| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 2/14/2007 1:25:34 PM | I have opened this thread here since the rules are a little more lenient, and the answers may be because of the region I live in.
I have googled "plentyoffish.com Veterinarian" and only came up with three names. None of them active since Dec 2006. I would have done this by e-mail if possible.
I have always owned a Dachshund. The one I own now is the first one that loves his toys. Not like the others, that chew up the squeaker and then never touch it again. He will pick up his toy, squeak it 90 to nothing while running ( I call it hippy hopping because it is as if he was galloping and hopping at the same time ) thru the house. There is times for no reason he will run 90 to nothing, thru the house; with his tail and rump curled underneath him as if it helps him run faster.
He is the first one that I've had that also loves for me to play ball with him. If I threw a ball or frisbee with my other ones, they would simple look at me as if to say what do you want me to do with that?
We have two tennis balls that he will play with for hours on end with them, scooting them across the floor just waiting for me to grab one and toss it in the air for him to catch it.
Now that I have explained why I love him dearly, let me tell you my concern for him.
First let me back up a little bite.
When my wife and I moved down here from Colorado we brought our Dachshund
with us ( our previous one ). She developed a very bad case of allergies ( because of the fleas down here, they are so hard to get rid of down here).
After she passed away we bought this one from a breeder here locally.
Just before he was 2 years old he had his first seizure. I have never had a dog that had seizures before. Needless to say it scared me to death.
My pet also has another problem none of my others had. He keeps getting ear infections. The vet told me due to his long ears the moisture in them cannot dry out.
I can't help but wonder if the two aren't related, but I'm not a vet.
I've taken him to a vet 3 times now. Each time they did blood work and couldn't find anything conclusive. The vet gave me some medicine (Phenobarbital Elixer 5ml for each dose) to give to him on a daily basis, and informed me that as he gets older his attacks will become more frequent.
I have yet to give him any because I have found by getting on-line and looking for seizures on dogs that a lot of these medicines promote kidney failure or something like that. I brought my fears the the vets attention and if I remember his response it was if his seizures scare me, give him the medicine. Then he printed of a copy of something he found on line about dogs and seizures. It didn't answer all my questions. Yes, it told me what a seizure was, and that was about it.
The vet also informed me that a lot of dogs have seizures, due to the breed or something like that.
Is this true? I'm 53 years old, I have owned about 5 dogs in my lifetime and never had one with seizures.
Last night he had another one of his attacks. He has one about every 3 to 6 months. He will be 3 years old come April this year.
So I have the following Questions maybe someone can answer for me.
1. Is this a regional thing here in Texas with dogs?
2. What worries me the most during his attacks is whether he is still breathing. Can he suffocate to death during an attack? Each time he has one I immediately pick him up and comfort him, by telling him his is going to be okay and I know you are scared; to let him know i'm here. Is he breathing, can it case brain damage? His attack lasts between 2-4 minutes, but it seems like a lifetime.
3. Can his ears be a contributing factor?
The vet gave me ointment for his ears; (gentamicin sulfate, betamethasone valerate, clotrimazole).
4. The vet told me to clean his ears out regularly and not to worry about damaging his ear drum with a que tip because you their ear canal is different from ours.
My question here is can I us hydrogen peroxide on a que tip or is his ears to sensitive for that?
5. I know anti-freeze will kill a dog and baking chocolate is toxic for them, and you shouldn't give them bones, or ice cream. This one like grapes, oranges, tangerines, cantaloupe. So is there any fruits that is not good for him?
6. Has any one else run across this?
If so what did you do?
7. The medicine he gave me may case kidney failure, anyone with any suggestions?
Thank You for any input you may have.
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 2/14/2007 2:26:43 PM |
My pet also has another problem none of my others had. He keeps getting ear infections. The vet told me due to his long ears the moisture in them cannot dry out.
I can't help but wonder if the two aren't related, but I'm not a vet.
Myfirstlove,I feel for you and your dog because I am a very avid dog lover myself. I have an Akita that loves nothing better than playing with tennis balls or balls larger. My dog will hold the ball in his mouth and toss it up then use one of his legs to kick it.
