow's heart meds, I mentioned that Enalapril was on the $4 list at WalMart. The tech's response was "Yeah, too bad you can't use it." I thought then about posing the question here. If I have a scrip from my vet, will WalMart (Target) fill it for the $4 (or whatever) price (even though it's clearly for a pet rather than a human)? The enalapril isn't terribly expensive at the vet's, but some of the other meds are, and as I'm currently unemployed, every little bit helps.... J. Yes, and you can get a AAA discount on many medications. They don't care that it is for a dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Can you not have them mailed to you from the USA? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted June 21, 2009 Report Share Posted June 21, 2009 Liz,The last time I was at the vet picking up some of Willow's heart meds, I mentioned that Enalapril was on the $4 list at WalMart. The tech's response was "Yeah, too bad you can't use it." I thought then about posing the question here. If I have a scrip from my vet, will WalMart (Target) fill it for the $4 (or whatever) price (even though it's clearly for a pet rather than a human)? The enalapril isn't terribly expensive at the vet's, but some of the other meds are, and as I'm currently unemployed, every little bit helps.... J. I had no probelm getting an enalapril perscription from my vet and filling it at Walmart. I get 3 months at a time for $10 - at the vet's it's about that for one month. And they were perfectly fine with writing a perscription for me to fill elsewhere. And at walgreens they told me that often pet owners sing up for their perscription discount program to save money on meds for their pets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted June 21, 2009 Report Share Posted June 21, 2009 Liz and Maralynn, Thanks for that information. I will look into it the next time I get a refill. Normally I wouldn't quibble over a few dollars, but these are tough times at the moment.... J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaos Posted June 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Hello All, We have received the blood work results and she is Hypothyroid. She is now on Eltroxin (I think) and her appetite has improved immensely and she is back to being her old self... I hadn't realized how long she had been so melancholy. Now that she is obviously feeling better she is certainly back to her old behavior. I am so very happy. The vet noted that her blood sugar level was so incredibly low that it may have caused the seizures so we are not letting her get away with not eating her food. Not that its that hard to convince her now. Thank you every one for all your help and support, I really appreciate it. Fingers crossed she doesn't seize again any time soon so we don't have to go the phenobarb route. Sara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Sorry to dump it on here, I guess I just needed to tell people who would understand.Sara I've not experienced anything like this but I do understand how very worried and distressed you must be. Very best wishes for the best possible outcome to this worrisome situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amelia Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 Hi Sara. It sounds like you've had the best possible outcome and I hope your dog has no further seizures. At some point you may want to talk to your vet about adding DMG, B12 or vitamin E to her diet. All have been shown to help dogs that seize. I'm so glad your dog is doing better. Cheers to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xheliox Posted July 4, 2009 Report Share Posted July 4, 2009 I've been going thru hell with my 2 year old BC, Syd. About 2 weeks ago, he had a seizure that lasted several minutes -- I thought for sure he was dying. But like a light switch being turned back on, he snapped out of it and seemed perfectly normal. I called the vet and he said I could bring him in or just keep an eye on him -- it may be a one time thing. Seeing as he had an annual checkup only a couple of months ago, I opted to save the little money I had and not take him in. Then yesterday morning, I came home to find him having another seizure (not sure how long it lasted), but to make matters worse, my other dog (black lab mix) was on top of him, and appeared to have bitten fairly severely on the right hind leg. They're normally very friendly with each other. I was really surprised and alarmed at how my lab (Hope) reacted. Once he came out of it, he was dragging his right leg -- unsure if it was from the bite or the seizure, I scooped him up, put him in the car and called my vet. To my dismay, they were closed. Not wanting to wait, I took him to Banfield (rip off). I paid almost $300 for them to tell me his blood work was normal. They gave me 'Phenobarbital' and suggested I come back in 3 weeks for more blood work. *sigh* So I got him home and he had another seizure at 2pm, 7pm, and 2am. Thankfully he hasn't had one since 2am (over 12 hours now). I'm hoping the meds will be at least a temporary fix until my usual vet can evaluate him. But it's such a helpless feeling, you can tell he doesn't know what the heck is going on, after the 3rd one, he just seemed sad/drained. Not to mention how it's making me feel. I'm afraid to fall asleep in case the little guy needs me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 4, 2009 Report Share Posted July 4, 2009 Very sorry to hear that your dog has been having seizures, and I hope you are able to get a handle on it and find a successful treatment or control. As for the other dog biting him, it may be that the seizure triggered the Lab cross - I know that when a dog yelps or makes a distressed sound, other dogs often seem ready to pounce on the upset dog. I don't know why but perhaps the seizure triggered a similar reaction in your Lab cross and, when whatever the cross did did not "work", he may have then bit the seizing dog. I wish you the best at dealing with this worrisome condition, and hope someone with experience can help you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 When one of my dogs had a seizure, a couple of the others were very interested, to the point of me having to shoo/push them away. It's possible the lab recognized something wrong and it triggered the response you saw. For his own safety, I think I'd leave him in a separate room or crate when you aren't home so that something like that doesn't happen again. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegy Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 When I had my seizure dog, one of my other dogs wanted to attack him when he seized or during his post-ictal phase. I had to be super extra careful with them and separate them even if I was just hopping into the shower or something. It was very stressful. The seizures just freaked my other dog out and his response was to go after what was scaring him. I hope the meds get Syd's seizures under control quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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