# dog has seizures



## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Baxter is 12, and has had seizures (of unknown origin) for 11 years. He's at the top level of phenobarb, and potassium bromide. In fact the k+br gave him toxic signs a few weeks ago and we had to cut back. But he's had more frequent seizures for months if not a year.

Today he had a few brand mal seizures. And we've noticed he's also been very often staring at nothing and not responding to voice. Which could be petit mal seizures as well. So i'm guessing that he may end up at the vet's or emergency vet's in the next few days if he doesn't stop. My husband's pretty upset . He's closer to the dog. 

So i guess i'd like to know if anyone has had an animal with seizures?


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## Feline (Nov 8, 2015)

Yes, I had a lovely collie called Squidge with epilepsy. Sadly she is no longer with us.

Her seizures were in clusters usually over 2-3 days each time.
She was refractory to most of the meds- we tried every combo possible.
For a couple of years she was on phenobarb, Potassium Bromide and Keppra which held things in check for a good while. The side effects got hard to manage though. It was pretty expensive, but she was insured with a good policy that covered it.

She spent several months at the end seizure free on just Pexion and it was lovely to have no side effects. But then she had a massive cluster of seizures she didn't recover from. She was 5 when I had to put her to sleep 
I think Pexion tends to be either brilliant or doesn't work at all and you don't know until you try it. I don't regret switching her to it because she had such a great last few months. Collies get a kind of epilepsy that is really difficult to control, so I always knew she was on borrowed time and wasn't going to live many years


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

Our son had a rescue dog from the pound who had seizures sometimes just "out of the blue". I know they had her on phenobarbital and something else. She did well on that for 14 years. They had to put her down for age related renal failure.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Thanks. I don't feel so alone. I'll ask about the Pexion and Keppra. I'm glad but not glad about the information from people who've been thru it.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Last night we ended up the ER with the dog. He seized all day. We have valium to give him a pill after a seizure but ended up giving him 7 yesterday. We were hoping to leave him there at night but the $500 estimate did not help. So we talked about it for a while and decided to just take him home. He's 12 and has had seizures for 11 years. We're considering or decided to put him down maybe today. My husband.

Okay, he's being put down today.


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## hildar (Oct 3, 2013)

Yeah it is sad, we had a husky mix that had seizures, we finally decided to get an electronic fence put in before we went with a regular fence. While training him to the electronic fence he would come through the area where he was not suppose to go and have grand mal seizures. He just wanted to come to the side we went on, he didn't care if he got shocked or not. So we had to put up the real fence, then about a month later he had a huge one and we had to put him down. I miss my Lucky, however I know where he is now, is a far better place then here and suffering.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

We tool Baxter in to be put down. It's heartbreaking after having them 12 years. We've had the same vet for 11 years and a few of the staff came in to say good bye. The seizures had slowly been getting worse the last few months. The meds were over the high level. One med was giving him signs of toxicity. He was supposed to have one valium per day. His last night he had 7 and it didn't help. It looked like he was not knowing anything anymore but going thru the motions or formed habits from his passed life but not "all there" anymore. And his frequent stares into space were actually petit mal seizures. 

I know that death is apart of life. Does not help. I feel like only time will. No more dogs for a while. We feel worn out from his care for 11 years.


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## Feline (Nov 8, 2015)

Sorry to hear that 

I know when I lost my Squidge, part of me was really devastated to lose her at only 5 years old. But another part of me felt relieved I would no longer have to deal with the meds, the seizures, and the fear of seizures when I was out or at work. Sometimes you don't realise how much of a mental drain all those worries are until you don't have them anymore. I think it's ok to allow yourself to feel relief in that situation too- it's not that you're glad they are not alive anymore, you've just had a huge weight lifted from your shoulders which epilepsy had put there


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

So, sorry Sem. While I know Feline is right about the relief of stress it still hurts a ton for a long time after they are gone. 

I will be facing this same situation times 2 in the near future and I dread it.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

So sorry for your loss,Seminole.It's hard to loose a beloved pet.My thoughts and prayers are with you.


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