Having Seizures

[GreyAcresMom]

So Yogi is diagnosed with Epilepsy. Hes having a cluster of grand meal seizures right now. I have given 80 mg of diazepam. Still having seizures.

 

Has anyone tried the cannabis oil?

 

How about CBD?

 

Help..... I am freaking. His are GRAND MAL. OMG....

 

This has been going on for a month. Just got new dosage of meds today....

 

This is terrifying

Edited December 5, 2017 by GreyAcresMom

[macoduck]

Have you tried putting an ice pack on his back during a seizure? I think the spot is just above where you'd push to check for LS. I can't find the link right now, darn it.

[LuvEarsies]

We use the ice pack with great success. Put it just above hip bones towards the head. If you make the bag big enough you don’t have to be precise. Our boy is also on meds Pheno Barb and Keppra. It took about 6 months to get it under decent control. Hang in there and call your vet as soon as possible.

http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/icepack.htm

[KF_in_Georgia]

Check ingredient lists on everything he eats--especially if there's something he's started recently. Food, treats, dental products, vitamins/supplements--EVERYTHING.

 

See if any of them contain Rosemary. Rosemary is reputed to lower the seizure threshold.

[GreyAcresMom]

Thanks everyone totally forgot about ice. Will get a bag ready in the freezer. Thank you.

 

He’s stable right now. I’ll be honest, I gave him a bit of medical grade cannibus oil. Just a swipe on my finger tip to the roof of his mouth.

 

This is so horrible. He had a vet appt that we had just gotten back from when they started again. Finally had suppositorys to give.

 

His meds have been increased. So we recheck in two weeks.

[MaryJane]

Yes, this is very scary however, it looks like you have rectal valium so you can make sure the seizures are not occurring close together. How many ML of the rectal valium are you using. It looks like you might be giving about 14 to 15 ml which sounds like the right dosage. Mu Lucy used to get 16 ml and she is about 70 pounds.

 

If you have more than 3 GM seizures in 24 hours, then consider going to the ER for better control however, the rectal valium should be able to lengthen out the time between so you may not need to make the trip (unless the GMs are longer than 5 minutes). I suggest hat you give a high quality vanilla ice cream (make sure no fake sugars) after the seizure as it can help them to stabilize their sugars - not too much, just a tablespoon or two.

 

You didn't mention what other meds the dog is on. Chances are you may need to increase the med or add a new one. Note that my Lucy is on 3 meds - Zonisamide, Keppra and Sodium Bromide along with rectal Valium for a cluster buster and she has been doing well for more than 2 years however, it took 2 years to get her stable (she had GMs too).

[greysmom]

If you're not under the care of a veterinary neurolgist, you might consider doing so. Information and treatment about seizures and medications is changing very fast right now, and a regular vet just can't keep up.

 

Several people I know have used CBD/cannabis oil (I think they're the same thing?), some with good success and some with very little. I know most have had to fiddle a bit with dosages to get them effective and not sedating. One person has said the company that she got the oil from was very helpful. I'm not sure though how the neuro would react - some are pretty open minded and some aren't.

 

{{{hugs}}}

[Busderpuddle]

I have no advice Sheila, just hugs......that sounds so scary

[Hubcitypam]

I have no advice Sheila, just hugs......that sounds so scary

Ditto

[GreyAcresMom]

Ok. Yogi is a bit settled and stable. We don’t even have an ER vet close to us. I would have to take him to Las Vegas , NV that’s 2-2.5 hours away. With the animal situation the way it is, I would have to take him alone, and I really can’t think of much worse than driving alone to a unknown city with a dog that keeps having grand mal seizures.

 

We also don’t even have a Nero here. That would be Phx I think. Which is 3.5-4 hours away.

 

The dosages have been changed as of today. The blood work showed that the pheno and the Levothyroxine were both at the very minimum border for therapeutic levels. New dosage is 75 mg of the pheno, 2x a day. The Levothyroxine .5 mg 2x a day. The Diazepam was 70 mg at the onset or the first possible sign of seizure. I was given 10mg tabs. I thought that 7 was way to many. Possible misprint. So I started with 3, (because I couldn’t get ahold of vet), but three did nothing. So I did the rest. Still seemed to out of it, possible seizure activity....the starting signs. I went ahead and gave two drops of the cannibus oil on my finger (one drop 2x because 1 didn’t seem to work so I did a second) I rubbed that on the roof of his mouth.

 

Sorry,he’s 75#.

 

Last seizure was about 430 or 5 pm. About 2 hours ago now.

 

I’m more worried about the quality of life. It’s so SCAREY.

 

Thanks everyone. We are taking one day at a time...for now....

[MaryJane]

You need to get rectal valium in a liquid form that you inject into the rectum with a syringe and a canula (much easier than it sounds) - that is fast-acting, within minutes. The pills or suppositories just don't work well. Some neurologist are also using Keppra as a cluster-buster as that is relatively fast-acting although not as fast as rectal valium.

