Advice welcome about testing for seizures

[meganp]

I have 16 month old DDB. He's been doing well and on Friday I took him for his yearly check up. The vet said she would take him in back and the tech would give him his shots. (I regret letting him go out of my sight, so many things happened without me knowing or being there to speak up.) They gave him Lepto, Rabies and two others which I can't remember without the paperwork in front of me. Usually I space them out so he's not getting them all at once. Over the weekend he wasn't acting like himself. Normally he loves to be outside and is so happy, every time someone took him outside he was jumping at us and trying to nip. Thought he was just restless from a long winter. (Hey it happens to people too.) Yesterday I was at work and I got a call from my dad who is home with him during the day. He said the dog got really crazy running around, ran head first into a wall then ran around some more before collapsing and having what looked like a seizure. They did some basic blood work, blood pressure and monitoring yesterday and he seemed fine. A little less then 24 hours later and he hasn't had another one yet. My vet is suggesting another $400 in testing and putting off his neutering which was scheduled for March 11. I don't know if all the events over the weekend are connected to the seizures or not. Even the vet at the animal hospital we went to said that given how healthy and young he was they weren't ready to say it would be a life long problem. I just don't know if I should put him through the testing if he doesn't have another seizure. I keep wondering if the shots had anything to do with it even though the vet said three days later was too long for it to be the shots. I guess I'm just looking for any advice from fellow mastiff owners.

 

[marke]

so many bad things coincidentally happen around vaccinations , i've never had anything bad happen because of my lack of vaccinations ....... if they did bloodwork and it was normal i personally without a doubt would want to see it happen again before i'd do anything else ...... i've had a dog that had one seizure in his life , as i've had a dog that needed medicated for seizures ...........

 

[Hiraeth]

I think wanting to run $400 in additional testing is a bit much. I had a friend whose young dog just had a seizure and the vet pretty much told her "wait until she has another, time it, then bring her back in and we'll go from there". Some dogs with epilepsy can have a seizure at 2 and not have another until they're 8. Could be vaccination-related, could be something else. I think all you can do is wait and see.

That being said, you should definitely monitor him closely and read up on seizure protocol for dogs. Most important things are to not put your hands near his face, as he could involuntarily bite you, to dim the lights and to stay calm. Even though they're seizing, dogs know you're there and can feel your energy, so if you panic, it makes it even worse on them.

I'd recommend reading the sections of this article that are titled "During the Seizure" and "Safety": Living with an Epileptic Dog. Have your dad read them as well so he knows what to do if you aren't around.

I am NOT suggesting your dog has epilepsy, but a seizure is a seizure, and knowing how to handle it is really important to maximizing your dog's comfort and safety and minimizing recovery time.

 

[NYDDB]

so many bad things coincidentally happen around vaccinations , i've never had anything bad happen because of my lack of vaccinations ....... if they did bloodwork and it was normal i personally without a doubt would want to see it happen again before i'd do anything else ...... i've had a dog that had one seizure in his life , as i've had a dog that needed medicated for seizures ...........

I could not agree more. Please read through this link ( I also posted this for another member's dog who was sick after vaccines)--- and be very assertive about how your dog is treated (going to the back without you, getting a bunch of vaccines you aren't even sure about.) We are our dog's advocate...if not us, then who?

 

[NYDDB]

Sorry- here is the link: Vaccine Cleansing from past vaccinations of heavy metals side effects - All Animal Natural Products

 

[meganp]

Thank you everyone. When I was a preschool teacher I had a child with seizures so I was trained to deal with that so I do have some sort of experience to draw on. We have also been educating ourselves on seizures in dogs just in case this should happen again. When I talked to my vet's office earlier they were insistent that the vaccinations couldn't have caused this. There's nothing we can do now so I wasn't going to fight with them. I'm going to call them tomorrow and let them know I've decided to hold off on further testing. I feel that I don't want to put him through more tests this week. He is with my Dad during the day so if we have another episode we can take him in to be tested. I am doing more research on vaccines now that this has happened. As for what happened at our appointment I actually called after I had calmed down to talk to the owner of the clinic. I love the vet and vet tech we normally have but our appointment was rescheduled and we had people that were new to us. Our usual people love him almost as much as I do and they have never asked me to wait in the waiting room. When they brought him out to me he was anxious, they told me he was dangerous and looking back I think they weren't comfortable with him. On the other hand at the animal hospital he and I had to be separated while they ran their test and the vet tech kept going on to me about how he was a giant goofball and was just rolling over for belly pats. They said they absolutely loved him. I've never had a problem with him around people or other animals. This was a very hard lesson for me.