As far as seziures I personally would get another opinion. I don't know that I've ever heard of or seen a dog have a seizure. I don't think a dog passing out is a seizure or at least in my opinion I don't think it is.
People have what is called Grandma seizures. It causes a very scary situation. They shake and sometime swallow their tongue. Most seizures are not recognized because not all seizures cause shaking. Some cause a stare or loss of concentration. Passing out I've not ever seen...
The ear canal and moisture could be the problem. It could be inner ear or inner ear infection.
I've owned Dachshunds in the past and never have experienced what your experiencing. I don't think it's Texas weather causing it. | |
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 2/15/2007 12:12:58 AM | Thank You for your post TTicker, I appreciate your time in trying to help. It is nice to know others love their pets.
I don't think a dog passing out is a seizure or at least in my opinion I don't think it is.
The Vet hasn't seen him during an attack, but he has concluded that is what he is suffering from. Thank goodness his attacks only last 2 - 4 minutes.
Let me describe it.
His last attack was while I was flipping the tennis ball off the floor into the air. He jumped and caught it, then he went to run under the coffee table. Then it hit him ( the attack ). My wife saw him and made the comment "that is a strange pose." She didn't know he was having an attack. I knew immediately. He was standing and his body was to close to the floor, with his legs really extended. I quickly picked him up before he fell or before he ripped his leg muscles since he was in an unusual stance.
When he has an attack, all his muscle lock up, he doesn't pass out, his eyes are open, he will try to move or walk but with his muscles locked up he falls. His expression is as if to say what is happening to me. The vet asked me if his eyes are glazed over when this happens, my answer was/is no.
My main concern is that during his attack is if he is breathing okay. When he is not having an attack I can see him breathing. His abdomen and rib cage moves with each breath as normal. But during an attack I do not see any rib cage or abdomen movement. He doesn't twitch or jerk around as people do in movies.
When the attack is over he will continue to play as if nothing happened. Except he will move a little slower as if his muscles were a little sore.
I haven't even thought about him swallowing his tongue during an attack.
That's a good point.
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 2/15/2007 4:24:27 AM | A Friend sent me her answer. I'm posting it just in case anyone else finds themselves in the same shoes.
I'm not a vet, but true seizures (ie, 'Grand MAL' ) can cause brain damage secondary to O2 loss to the brain...Like a stroke in people. all drugs have side effects, u have to weigh the benefits against the side effects..... This dog MAY have genetic predisposition to seizures, poss inherited them? Do u know the parents?
I think u said he doesn't breathe during one? Antiepileptic drugs can cause drowsiness too, ur dog may be able to do w/ less than the prescribed dose... But if he has had several, u may need to put him on maintenance doses...if it was only once, then I wouldn't worry. I had a cat w/ seizures once, she had residual nerve damage...to her hind legs. Either way, it is a gamble. I would think u could use peroxide on him, ask... maybe even a blow dryer on low heat??? To keep his ears dry.. hope this helps?
Some have asked what does Texas have to do with this. My thinking is regional like when Heartworms started out, fleas, etc.
When the vet talk to me he talked as if it was common around here.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You for any help you may have.
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 2/15/2007 10:17:50 AM | | Well I have a Chihuahua That has asthma attacks, & well you just have to live with them. She just starts making this loud wheezing noise over & over & can't seem to get a breath. The vet said there's not a treatment, so we just pick her up & talk soothing to her & say it's ok, you are fine , just calm down & breathe over & over til it ends. Dogs have issues like people. Hope your Duchsand is doing well. | |
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 2/15/2007 12:52:55 PM |
Some have asked what does Texas have to do with this. My thinking is regional like when Heartworms started out, fleas, etc.
When the vet talk to me he talked as if it was common around here.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You for any help you may have.
You might have a valid point , I do intend to talk to a vet about this. Fleas and Heartworms are very common here in Texas and some areas fleas are almost impossible to control.
We have the common flea that agitate pets, we also have sand fleas.I cannot tell you the difference between the two,but both can really upset pets.
The seizure issue is new to me but I'm going to get as much information as I can.
