Snoopy Had A Seizure

[Guest lotsahounds]

I am a mess! My baby Snoop who will be 4 in May had some kind of seizure that just about killed me. He seems fine now but I thought for sure I was going to lose him this afternoon around 3 pm.

He came out of his house from his nap all happy to go out in his yard to go potty. He ran back and forth maybe 3 times which was odd for him at that time of the day but I though he must have some extra energy to burn. Anyway he went to make a turn and fell down, attempted to get up and couldn't. I saw the panic in his face and flew out the door to help him. It took me about 3 seconds to get to him and by then he had stiffened out, shaking uncontrollably gasping for air, with glazed eyes. I kept talking to him and petting him hoping he would snap out of it. It seemed like forever but it had to be at least a good 5 minutes before he started to "come back a bit" He faltered around for a few minutes and then seemed back to normal. Of course I had the vet on the phone and she said to keep an eye on him since this was the first time anything like that has ever happened...

 

I'm exhaused....I wonder what set that off and if it will ever happen again.

 

[greysmom]

It's hard to know for sure. Could be a one-off or he could be developing idiopathic (meaning the origin is unknown) seizure disorder.

 

Several things to do:

>Make sure he has access to enough water as they can get a bit dehydrated during seizures

>Write down right now before you forget the exact timing, when, where, how, all the details you can remember. Keep a log of any future episodes - knowing more details can help determine if there is a source and what you can look for.

>I know it's super disturbing and really hard to watch, but he's probably already forgotten it. Try and not transfer your stress to him.

>Look up poster "EmilyAnne" and she has a link to her blog in her signature which gives a ton of good info on seizures and dealing with them.

 

Remember that many greys have them and live perfectly normal lives before, during and after. If he does develope a seizure disorder there are a lot of things to help get you and Snoopy through it. It's KNOT the end of the world.

 

Hugs and skritches!

greysmom

[greypuppyluv]

Sometimes you can figure out the trigger for seizures and sometimes you'll just never know. Phaelin started having them every 2 weeks back in November and we never figured out why. He's on medication for them and hasn't had one since December 14th. They are very scary the first time you witness one.

 

Here are a couple of websites you may find useful:

 

Canine Epilepsy Resources

 

Canine Seizures

[Batmom]

Sending hugs and scritchies for both of you. What a terrible scare.

[Guest EmilyAnne]

Oh no! I'm sorry! And I can so relate to how upsetting it is to see that first Grand-Mal and how powerless it can make you feel. However, even if Snoop continues to have seizures, very likely he will still be very much a normal dog and able to live a normal life. Reminding myself of this about my own epi-dog is what comforts me.

 

Sometimes there are triggers, sometimes there are not. I think when a dog has epilepsy, they are more likely to be sensitive to things that may trigger seizures in that specific dog, but I dont believe triggers are the sole cause of epilepsy in dogs who have true epilepsy. I know raw fish, flagyl, and anything poultry related are triggers for Henry, but I also know that even if I avoid all those things 100%, he isn't cured and still has an occasional seizure. After the seizure is over and he has recovered, life goes on.

 

It will take detective work to figure out what are triggers, if there are any. Each dog is different. For Henry I was able to narrow down his triggers by the next 24 hours after a trigger. First it is focals within a couple hours, lots of nervousness, and then a grand-mal within 24 hours. But more than all the research in the world, and more than all the detective work in the world, what has worked best for Henry is plain old Phenobarbital, and he is doing extremely well on it. I swear he has no side effects anymore, and even if he did, it would be well worth it. He went from having a Grand-Mal every 8 days, to today only having had ONE lone Grand-mal in the last six months!

 

Hopefully this is a one time incident, but even if it is not, take heart, lots of dogs are able to do very well.

 

I would for now, (besides document the seizure which I am sure you have already done) make up an ice pack. The ice pack has been very helpful with 17 out of 20 Grand-mals for Henry. Don't get upset if the ice pack doesnt work though. Sometimes it just doesnt work. I always turn lights down/turn down heat or turn up AC and keep things quiet. The body overheats during seizure, so you want to help Snoop keep cool. (gently of course, no ice baths or anything) And I (being careful he does this in a safe environment) always allow Henry to pace as part of his cool down process after a Grand-mal. Kind of like how people need cool down exercises after a very rigorous workout.

[Guest lynne893]

Emily Anne is the resident seizure expert on these boards, and has helped a lot of us get through some very scary times.

 

I hope your vet has some knowledge and comfort to offer. We had a foster hound with seizures and it scared the living daylights out of us, but for those who've dealt with them a lot, they'll tell you dogs really can lead normal, happy, otherwise-healthy lives, even if they're epi hounds.