 

[Winter's Cinder]

Thank you everyone. When I was a preschool teacher I had a child with seizures so I was trained to deal with that so I do have some sort of experience to draw on. We have also been educating ourselves on seizures in dogs just in case this should happen again. When I talked to my vet's office earlier they were insistent that the vaccinations couldn't have caused this. There's nothing we can do now so I wasn't going to fight with them. I'm going to call them tomorrow and let them know I've decided to hold off on further testing. I feel that I don't want to put him through more tests this week. He is with my Dad during the day so if we have another episode we can take him in to be tested. I am doing more research on vaccines now that this has happened. As for what happened at our appointment I actually called after I had calmed down to talk to the owner of the clinic. I love the vet and vet tech we normally have but our appointment was rescheduled and we had people that were new to us. Our usual people love him almost as much as I do and they have never asked me to wait in the waiting room. When they brought him out to me he was anxious, they told me he was dangerous and looking back I think they weren't comfortable with him. On the other hand at the animal hospital he and I had to be separated while they ran their test and the vet tech kept going on to me about how he was a giant goofball and was just rolling over for belly pats. They said they absolutely loved him. I've never had a problem with him around people or other animals. This was a very hard lesson for me.

I believe I'm the other member NYDDB was talking about... Cinder isn't having seizures, but her digestive tract is pretty messed up right now... I cant say it's totally from the vacs but I have a feeling deep down it is... my vets also told me they don't believe it's the vacs and that it's been 3-4 days since having them so it couldn't possibly be the shots... well.. it all started approx 8 hrs after having them.... and I hadn't had any trouble prior. ...
Its been a very rough couple of days emotionally.. and the vet isn't making me feel any better... I too have learned the hard way... Cinder should be back home tomorrow and this momma is gonna be much more weary of vacs...
Hope your pup doesn't have anymore episodes, and continues to be well!!

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[meganp]

I believe I'm the other member NYDDB was talking about... Cinder isn't having seizures, but her digestive tract is pretty messed up right now... I cant say it's totally from the vacs but I have a feeling deep down it is... my vets also told me they don't believe it's the vacs and that it's been 3-4 days since having them so it couldn't possibly be the shots... well.. it all started approx 8 hrs after having them.... and I hadn't had any trouble prior. ... Its been a very rough couple of days emotionally.. and the vet isn't making me feel any better... I too have learned the hard way... Cinder should be back home tomorrow and this momma is gonna be much more weary of vacs... Hope your pup doesn't have anymore episodes, and continues to be well!! Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

That's how I am. Deep down I think this is because of the vaccine but everyone at the vet said that the vaccines don't cause seizures. I had a totally healthy dog right up till then too. Its so hard to know what is the right thing to do. I called and canceled my appointment to have the test runs. I had booked it in case I wanted to have it done so I wasn't calling to try to get fit in. It just didn't feel like the right choice and given that he's gone a few days now with typical behavior I think that unless he has another problem I'm going to not have him go in for the test. He crawled up in my bed last night and made himself at home on my legs, I was more then happy to have him crushing me just to know he was ok. Hope Cinder is doing well today.

 

[Winter's Cinder]

Cinder has been home since yesterday afternoon and she doing great... they never gave her an official diagnosis and she doesn't need any meds... their exact quote "it just to have appears to just dissappeared"
Hope your boy continues to be healthy!!

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[meganp]

Deacon had another seizure this morning while I was getting ready for work. The neurologist we saw today said she's fairly certain that it's epilepsy and that with medicine he can have a normal life. He's getting some blood work done and will be ready to go home in a couple hours after they've administered his first dose of medicine. While it was scary we were less shocked because he'd already had one. They don't want to run the MRI unless they see anything in the current test that really worry them. This was at the animal hospital and much different from my vet who wanted to run every test known to man. She said if we feel he needs it down the road she's happy to do it but the video I showed her was enough to tell her what she needed to know. While I'd rather a healthy dog I'm remaining positive in this situation, I still have my dog and this is a problem I can work with. He bounced back quicker from this one and the vet said it's an excellent sign for his future.

