Dog Seizures? Calling all dog owners, please.

reply to post by Druid42


I'm terribly sorry for what you and your friend are going through right now.I do hope it comes out for the best.If you don't mind I' d like to put in my two cents since I groomed dogs for 15 years.Plus I do have a dog that seizures myself.
When I first entered the dog grooming world I got a crash course in 'seizure dogs',we had MANY cocker spaniels that were customers that seizured.My master dog groomer that trained me (basically is certified to have a masters degree in dog grooming) taught me that when a dog is seizuring you will find they tend to lay on they're side,you can then go up and very slowly take your hand and pet down the side of the dog (( WARNING:ATTEMPTING TO TOUCH A SEIZURE DOG DURING A SEIZURE SHOULD BE DONE CAREFULLY SO YOU DON'T GET BIT)).You want to run your hand over the ribs down to the waist,over and over .The thinking is that most nerves end up at the solar plexus,you can disrupt the seizure by sending out new singles to the brain.I have used this method over the 15 years to stop seizures or lessen they're time frame.Talk quietly and calmly to the dog while doing this.It's hard because your upset yourself I know,but you need to force yourself.

I'm no vet,and only he can give you any real diagnoses on your pets health,but it sounds like your dog may have had a stroke while having the seizure.If that is the case,it may in time come out of the stroke with some therapy from you.At this point I'd like to ask if you know if the dog had gotten loose to run recently?It's possible that someone had antifreeze laying on they're driveway and your dog licked it up ( a teaspoon of antifreeze can kill a full size dog).There are other poisons that your dog could have gotten into as well if this was the case.

Either way, talk to your vet and I sincerely hope and wish you and your friend the best.I've heard of dogs coming out of poison snake attacks with no medical intervention and doing just fine.You just never know.May your love pull your dog through this.

reply to post by Druid42


I am so sorry to hear about Storm. We had a greyhound who started seizures when he was 5 years old. He was on medication but that did not work at all and the seizures became more frequent. We eventually had to put him to sleep. It was heartbreaking at such a young age, he was the most loveable affectionate dog. That was two years ago and we miss him so much.

I hope Storm is one of the lucky ones and comes round, my fingers are crossed and prayers are with you.

Diet, I would think, is not the issue. Symptoms would present within the whole pack. That's not the case.

Some dogs could have food allergies (so would only affect one dog). However, I haven't heard of them causing paralysis.

I'd at least give it the full week, to see if any changes, before making such a decision....and maybe calling and getting the advice of other vets. You never know if one of them may have experienced a similar case. Many offer advice for free over the phone, but with the disclaimer that they can't be sure just over the phone, etc.

I'm so sorry to hear this...

But you should put him to sleep (if he can't be helped). His whole left side is paralyzed, you can't even get him a doggy wheelchair.

The quality of life is just not there, especially if he keeps seizing.

Try eliminating all processed pet foods from the diet. My epilleptic collie kelpie benefited from this & eating only fresh, unprocessed meat, veg, fish as well as apples. It did'nt work 100 per cent, as the fits eventually ended her life after 10 yrs, but the seisures dropped dramatically after avoiding dog buscuits etc.

reply to post by Druid42

I'm so sorry to hear about Storm, sounds like a wonderful little friend.
Sounds like the treatment of the vet is the correct one.
The part that has me concerned (although it all does really) is the inability to move one side of the body. This is a sign of a stroke. There are two types of strokes. One is a blocked blood vessel in the brain which does not allow proper blood flow. The second is a bleed. A brain blood vessel ruptures and blood cannot get to an area of the brain causing stroke signs.
The treatment for the two are completely different. For instance with a clot you would administer blood thinners. Blood thinners would be the worse thing you could give to a brain bleed as it would only agravate the bleed. Humans are given a CT scan to determine the type of stroke to determine treatment. Don't know if your vet would or could do this, and no it's not cheap.
I don't know about dogs, but in humans if there is paralysis or weakness on the left side, it's the right side of the brain that is affected. If I were you I would ask the vet if he could make an educated guess as to what type of stroke Storm had and possibly treat with blood thinners if he/she suspects a clot. It's about the only thing that I think could possibly help at this point.
I wish you great luck with storm, my heart goes out to you and your daughter and of course to Storm.
As you may have noticed from my name "pooche"? I am a big time dog lover.

Sorry, pooche here again (recent poster).
I just feel so bad for you and Storm.
The reason I am posting again is because I think the seizures were BECAUSE of a stroke. I did not clarify that in my last reply.
Treating the seizures is one thing, but if as I believe they were caused by a stroke, then treatment for a stroke is mandated.
No I am not a vet, but was a paramedic for 25 years and have dealt with literally hundreds of stroke victims, including TIAs (transient ischemia attacks or "mini-strokes".
Only trying to help with all of my best intentions. You and Storm have touched my heart.