You do have me wondering if some dogs are actually having seizures when they get agitated and bite and injure someone. Could what is going on with a dog be mistaken for one being vicious? | |
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 2/23/2007 11:10:41 PM | | I read that giving a dog grapes is deadley. My sister's dog has seizures and her vet recommened switching dogs diet to "solid gold" dog food and the seizures became less and less and hardley has one, just every so often. Solid gold dog food helps eleminate toxins out of the pets body, just be sure not to feed the dog anything else but that kind of food. My dogs have done alot better on it too. hope this helps. | |
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 2/24/2007 10:30:25 AM | Hi Myfirstlove,
I read your post and it reminded me of my brothers Chihuahua so I wanted to give you two websites that can give you some more info. One is about "Ears".
http://www.alternativepethealth.com/seizures.html
http://www.k9magazinefree.com/k9_perspective/iss13p9.shtml
My brothers dog has epilepsy and he keeps honey in the frig at all times for the seizures.
I also wanted to add another website: (The same is true for dogs)http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/epilepsylegal/tal_FAQs.cfm
It is not possible to swallow your tongue. Occasionally, the tongue will block the airway (which is why the “swallowing” myth developed), but this can be prevented by placing the person on one side, allowing gravity to keep the airway clear of the tongue and any fluids in the mouth. You should never try to pry open the mouth when someone is having a seizure. It will not aid breathing and it may seriously damage teeth and jaw. | |
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 2/24/2007 11:16:31 PM | Due to the urgent nature of the question I did not read anyones answers. First, dont use q tips when cleaning ears, get some cloth diapers, (very thing soft material) geta bowl of warm water and put some very mild soap in the water and gently wipe out the ears, it may be that the dog has ear mites, and that can cause issues, keep the ears clean. No body knows for sure why dogs have seizures, it is so uppsetting and sad, but I would get on line and look for a homeopathic vet, one that does not use normal medications. The reason I say that may get me blasted but I am doing this for the dog, not a popularity contest. Get them to check the dog and see if all things are where they are supposed to be, nothing wrong in the brain and have them check to see if the dog is getting proper nutritian as the large companies are using more and more filler, corn with that fungus and other disgusting things to make the dog food cheaper and more filling, sort of what they are doing to humans,
Switch your dog over to boiled chicken meat and remove the dry or canned dog food. Of course never feed your dog avacados, chochlate of any kind (something disolves the tissues in the liver, same with birds) and for treats, give delicous vegetable stews in beef or chicken broth. broccolli, carrots, peas, celery and more (tomatos are too acidy)
try to use organic if you can afford it, and only give distilled or filtered water. Try that for a few weeks and you will see a happy, healthy puppy like dog returning. Then you really must see if you can find a homeopathic animal person, (try looking in wild life rehabilitation, rescue for injured or orphaned wildlife) and describe the symptoms, all of them, and it would help to start a routine that you document for the next few weeks too. you know walk the dog in the morning, then make sure he eats his chicken, drinks water, poops and peeps and all appears normal, do not get the flea meds that they put on the back (the drops) and you can get rid of fleas easily. get the organic spray, for inside the house.
First vaccuum all of the carpeted areas well, empty and throw the bag out in the trash can, spray all carpeting with the spray, get a product called seven dust and put the dust on the parameter of your yard from the outside, it wont hurt anything but the fleas and other bugs, put it around the house more by the doors, and the fence, then sprinkle it lightly all over the yard. put out white sheets on the floor and see if any fleas show up, they like the white... if so, do that entire routine again. Wash dog in the sink with Dawn liquid (kills fleas on contact) rinse and dry dog totally. wait five to seven days in case of eggs surviving and do it again. that should take care of the problem permantently.
dont let other people bring their dogs into your home. if they may have fleas or anything else.
good luck, please come back and let us know how the dog does. The seizure meds from the homeopathic professional could actually cure the problem for good.
BL | |
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 2/25/2007 2:29:04 AM | Thank You, TTicker, Lady678, sugarbandit, goodtobe50, betterlate.
I can not believe the answers I've gotten in 10 days. God bless all of you.