 

[angelbears]

I am so sorry to hear this. I have had 3 seizure dogs, all lived normal lives. Except for the occasional seizure. My understanding is an MRI does not diagnose epilepsy but rules out other causes for seizures, such as water on the brain, cancer, ect. I would ask for a syringe of liquid Valium. Something you should have on hand in case of a prolonged seizure. I have never had to use it but it is comforting knowing I have it just in case. Your boy can live a very long and normal life. Good luck.

 

[meganp]

I am so sorry to hear this. I have had 3 seizure dogs, all lived normal lives. Except for the occasional seizure. My understanding is an MRI does not diagnose epilepsy but rules out other causes for seizures, such as water on the brain, cancer, ect. I would ask for a syringe of liquid Valium. Something you should have on hand in case of a prolonged seizure. I have never had to use it but it is comforting knowing I have it just in case. Your boy can live a very long and normal life. Good luck.

Thank you. I know that in terms of illnesses out there this is one I can handle. Right now its scary because it's untreated and new but I know we're doing what we can for him. That's exactly what the MRI does and my vet says those cases are in the minority so she wants to hold off on an MRI. She is giving us valium and another medicine for him to take. Its also a comfort to me knowing we have a great place to take him to get help if we need it. Now I just need about a week on a tropical island to sleep off this week.

 

[BAMCB]

Thank you. I know that in terms of illnesses out there this is one I can handle. Right now its scary because it's untreated and new but I know we're doing what we can for him. That's exactly what the MRI does and my vet says those cases are in the minority so she wants to hold off on an MRI. She is giving us valium and another medicine for him to take. Its also a comfort to me knowing we have a great place to take him to get help if we need it. Now I just need about a week on a tropical island to sleep off this week.

How is everyone doing?
I also had a seizure dog. She lived a long and great life.

 

[meganp]

No seizures since Friday morning. He is taking his pills no problem. He has been a little more clingy then before, he actually slept on me Sunday afternoon but no big deal there. Did talk to the vet's office today about his blood work and they said that his platelet count was on the lower end of normal but nothing to take action on just yet. We go for more blood work in two weeks and will see what they look like then. We are certainly on a journey.

 

[angelbears]

Do they have him on pheno?

 

[meganp]

Do they have him on pheno?

Yes, they do. He's been on it since Friday.

 

[angelbears]

I didn't mention in my earlier post but we just went through this with a 16 week old pup. We went to Texas A&M done all kinds of testing, MRI, Spinal Tap, blood work. Nothing was found. So they called it idiopathic epilepsy. We now believe that it is/was nightmares not seizures. The neurologist at A&M suggested Levetiracetam instead of pheno. The reason is that it doesn't effect the liver like pheno does. However, in most cases you have to be able to dose every 8 hours and it cost more. I've heard that Costco has it pretty cheap. Just something for you to keep in mind if the pheno isn't working or is too hard on his liver.

It has been a few years since I had to buy pheno but I found it was much cheaper if you buy it from the local pharmacy rather than from your vet. Also, your vet should be testing, at least every 6 months to make sure that liver function is okay.

I have found this site to be helpful. Canine Epilepsy - Using Phenobarbital to control seizures in dogs

 

[meganp]

Unfortunately I think it really is seizures as the second one happened when he was wide awake. I am going back in about two weeks for another round of blood work then they will start going every six months. We are now five days seizure free. I am getting the prescription at the local pharmacy though they were very confused as to the dosing for a one and a half year old till I explained it's a dog. He has been acting extremely drunk on this medicine but they had warned me that may happen for two weeks so I'm waiting it out a bit. I hate seeing him like that but I keep telling myself it's not like he's in pain hes just drunk like me after two glasses of wine. I appreciate all the advice as there's so much to learn and figure out.

 

[angelbears]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that your boy wasn't having seizures. Just giving you a little background. The drunkenness will go away. Before you know it he will be back to his normal self.

 

[meganp]

Oh no I didn't think you were! I'd be happy to find out it was something else. The more I read about seizures the more I'm wondering if it's not something else because what I hear described doesn't fit him. I'm trying to educate myself as best and quickly as I can.