I know exactly what you are going through. My Yorkie (Harley) has started to have seizures about 5 months ago, and usually has a seizure twice a month. Harley is 6 years old, and is good physical health, just not mentally healthy.
When Harley starts to have seizures, My Wife or I, will grab him, make sure he's not choking on his tongue, and we just hold him really tight and massage him to try and relax him. If we can, we will try and give him something with sugar in it, like pancake syrup or sugar water, this helps a lot we have noticed. My brother is a Doctor and he had a friend who had siezures all the time, one day the guy didnt take his medication and had a really bad siezure, so my Brother asked for some syrup or anything with a lot of sugar, and it worked.
I dont really know why it works, maybe it just helps stimulate the body and mind quickly. Im sure there are other things that a professional vet can tell you, im just letting you know that there are some home remedies also. Good Luck with your dog, truly Mans Best friend.

I guess it could be the Pheno.. but sounds like a stroke to me too. We did have to put our dog down yrs ago for partial paralysis due to a stroke. Now, my little dog ( hairless chinese crested) has seizures and asthma. A food change helped ( Blue Buffalo) but of course, it didnt cure him. His seizures are horrible because he tries to walk while having them and gets freaked out. Its a scary thing to watch, but if its simply a seizure disorder, they can live full lives. DURING his seizures his back end doesnt work right.. but never paralysis after the seizure is over.

If it were me.. and what we did.. we gave the old girl a week to see if we could see any improvement. In our case she stayed the same and eventually we did put her down because of the prognosis for a dog with paralysis.. hers was full left side and had to switch her to soft food becuase she had a hard time swallowing. It was a 24/7 job caring for her as she quickly developed problems we hadnt anticipated relating to the paralysis. ALl you can do it watch and get a good vets advise concerning her prognosis to base your decision on.

Take it from someone who has seizures, it is scary as hell till you blank out. Medicine controls it from happening but the medicine takes time for the body to get used too. It took me months to be able to feel normal again. They should put her on a EEG to figure out what her brain is trying to do. Mine is caused by a hemorrhage in my Temporal Lobe thanks to a lightning strike. They needed a special MRI to find it.

If you have a Pet Smart close by then take your dog there. They have health packages like insurance for dogs and will let you sign on to the plans while he is sick saving you a ton of money. My dog got really sick so I took her there and they found out she had diabetes from the crap dog food nowadays. I wasn't able to save her sight but she is a happy healthy girl even though thanks to them. The plans they have allowed me to save my dog and best friend.

They put her on insulin shots twice a day with special high fiber food and she is good as new short of the Cataracts that formed. I would lose my mind if she passed or I had to put her down.

reply to post by Druid42


Hang in there.

A friend had a Husky who starting having seizures when he was 10 years old. The meds prevented him from having as many but would still have one from time to time. After a seizure, it would take him a day or two to get back to completly normal.

He just recently passed away at the ripe age of 17. He had a great life even after the seizures began. With the right meds (which may take awhile) many dogs can live a long & happy life.

Give it some time.

Thoughts and prayers to you and Storm.

reply to post by Druid42


Get off the processed pet food. Lots of bad chemicals and heavy metals.It can be the diet. Allergies or whatever
may affect one dog but not annother. Just like people. Why do you think our pets get cancer and diabetes from
processed food, just like us. Try wheatgrass juice or powder, from a health food store and put him outside on the
ground . This is what animals do to heal.There are healing properties in the earth.

Give him time to heal. I wish you all the best. He is a beautiful dog. My son has a husky named Koda, means friend.

running with the wolves

I would hope that ATS will see the importance of a PET FORUM so members can discuss issues like this.

Others who have been in the same situation may be able to provide help though the experiences they have had,

I would hope that ATS will see the importance of a PET FORUM so members can discuss issues like this.

There are forums for video games, and movies, in BTS. Why shouldn't there be a Pet Forum? Are video games more valuable to us? Honestly, I am one who cherishes my pet more, and I think there are a majority that agree.

All we can do is ask, and plead. A Pet Forum, PLEASE!

PRETTY PLEASE!

Storm UPDATES!

Not good news, but hopeful news.

We talked to the vet this morning, and she (female vet) agrees that he had a stroke, which caused the seizures. She said that she was thinking about his case all weekend.

We briefly discussed the quality of life, and left the decision to us.

He's living in my daughter's bedroom right now, a double thick sheet of 5 mil plastic on the carpet, then his blankets on top of that. His water intake is good, and he can hold his head steady enough to drink, but laying on his side, after about 15 licks of water, he huffs, and huffs, about three times, before he can drink again. I think he's getting water in his lungs.

He can't move, so he urinates on his blankets. He's had solid bowel movements since last Thursday, but they are easy to clean. His blanket swap is a procedure, rolling him over, yanking and replacing, but we've gotten better at it.

Here is the most hopeful news ever:

A co-worker at work has volunteered part-time at an animal shelter for the past 30 years. (Think gray-haired, but fit 6 foot woman. Loves animals, much respect.)

