Idiopathic Seizures

[JJNg]

I know one time, it was a few days after I had given Frontline/Heartguard. I discussed with the vet, because I read that Ivermectin in Heartguard can aggravate symptoms in seizure dogs. He said that the amount in Heartguard wouldn't be enough to make a difference, but I did consider switching him to a different preventative. Any opinions on this?

 

I've read that you should not give Heartguard to any sighthounds whatsoever, seizure-prone or not. We only give Sentinel or Interceptor.

 

There's no reason that sighthounds shouldn't be given Heartgard. This was previously discussed in this thread.

 

It's very unlikely that the Heartgard or Frontline had anything to do with Henry's seizures. An overdose of ivermectin can cause neurologic signs, but this would be over 100 times the dose of ivermectin found in Heartgard. Plus, if Heartgard triggers his seizures, it wouldn't have just been the one time.

 

It's not unusual for stress or excitement to trigger seizures in a dog who is prone to them. I definitely agree with everyone who has recommended keeping a detailed log of all his seizures to try to help you identify a pattern and keep track of frequency.

[greypuppyluv]

I know one time, it was a few days after I had given Frontline/Heartguard. I discussed with the vet, because I read that Ivermectin in Heartguard can aggravate symptoms in seizure dogs. He said that the amount in Heartguard wouldn't be enough to make a difference, but I did consider switching him to a different preventative. Any opinions on this?

 

I've read that you should not give Heartguard to any sighthounds whatsoever, seizure-prone or not. We only give Sentinel or Interceptor.

 

There's no reason that sighthounds shouldn't be given Heartgard. This was previously discussed in this thread.

 

It's very unlikely that the Heartgard or Frontline had anything to do with Henry's seizures. An overdose of ivermectin can cause neurologic signs, but this would be over 100 times the dose of ivermectin found in Heartgard. Plus, if Heartgard triggers his seizures, it wouldn't have just been the one time.

 

It's not unusual for stress or excitement to trigger seizures in a dog who is prone to them. I definitely agree with everyone who has recommended keeping a detailed log of all his seizures to try to help you identify a pattern and keep track of frequency.

 

If heartworm meds or vaccinations are the cause, the dog will usually have a seizure within approx an hour to a day after each time of getting the meds. Stress, heat, chemicals, a huge number of things can cause seizures. And sometimes (many times), you will never know what causes them. Phaelin was on a 2 month "cycle" of seizures, but having a foster dog threw that off and so has this unbearable heat we're having in So Cal.

 

Keeping a log is the absolute best thing you can do. It may not reveal the exact cause of every seizure, but it may help you see some things that lead up to some of them. Mine is in Excel so it's easy to use.

 

This website: http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/ has a listserv (the EPIL-K9) that has been very helpful to me and has provided some support over the years.

 

As for leaving Henry and Truman alone together, only you can make that call. I do leave my four alone together when I leave and they are fine, but almost all of Phaelin's seizures have happened when I've been home so I have been able to witness the behavior of my other dogs when he seizes and I'm comfortable with my decision. He has had 46 recorded seizures over a 4 year span and never have any of our other dogs attacked him (Zuma just barks which drives both of us crazy). Truman may be different, though, so you might want to err on the side of caution until you truly know how he would keep handling Henry's seizures.

 

We've had Henry for about 2 and a half years now. In the time he's been with us, he's had a total of four seizures. I've had him to the vet a few times, but the diagnosis is "idiopathic seizures," meaning, they come on at any time, they are unpredictable, and the cause is unknown. Unless he would continue having them more frequently or have them back-to-back, the vet says not to medicate. The other possibility is that he eventually becomes epileptic

 

It sounds like they are saying he basically has idiopathic epilepsy. The vets will usually want to do different tests like blood tests, an MRI and/or a CSF looking for a cause, but if they don't find a tumor or other known cause, the default diagnosis is idiopathic epilepsy. It just means they have ruled out other causes because the test results are negative.