 

Pheno is not a great drug - it works but has tons of side effects so most neurologist will start with drugs that have less severe side effects like zonisamide - your regular vet usually prescribes Pheno as they don't know the options. Try and get an appointment with a neurologist and chances are, that will be the only appointment you might need assuming that they might be able to do phone consults for later incidents.

 

I understand how scary it is - Lucy at her worst was flinging herself against the walls - her GMs were that bad. Lucy is a dog that doesn't like anyone next to her and for more than a year I had to sleep right next to her so that if she started a GM, I could grab her and hold her to prevent her from injuring herself. She would be growling at me all night and I had to cover myself in comforters so that if she snapped at me, she wouldn't get skin. I also used the comforters to hold her during the seizures so that I wouldn't get injured. During one of her first GMs, she manged to cause some very severe gouges in my leg - so severe that I thought I was going to need stitches.

[racindog]

"The Healing Vet" (who has a page on FB) says that the CBD has been shown to help a lot of seizure dogs and has shown good results in his practice. So you may want to pursue it?

[GreyAcresMom]

Thank you everyone. I will check into the CBD. I will also check into a Nero. Just scary to even think of that cost and drive.

 

This was a known issue with this Dog, as far as I can tell from reading vet paperwork yet I wasnt warned at all that he would be special needs. I would have been able to decide if this was something I could afford, at the onset.

 

Im going to call,and price a Nero in Vegas now just to see about an initial consolidation...

 

He did have another seizure about 11pm. Three more Diazepam. A single swipe of a dot of cannibus oil...

 

Today totally out of it. No appetite. Had to force the three pills down him. Now when I go to help him inside he kinda runs from me...

 

THIS IS BREAKING MY HEART AND ALSO ME IM AFRAID.....

 

Just looked. The closest Nero is in Phx. Minimum of 5 hours away. Depends on what side of Phx...

Edited December 5, 2017 by GreyAcresMom

[Batmom]

 

Hope you can find some help for your pupper.

[NeylasMom]

Your vet may be able to consult with the neuro directly at no charge to you. Please ask your vet.

[GreyAcresMom]

Your vet may be able to consult with the neuro directly at no charge to you. Please ask your vet.

Good idea. I will ask about that.

 

Thanks for the ideas and hugs and all that this has truly been a heartbreaking road that we are on. He’s still kinda out of it; I’m sure from all the diazepam. Poor guy.

 

He finally ate a bit. Going outside on his own. Still acts afraid of me...shot, who wouldn’t be after all this. **tear tear**

[Guest nicky604]

I'm so sorry to hear this.

 

Our rescue just had a case of one of our foster dogs seizing (grand mal seizure).

 

It occurred approximately 14 hours after receiving 6 inoculations at the vet.

 

We brought 2 local greyhounds into rescue .. I got one and the other foster got the other one.

 

I'm a retired nurse and from my experiences at the hospital, I no longer vaccinate.

 

(Long story...)

 

Our rescue vaccinates (all 6 canine vaccines, given at once) which I think is too many ..

 

But I took my foster greyhound in to get all his shots as directed by the rescue.

 

Despite my apprehensions.

 

One of which is: the heavy metal adjuvants in vaccines can cause neurological damage

 

(seizures, epilepsy, brain damage .. either soon after or much later (as in many months later).

 

The vaccine manufacturer will re-imburse you for ALL costs related to your dog's veterinary care if you

 

contact them and tell them that your dog had an adverse reaction.

 

I'm sorry if this information is not related or not helpful to you.

 

I'm just posting this in case you find it helpful in some way, either now or later on.

 

Please feel free to message me if I can help you.

[GreyAcresMom]

Thanks Nicky604.

 

I have him back down to the 75mg of Pheno and .5 of the T4 meds. I also started him on CBD. So far so good. Though it took a full week to act even close to his old self, but still off.

 

Thanks everyone. Appreciate all the help and advice.

[SanTanSnuggles]

I would make the trip to the neurologist at least once and explain to them before you get there, that they had to do a real good exam in one visit since you live so far away. Ask to talk to the neurologist, not the receptionist in your case. You could also consider some universities nearby if you have some nearby and call them to see if they could help you and your greyhound. There are so many things that can happen. I have had three greyhounds that had seizures for three different reasons. At least if you knew the cause, than the neurologist can work with your nearby vet or even a mobile vet if you have one in your area to help them treat your sweetie a little more precise. Prayers and hoping all goes well..

[seeh2o]

Gahhhh, I am just now seeing this. I am glad he has stabilized. There is at least one veterinary neurologist in Las Vegas, which I think is closer to you than Phoenix. Here are the link: https://lvvsc.com/specialty-departments/neurology/