louis Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 My nine year old irish setter has just started having epileptic fits. In the last eighteen hours she has had four of them, we took her to our vets after the second one and she has been put on medication. The fits are very distressing, especially for us. Have any of you experienced this and how did your dog cope with it.From a very upset Deborah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Animal Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 We have one who has them. A vet once told me that they can do several in a row and then go for some time without any. Ours now does them about once a month or so several times in one day. I would be interested to know what the medication is. I give ours Crisax. It seems to me that it does not stop the fits, but when she has them she sort of stays in a fixed position, rather than thrashing about with legs and teeth.I know how you feel, it's very distressing. All you can do during a fit is to stay very calm. I put my hand on her gently as if she tries to get up before it's really over, she goes into another one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louis Posted May 19, 2008 Author Share Posted May 19, 2008 We have been given Crisax also. She was having a fit every five to six hours and we have only started the medication yesterday. She has now gone eight hours before she had another one. I also just sat with her with my hand on her until she came round again, I suppose this is all I can do. It does help to know that we are not the only ones having to cope with this awful disability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrCanary Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 Where I live in Norwich, a close friend and neighbour has an 8-year-old Dalmation that developed epilepsy at the age of just one. My 29-year-old son who lives at home has had epilepsy since the age of five. It is amazing just how similar the trigger factors and behavioural patterns are for both of them!When my friend's dog was diagnosed with epilepsy, the vet said it was unlikely to live beyond another three years. Well, he has now clocked up seven years since diagnosis and is still going strong. I am not a 'dog' person, but I do admit that Harley is the most intelligent, adorable animal I have ever known. In both cases, we have found that tiredness and stress or excitement puts them at risk of a seizure. And also in both cases, post-seizure behaviour invariably includes a degree of unreasonableness and non-conformity to the usual ways of doing things.At the time of writing this message, my friend is out. When he returns I will get info about medication and tips for dealing with the problem and then make a follow-up post.Mel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 Our dog has them. He only has 2 or 3 a year, so it's not a real worry for us. From the research we've done, it's only when they are more frequent you should seek medical advice (which you have done). We haven't even told our vet about them.It is distressing and our dog seems to be aware he's having them as he always shuffles towards me when he has one. It's weird as I always thought when someone fits they are not aware of what's happening, not always so apparently.He's always disorientated for an hour after and then he's back to normal, as if nothing happened. With ours, it's normally in the middle of the night after a very hot day, or if he hasn't eaten at night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrCanary Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 Some more info for you...My friend's dog is on Epiphen (Phenobarbitone) and Potassium Bromide. I'm not sure if the latter tablets are because it is a male dog and they perhaps remove certain urges to keep him more calm? When he has a seizure, if it is a particularly bad one, they have a supply of Diazepam suppositories which they can use.One really good tip, because he has to have so many tablets, they keep a supply of any firm pâté which they encase each tablet in and feed them to him as individual titbits. He actually looks forward to receiving them!If you have any other questions, post them here and I will find out the answers for you asap...Mel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchhen Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Many years ago I had a female pointer which developed epilepsy from an early age. She was on medication which prevented the fits the rest of her life. As she grew older the dose had to be increased as the fits did return. She lived an active, healthy life up to the age of 13 and it was not the epilepsy that caused her death. Previous to her I had a poodle which develpoed epilepsy later in life and again medication kept it in check. It is just something you live with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve Posted May 29, 2008 Share Posted May 29, 2008 our Lola (Lab/hound x) has fits - she is also on Crisax. She has 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening. She can go for several months before having a fit - we just up the med for a couple of days then bring it back down slowly - seems that 2 at a time is the best bet. If she is going to have a fit, she will come and find us and you can tell something is wrong - then off she goes, all stiff and out of it. She was having a fit once when my neighbour called - she came instanly out of it then suddenly back in when she left - very strange....Most recent fit was a few weeks ago - she was curled up on the sofa when she started drooling and shaking - we thought it was a fit but wasnt 100% sure so it was off down the vet at 10.30pm as we thought it may have been tick fever - but it turned out to be a very mild fit - the blockers did their job!She is a total fruitcake and chases anything and everything ALL day, esp if the sun is out.Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Posted May 29, 2008 Share Posted May 29, 2008 Hi DeborahMy parents' dog had her first fit when she was about two years old. It was very distressing and at first, we didn't realise what it was. She would suddenly charge around the garden with no sense of direction, cannoning off the fence and would end up completely rigid, with a bit of slavering round her mouth. She seemed completely disorientated. We stayed with her and comforted her until she calmed down.This was some years ago, and the vet put her on MYCELIN (not sure how it's spelt). It worked very well and she never had a serious fit again. I remember it all so clearly but I think with the right medication, it can be controlled - as it can with humans.By the way, she lived to the age of 13 ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louis Posted May 29, 2008 Author Share Posted May 29, 2008 Since Ola had her first fit - she went on to have five in that day, she was put on Crisax as I said before. Thankfully, she has not had another fit since that day which is nearly two weeks ago. I realise we have to live day by day and just hope for the best. Thank you all for your advice and comments, it really does help. By the way we inherited Ola when the previous owner sold us the house, we thought he was joking when he said that the dog came with the house and we said we didn't want the dog as we already had two! Anyway he left the dog with the local shepherd and one day I came across her tied to a bale of hay with a chain, that was it I told my son to collect her immediately and she has been with us ever since, which was 12 months ago. She is the sweetest dog anyone could wish for.regards Deborah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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