seizures in dogs

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Q: Have you had any luck with alternative methods of treating seizures in dogs?
My dog (10 yrs old) has been acting kind of funny here and there over the last few days. This evening I saw him go into what I am positive is a seizure.

I know people put their dogs on phenobarbital for seizures, but I've also read that it can damage their liver with long term usage.

Bottom line: I'm taking him to the vet tomorrow morning. I will do *anything* to keep him healthy and happy. I would feel much better if there's some sort of treatment out there that will not damage his liver. I don't want anything to shorten his life span.

If you have any experience with a more natural treatment that was effective with your dog, please let me know.

A: I think you're jumping the gun a bit here. You don't know the cause of your dog's seizures yet so you don't know if phenobarbitol will be prescribed. But if it is, the vet will be monitoring him regularly. There are other drugs out there, as well that can be used. You need to trust your vet. Ask him about the long-term affects of the various meds so you can make a more informed decision for your dog. Hope he'll be ok!

Q: What can cause seizures in dogs and ultimate death? Is this a common trait of heartworm desease?
My nine year old dog had two bouts of seizures and finally died. She did have heartworm desease in which we were making arrangements for treatments for her. She was a good dog and we miss her

A: There are many possible causes of seizures in dogs and heartworm disease is not usually associated with seizure activity. Some causes include diseases that are outside the brain such as metabolic reasons such as low blood sugar, low blood calcium, kidney disease, and various toxins. Some causes that are directly associated with the brain can include tumors, infectious diseases such as fungal, or viral diseases, idiopathic epilepsy (unknown cause), or some type of trauma. Based on how your dog presented it is likely that your dog may have gotten into something that may have contributed to her seizures, but it is also possible that your dog could had a tumor that could of ruptured a vessel or enlarged to a size that cause a significant disruption of the brain function leading to her presentation of seizures. But in the case of brain tumors it is more common for dogs to have more slowly progressive signs indicating that something is wrong with them. I am sorry for your loss. I know that you will miss her.

Q: Can marijuana help subside epileptic seizures in dogs?
My dog has canine epilepsy and I want to know if blowing very small amounts in her ear can help minimize them. Animal cruelty people... don't post your ignorant comments. I'm not trying to get my dog stoned... I want to help her avoid seizures until the medicine the vet gave me kicks in because I don't want her to have to go through that crap 5 or 6 times a day. Thanks!

A: Ask your vet. He/she specializes in animal/canine health and should know if thats harmful or not. I mean I could give you a yes and what if (hypothetically speaking) it kills her, the person below me could say no its bad and she has another seizure that kills her but she would have lived with the marijuana. Seriously ask your vet, not strangers online that can feed you any crap.

Q: Does anyone know how I can get in touch with someone who breeds seizure dogs? Website?
My son has hundreds of seizures a day and has a rare disorder that will lead to other types of seizures that may go undetected by us. We'd like info on how to get in touch with someone who breed seizure dogs and how we could get one. Thanks.

A: contact animal planet, they have aired shows about seizure dogs. or try the aspca.

Q: Can chocolate cause seizures in dogs?
I'm trying to prepare my children. Is she likely to die from the chococlate?

A: Chocolate can kill dogs. It depends on how much eaten and the weight of the dog. How much it takes can vary from dog to dog, or for the same dog, at different times.

Chocolate contains a xanthine compound, heobromine, caffeine & theophylline, and they are toxic to dogs.

However dogs seem to love chocolate, at least ours did, and it is hard to tell how much is too much. We occasionally gave our dogs a chocolate chip cookie, but only one, or a small amount of other chocolate treats. But make sure any chocolate you have around is out of your dog's reach - dogs will devour chocolate if they get a chance.

Dogs also like peanut butter and white chocolate. White chocolate does not have the same toxicity for them, so your kids will have some options if you want to let them give your dog "people food" treats.

These links have excellent information about dogs and chocolate.

Q: Can glucosamine cause seizures in dogs?
My cousins dog took shark cartilage and it caused her pet to seize. Since glucosamine and shark cartilage are used for the same thing I thought there may be something to it. The glucosamine is the only new thing that our dog has received.

A: every dog respond differently, but glucosamine is usually a supplement for joint pain and should not give seizures to your dog, but like i said every dog is different

Q: Can roadkill cause seizures in dogs?
My dog has a seizure about once a year. They last over an hour. I noticed that he was eating roadkill a day or two before he had both of his seizures. Do you think this is what caused the seizures?

A: I'm sorry to say that I think the only one qualified to discuss seizure disorders with you is your vet. I've never heard of non poisoned dead animals causing seizures especially one that last as long as an hour. Then again I'm not a vet. Please take your dog to the vet and see whats up with him, it could be something simple or something that needs to be dealt with immediately. Good luck.

Q: can someone who knows a lot about seizures in dogs answer this question?
my dog is a German Shepard and he has been having seizures for a couple years now, and he is five years old. he used to have them at night only or early mornings and the would only happen once in two or three weeks. lately they are happening more frequently like once a week, and he just had one today at 2:50 in the afternoon. can some one explain why they are getting more frequent and at different times? (btw, he is on medication for it which he takes daily) also can someone explain what happens to the brain to cause seizures? thank you :)

A: If you Google dogs and seizures you will get a full picture.

I'd be seeing the vet again. As the dog matures the meds have to be adjusted.

