Seizures (First One)

[Guest alanagail]

Hello! My new grey, Nelly (7 years old, from Florida), had a seizure last week and it was so scary. I took her to the emergency vet and they really said that there is nothing that they can do, but we just need to monitor her for more. I am going to have her tested for tick diseases at our group's next clinic in April. The vet did run a Sr. blood panel and all came out well.

 

Can anyone suggest anything else that I should be doing?

 

Thank you so much!

[TheFullHouse]

Check for tick born diseases and also have a full panel thyroid check done. Keep a joutnal of her seizures with date, length of time and and a description of the seizure. Once you've had the tests run you can proceed from there.

[LBass]

I'll suggest the two web sites that helped me a great deal when Piper's seizures started.

 

http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/ and http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/

 

another good site is http://www.canine-epilepsy.net/

 

 

At this point watching and waiting is about all you can do. If more seizures occur, I second Judy's suggestion to start keeping a log...date, time of onset, length of seizure, any unusual circumstances within the last 24-48 hours.

 

I remember well how terrified I was when Piper had his first seizure. Remember that there is really very little you can do during a seizure but wait for it to end.

[GreyWrangler]

add a column to the journal about food. if she had anything different from the usual.

[greyhead]

Check for tick born diseases and also have a full panel thyroid check done. Keep a joutnal of her seizures with date, length of time and and a description of the seizure. Once you've had the tests run you can proceed from there.

Judy knows about greyhounds and seizures. You should follow her advice. Besides, I agree with it. So you don't have to just sit and wait for it to happen again. (And the senior blood panel only has one thyroid screening value, the T4, which is really not enough to base a conclusion on.)

[MaryJane]

You want to make sure that you record any seizures including how long they lasted. A dog can have one seizure and never have another one but, if you do get a second seizure then IMHO, you should consider getting an appointment to a neurologist and have them treat the dog rather than a regular vet. Regular vets are not likely to be up-to-date with the latest treatments. IMO, the current procedures usually recommend treatment once the seizures get to around once a month but, each neurologist will have their own protocol they follow as well as anti-seizure medicines they will use. With my Lucy, her first seizure was in March of 2011 and her second was in August of 2011 and at that time I made an appointment with the neurologist and had to wait about 1 month to see him.

 

Did the e-vet do any neurological exam like checking the gait or correcting the foot placements?

 

If you have recently had any work done in the house then, you might also want to get a lead test as lead can also cause seizures. Also, try and remember whether you changed any cleaning solutions in the house or if you just gave vaccines or different medicines.

 

If another seizure occurs, give some ice cream (the real stuff), about 1 to 2 tablespoons (for a greyhound) right after the seizure and be careful if you use a spoon to give it as the dog can try and eat the spoon (I know it sounds funny but, they can actually try and pull it into their mouth). The ice cream provides some quick sugar and the reason for it is that during seizures the brain can use up the sugar store and then pull more from the stored reserves but, you're never sure whether the dog has enough sugar - note, you don't want to give too much either.

 

The web site provides some good information on seizures:

 

http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/

[Guest alanagail]

Thank you everyone! Nelly did have a full thyroid test done - the blood was sent to a University in Michigan I believe. got the results yesterday and her thyroid is ok.

 

I am getting the full tick testing done. The vet did suggest checking heart worm as well. I hear that the Greys are on preventative meds in the kennels,and we live in WA State, so most likely this will not be the case, but I will have this test done as well.

 

Nelly and I thank you all for your advice!

[Guest greygirls2]

Yes, definitely get the tick testing done especially since he's a FL dog. My daughter in law's grey had a siezure and it turned out he has Anaplasmosis, tick disease and that can be one of the symptoms. They should also test for Babesia because lots of the FL dogs are coming out with that.

[greypuppyluv]

I'll suggest the two web sites that helped me a great deal when Piper's seizures started.

 

http://www.canine-ep...ian-angels.com/ and http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/

 

another good site is http://www.canine-epilepsy.net/

 

 

At this point watching and waiting is about all you can do. If more seizures occur, I second Judy's suggestion to start keeping a log...date, time of onset, length of seizure, any unusual circumstances within the last 24-48 hours.

 

I remember well how terrified I was when Piper had his first seizure. Remember that there is really very little you can do during a seizure but wait for it to end.

 

I second the suggestion to read these websites and keep them handy. They provide a wealth of information although they may appear a little overwhelming at first. Also, keeping a log is so very important. It can be a valuable tool for a vet or neurologist to have if Nelly has any more seizures.

 

One of the main things you'll want to do if Nelly has another seizure is to make sure she is safe and can't injure herself while seizing. Phaelin seems to get himself into tight places when he seizes so I always watch him to make sure his head isn't banging against a wall or other hard objects (always make sure to keep your hands clear of their mouths). Never place anything in her mouth while she is seizing.

 

There are several of us here with "seizure dogs" so you're not alone. If Nelly happens to have any more seizures, please feel free to ask us anything......with seizures, there are no dumb questions.