I truly hope all of you find your mate for life.
Because, if you have the heart to worry about one of God's creatures, then you deserve someone's heart that is just as caring.
When he had his first attack, I was supportive, afterwards I was heartbroken.
I was not surprised when the Vet told me he was having seizures. However once he confirmed my suspicions and gave me medicine for it I went on line. Every site I found for dogs only gave me a link to human sites. The sites also told me the medicine may cause liver failure. Yahoo gave me numerous sites. Now I have one directly for dogs because of your answers.
And God Bless POF for this site. If it wasn't for this site I would still be sitting in the dark.
I will try the solid gold food if they carry that here.
I talked to the breeder yesterday. They haven't had any previous problems.
He ate grapes and avocados with me within the last 2 days. It is to late to give him a tablespoon of Hydrogen Peroxide now to induce vomiting, but I will remember not to let him eat that in the future.
I will be back to let you know how he is doing. Please realize though that his attacks are not monthly.
With the info given here, you may want to copy, cut, print so you may keep or vets up to date.
Once again my Prayers go out to you on finding a mate of your dreams. My buddy, is my pride and Joy. Thank You.
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 2/25/2007 4:06:59 AM | | First on the ear infections...I had a pitbull that got them all the time. My vet had me give him an antihistamine...his was due to allergies..one flea on the fella or playing in the grass would set it off. As far as the seizures go all meds have some side effect but if my child were having seizures I would surely give him the medication so why wouldnt I give it too my sweet best friend. | |
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 3/17/2007 1:12:17 PM | Alarming news for pet owners. Pet food causes throwing up and kidney failure - leading to death.
I feed my buddy Purina Puppy Chow with this ingredient called DHA.
Now it makes me wonder if that is the contributing factor.
60 million containers of pet food recalled - Pet Health - MSNBC.com
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17650075/
Cheers,
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 3/17/2007 2:19:13 PM | Alarming news for pet owners. Pet food causes throwing up and kidney failure - leading to death.
I feed my buddy Purina Puppy Chow with this ingredient called DHA.
Now it makes me wonder if that is the contributing factor.
60 million containers of pet food recalled - Pet Health - MSNBC.com
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17650075/
Cheers,
Quality food such as Science Diet cost more,but approved by Vets. All the store bought food is marginal at best. Go with quality not savings..... | |
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 3/20/2007 7:52:56 PM | i hope your dog is doing well.
i wanted to add a few things.
if the q-tips scare you you should use cotton balls. and NEVER use water or hydrogen peroxide in the ears.
use instead rubbing alcohol. if you get any that drips inside it evaporates immediately.
this is how we clean horse ears - though with soft cloths instead of cotton balls.
dachsunds and other floppy eared dogs have big problems with chronic ear infections, so i wouldn't depend on it
being connected to the seizure thing.
also, small breeds like the chihuahua, mini breeds, and the dachsund (sp?) will have more health issues that normal size breeds.
did you say if he's a mini dachsund or a regular size?
good luck with you and your "kid" :)
just want to add, i am not a vet or certified or anything like that. just my experience and POV.
lisa | |
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 3/21/2007 9:24:13 PM | The recall was only on canned varieties of these foods. As for the ears use cotton balls or a soft cloth not que tips. Alcohol is the best to clean the ears with. I volunteer with a local humane society and am also the medical director for this society. We tell all our fosters to clean the ears with cotton balls and alcohol. As for the seizures there is no explanation for why some dogs/cats have them. I have a foster dog who has seizures who is on meds daily. She lives a normal life except for her spells as we call them. It is very scary to see a pet (child) go through these but you are doing right by comforting the animal during its time of need.
Good luck and best wishes. | |
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 4/8/2008 8:00:34 PM | My First Love,
I am so sorry about what you and your dog are going through. I am a Registered Veterinary Technician with TVMA. I keep up my continuing education but I haven't worked in a clinic for several years. Maybe you'll find some of this information helpful.
1. I do not believe seizures are regional; however, in practice, you find that a particular breed in the area will be prone to the same diseases, etc. This is due to them frequently being related. For example, one person in a town starts breeding****r spaniels. No one else has them, they grow in popularity, some puppy buyers decide to start breeding too. It just works out that you get a town full of distantly related dogs.