 

Hugs!!!!

[Guest gottaluvgreysindy]

OH no Donna, hugs to you and that sweet boy of yours. We will say a prayer for him.

[Guest lotsahounds]

thanx for all the kind words and advice! I'm researching everything and so far Snoopy is doing fine. What a scare! I'm hoping we never go through that again!

[MandysMom]

Sending good thoughts for Snoopy.

[Guest PhillyPups]

Talk to Judy (JillysFullHouse) her Saint had seizures, and has been seizure free and happy for over 4 years now!!

 

Emily Anne is the resident seizure expert on these boards.

 

really??

Edited April 15, 2009 by PhillyPups

[Guest EmilyAnne]

Talk to Judy (JillysFullHouse) her Saint had seizures, and has been seizure free and happy for over 4 years now!!

 

Emily Anne is the resident seizure expert on these boards.

 

really??

Ok, woah. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and take it that you disagree.

 

I will say, I believe we have *several* resident seizure experts on this board, including JillysFullHouse, Trudy, LBass, to list just a few. When I very first came to GT, JillysFullHouse really reached out to me and was a big comfort with Henry's epilepsy, as well as many others on this board. Everyone was so kind to me when I first adopted Henry, (and everyone still is) and it's just my goal to pass onto others what was done for me. Kind of like the 'pay it forward' concept. I believe all seizure dogs are unique, and it's good to share experiences, and help each other do detective work, and support each other through hard times. And I do not believe the number of seizures a dog has is a reflection on how much the owner knows about epilepsy. I believe we all do our best.

[carronstar]

How is Snoopy doing this morning? How are you doing? Sending lots of good thoughts and prayers.

[Guest snakes]

Hang in there, we are all hoping this is an isolated incident!

[Fruitycake]

You have my sympathy! It is a very scary experience having witnessed a series of 4 grand mals myself (two of them were when I wasn't home but my husband was). After the series of seizures we had an entirely new dog, who didn't remember anything but his name (and that only because we were chanting it to him when we were waiting for the seizures to subside).

 

We knew that "a seizure" were the cause of our young boy being retired early (1.5 years old), but we had hoped that he wouldn't have any more. Unfortunately that wasn't the case, but fortunately for all of us he is on medication (phenobarbitol) that has prevented any more seizures. It's been a year and a half since his Day of Seizures, and we are so very happy that our boy responds so well to his medication. He's on Milk Thistle once a day (or sometimes less often) to help support liver function, since pb can cause problems.

 

I wish you and Snoopy the best of luck: never another seizure! Alternately, if he does have another, I wish for you to find a medication that works for him.

[Guest lotsahounds]

So far so good but I am watching him like a hawk!

[Burpdog]

I wonder if it was a seizure like in epilepsy seizure or a reaction to the fall. Did he hit his head?

 

Sending prayers!

[Guest lotsahounds]

I wonder if it was a seizure like in epilepsy seizure or a reaction to the fall. Did he hit his head?

 

Sending prayers!

 

He did not hit his head. I saw the whole thing happen and he was running back and forth and went to turn, fell on his side and tried to get up. I saw the panic in his face and immediately said " you're ok Dude, I'm coming! I was with him in a matter of 2-3 seconds and he was violently shaking, stiffening out and went deaf and blind all at once and seemed to be choking. Snoop tends to be a little fragile cuz he's my spoiled baby and he does tend to panic over things that most hounds don't think twice about. From everything I've read I'm thinking he may have been so stressed that he went into a seizure.

 

Now I don't even want him to run just in case he slips! Nuts, I know....

[Burpdog]

Sometimes it's very hard to let them be dogs

[greypuppyluv]

Sometimes it's very hard to let them be dogs

You're right, but it is so important to not let the seizures run your or your dog's life (within reason). I don't limit what Phaelin does just because I'm afraid he's going to seize. I don't know what his triggers are, and if I did, I would try my best to limit that behavior, but otherwise he just goes about his business like our other 3 do.

 

Donna, I hope Snoop never has another seizure again, but if he does, it's not the end of the world. Many seizure dogs respond well to medication (Phaelin is on sodium bromide and hasn't seized in 4 months) and some never have another one again. I think someone not too long ago did an informal poll here on GT about how often our dogs have seized and most had more than one seizure. So, don't be surprised if he does have another one. You may want to do a search here in Health & Medical on "seizure" or "seizures" and see what's been discussed.......you may find it very helpful.

 

I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that Snoop never has another seizure, but if he does, there are lots of people here who will be glad to answer your questions.