An epileptic seizure is caused by an electrical malfunction in the brain. They have just realized that it actually causes brain damage. You may notice some behavioural changes in your dog.

It is hereditary. Do not breed this dog.

Q: anyone know the % of seizures in dogs being a brain tumor?
my dog is 9.5 yrs old and being treated with Phenobarbital and Valium when having a seizure. The siezures have been 4-8 a day for 5 days straight. The dog was hospitilized one night for a temp of 105.

A: Possibility of a brain tumor is small. High temperature is usually from an infection - fever can cause seizures. Could be an aneurysm (a brain bleed). If the phenobarb isn't working, you've probably got a very serious and expensive problem on your hands that may not be curable.

Check out the website at the Cornell Vet school & good luck with the poor old dog...
http://diaglab.vet.cornell.edu/

Q: what are some symptoms of seizures in dogs?
i just got a 6wk old chihuahua and i think he had a couple of seizures in the past two day's...i was told that toy breeds can have hypoglycemia...which can cause them to have seizures...

A: Call the reputable breeder you got him from- you know the one who illegally sold you an underage puppy-
(it is against the law in most states to place or sell a dog under the age of 8 weeks AND ethical breeders of Toy breeds wait longer to avoid hypoglycemia issues)

and ask them about how you should be caring for this puppy.

Look over the hand out shee they gave you about care of your new puppy. Perhaps it is covered there.

OR CALL THE VET.

Q: What causes seizures in dogs, besides brain tumors?
My 2year old malti-poo had a seizure last night that lasted for almost 5 minutes...needless to say it scared me half to death because I had never seen anything like that before... I know she does not have a tumor because up until now she has been extremely healthy, not even a flea....So what could have caused this in my poor baby??

A: a seizure is a very tricky thing that science still doesn't really know what causes it. thats why most dogs suffer from idiopathic epilepsy (no known cause). you should take your dog to the vet to get a prescription for an anticonvulsant like phenobarbital or potassium bromide.

the vet i work with has a theory that some seizures are related to a dogs diet. if your dog vomits or has diarrhea every know and then, he could be suffering from inflammatory bowel disease. this is basically a food allergy. he thinks that when dogs suffer from this, the nutrients in the food pass trough the intestines to fast and the body cant absorb them. this doesnt allow all the necessary nutrients to reach the brain thus causing the seizures. you can try to switch your food to lamb and rice to only have two ingredients in the food (the brand doesnt matter). once again this is just a theory.

Q: Can shampoo cause seizures in dogs?
My little dog had a seizure the other day, and i think it might be from quite a few things, but can human shampoo cause seizures in dogs?
I took her to the AHEVS and it was definitely a seizure....They said it was caused by another unknown ifection that she has...

But I got to thinking and was wondering if it might be human shampoo, also/maybe....

A: Possible but fairly slim.

There are ingredients in human shampoos that are not tolerated well by pets & can be harmful . ETOH is one & is not required by law to be included on product list since it isn't harmful to ppl but it is to pets. It can penetrate skin & go to the fatty tissues &/or bloodstream. ETOH is a potent nervous system depressant & can be fatal if the levels become high enough & with regular use. ETOH is the strongest chemical in ppl shampoo that can effect dogs & the main reason not to use ppl shampoo on pets. I'm sure there probably is a blood test they could do to test the levels in your dog but unless you were using ppl shampoo all the time to bathe your dog - I hope that is not the case - then there wouldn't any point to do so. Small dogs are so overbred that seizures are common & not rare.

Q: Does an business need to adhere to ADA guidelines when it comes to seizure dogs? Are they service dogs?
Do they have to be permitted in "no pet" hotels just line seeing eye dogs?

A: Yes, seizure alert dogs fall under the "assistance dog" category of service dog law and are entitled to all rights and priviledges - and responsibilities - as such.

Q: dogs--anyone with any info on grand mal seizures in dogs please advise?
is there any connection between a fit and the yearly inoculations ? Is a dog likely to have another one if he has had his 1st at the age of around 11yrs ?
julie--thats a really good informative site-thank you

A: My Chocolate Lab has had seizures very rarely since he was about a year old. Recently they have gotten much worse but still not very often. He will be 11 years old next March. My vet has recommended I not give him meds for it unless they start to happen frequently. I don't notice any increase after his shots. They are pretty random. So to answer your question I don't see a connection with my dog. Good Luck!

Q: Anyone know anything about dogs with seizures/neurological problems?
My dog started seizing (or at least what seemed to be seizing) a little over a month ago. All the sudden his head started shaking but none of his extremities.. So, I took him to the ER and they put him on seizure watch for the night. He was prescribed phenobarbetol (sp?) However, he did not seize at all for weeks, and the medication made him pee in the house so we took him off of it (with the doctor's permission) thinking that maybe the seizure was a one time thing. But tonight he started again.. Same thing.. His head shakes uncontrollably for a few seconds (I counted a few different ones ranging from 3-18 seconds) but it's always just his head. He also seems aware while this is happening.. Does anyone know what this could be? We are really starting to think it could be something neurological.. Were planning on taking him to the vet this week but I figured I'd ask here just for my own curiosity. My worst fear would be a brain tumor or something like that. Please let me know!

A: i know it could be a birth defect, or poisoning, or my grandparents bought a poodle in france and the people had starved her to keep her small to sell her as a toy- and that caused brain damage- so she was epilleptic. im sure there are other reasons, but those are the ones i know of.