I walked up to her today, and slowly told her the story. She nodded.

She told me another story about her sister-in-law, who had the same breed, and had a stroke. It took 6-8 weeks, she said, and about 6 weeks in, they started to see improvement. Today, the dog is walking again. Mind you, they had to put doggie diapers on, and spend six weeks in rehab, but their dog came out of it.

She told me about this canvas you can buy at Pet Supplies, that has a handle on it, that allows you to lift your pet off the floor.

Well, I started researching when I got home from work:

Physical therapy for paralysis is designed to help your pet recover lost ability and make the best use of function as it returns. If your pet is paralyzed, you may have been told there is little or no chance your pet will walk again. No one can know if that is true or not, only time will tell how much ability your pet will recover.

Ok, I'm good. I just need to know. The only way out is through.

Exercises

Passive Range of Motion Bicycle each paralyzed leg through the full range of motion twice a day. Do a number of repetitions. This will take about 5 minutes. It is important to keep the legs flexible and avoid the development of joint contractures.

Stimulating the feet Rub, squeeze, and tickle the feet, dig your fingers in between the pads, play with the toes. Do this at intervals throughout the day. This improves proprioception, which is the ability to feel the feet and know where they are in space. Following paralysis, the body needs to remap the pathway from the brain to the toes, and the more you stimulate the feet the more you give it to work with. I did not know that!

Massage Massage the legs to improve circulation and promote healing.

Scratching Scratch your pet all over the body hoping to find an itchy spot. Your pet may begin kicking a hind leg in response to being scratched. In any case, your pet will enjoy this exercise!

Resistance With your pet lying on one side, press on the bottom of the feet while your pet resists you and pushes back.

My co-worker asked me if Storm recognized me.

I asked her what she meant.

Does he stare into space when you enter the room?

I said no. He flicks his eyes directly on me.

She said he'll come out of it. Trust me.

I kinda believe her conclusion. If he was brain fried, he'd be unresponsive, but his eyes are alert, and he's gained a little ear control back.

The ears, yes. Watch your dog sleeping, and his ears swivel like radar scopes. Storm is starting to get that back, not enough to say he's recovering, but enough to hope.

So tonight, I built Storm a rehab harness. A Hoyer Lift, basically:



I drilled pilot holes into the ceiling beams in the living room, and screwed in lag hooks. I measured his body dimensions, and sewed together a double layer cotton sling. I reinforced the corners with a quadruple zizzag stitch. I had a set of variable tension tie down straps, and once I laid him in the sling, and hoisted him up, I was able to work his feet. I put just enough tension down for him to bear pressure on his left foot, which he did. His back leg, however useless, had pressure on it. Not enough to support his 80 pounds, but enough to say I think he knows. We did a ten minute session with my prototype, and before he was lowered back to the ground, he showed me enough progress. I had him set at normal standing height, and placed his water under him, and he lowered his head to drink, a normal 30 slurps, raised it again, and didn't cough.

It may take time. I have plenty.

reply to post by Druid42


I love your hopeful, news Druid.

Hugs for Storm....and prayers for him and your family!!!

Our Beagle had some surprise seizures ... two of them in a months time.
This was a couple of years ago.
They were 5 minute in length and HORRID.

We put her on some anti-seizure meds for about a year.
But that messed her up neurologically.
She's walk into walls and then just stand there not knowing what to do.
That kind of thing.

We took her off the meds and figured that she'd probably end up having
a massive 'end life' seizure event.

But so far (a year later) nothing has happened.

I think maybe being on the meds for a year helped straighten out
whatever was wrong. At least, I hope so.

Seizures are EVIL EVIL EVIL!!!

reply to post by Druid42

It may take time. I have plenty.

To watch him sit there and suffer?

Is someone even home all day to watch him suffer, or I mean, tend to him?

reply to post by FlyersFan


It's hard to know with seizure disorders....whether it was the meds or if that was just how many your baby was going to have.

Since our husky had hers in January, and since the vet is pretty sure it is epilepsy, and since a dog nutritionist recommended a dose for Em, we have put her on taurine:

If your dog has seizures that are difficult to control, you may want try the amino acid Taurine. As with any supplement you consider trying for your dog, please do not do so without first discussing it with your vet. You may want to print this and give it to your vet with a note that you would like to discuss this supplement for your dog on your next visit.

www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com...

Some dog foods and home-feeding can cause shortages of certain essential nutrients.

reply to post by Druid42


It looks like Storm will be ok.... thats good news!!! And if it was a stroke, it must have affected only one hemisphere of his brain which is good. He has a greater chance of recovery because of that.
That lift you created will be good to help him get back to normal...when he can stay in it longer, let him...hold out his favorite treats and have him walk over to you when he is able to do that...it might spur his recovery if he feels like he is able to do something besides lay down all day...you dont want to have a depressed Storm either.
Good luck to you and Storm...and your family for taking care of their most forgiving family member