2. I do not remember ever hearing that seizure dogs stop breathing. The tensing of all muscles would cause the inability to witness movement in the ribcage in my opinion. Have you tried holding a mirror in front of the snout?
3. I do not believe seizures and ear infection/inflammation are related. The med the vet gave you is a combination antibiotic, antifungal (for yeast), and I think the third is a steroid. Yeast and bacteria love moist, dark places so this is common. The steroid will sooth the irritation.
4. Human ear canals are horizontal while the canine ear canal is an L shape. Personally, I only use a Qtip dipped in alcohol (rubbing, not vodka) to clean the visible folds at the base of the ear. I never put one inside the ear. For normal ear maintenance, I soak a cotton ball in alcohol, hold it between my thumb and index, and rub, rub in their ears, just inside the base. This removes any gunky stuff, and the alcohol drips down the canal to help dry it. My dogs LOVE this! They stand for it, make a deep groan and kick a back leg like you found the good scratch spot on their tummy. NOTE: Only do this if they have not been scratching in the ear. Otherwise, you will have to go get them from the next county.
5. I don't give my dogs fruit, and I can't remember any that are toxic to dogs. I think the fructose would be bad for their teeth and bowels, but that is the case with most table food. I do give mine carrots and lettuce for treats. Their favorite part of iceberg lettuce is the hard white interior.
6. All of the seizure dogs I have worked with were on phenobarb. The rule was if they were having a seizure, we did not handle them. That was for their safety as well as ours. We would put bells on their collar to alert us if they went into a seizure while in the hospital for monitoring. I have never seen a dog have a seizure. That indicates to me that the phenobarb worked in those cases.
7. The kidneys and liver are the body's filters. Anything you take in will be filtered through them. Lots of filtering can lead to overworked kidneys. You could ask your vet to run kidney function tests on a regular basis.
Regarding fleas: The flea life cycle is such that you need to treat the entire environment and the pet on the same day, wait two weeks, repeat, wait two weeks, and repeat again. That will do it. If you take the pet to be professionally deflead, do not forget to treat the car before picking them up. If you use a fogger to treat the house, you will still need to use a spray underneath the furniture and bed, where a fogger doesn't go.
Good luck!
Texas Fish | |
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 4/10/2008 6:54:50 PM | About 30 years ago I had several cats and one went into seizures. Naturally I thought bird bone or something logical.
The local vets (Huntsville Texas) couldn't get a handle on it as the pet was in seizures totally - not just on one side, which indicates an injury to the opposite side.
One suggested I take the cat to A&M vet school; so I called them up. They agreed to look at the cat, free for the donation of the body if the cat didn't make it.
The cat died.
However, they determined that the little boy had developed a blockage of sand in his little nether region (We DID have sandy loma at the house).
He was poisoning on his inability to pee.
And my reason for telling you this story:
Thankfully the local vets acknowledged that it wasn't a situation they were familiar with, and were honest with me; referring me to others.
Something I strongly wish MY human being MD's would do. | |
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 4/11/2008 8:42:20 PM | | Grapes are poisonous to dogs. Do not give any dogs grapes. Onions are bad for dogs too. I do not know about the other fruit/melon you mentioned, you may want to call a vet just over the phone to ask. I personally believe that the ear controls the equilibrium of the dog, which would mean their ability to balance. I have been told by a vet that this does not effect siezures. I have been advised that regular old benadryl is good for a dog who has siezures. I do not know why or what amount to give a dachsund. I know you dog is like your baby, I too love my pets very dearly and think of them as family. Especially when you sign them in at the vets office using their first name and your last name. There is a very good book written by a veterinarian on ailments and cures for cats and dogs, I do not know the name of it but I do know they carry this book at Borders book store. You might go have a look and check to see what the book says about siezures. I feel bad that I cannot be of more help to you, a fellow animal lover, Mary Lee | |
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 4/12/2008 9:31:59 PM | | Honestly... I always wondered about the dogs and chocolate thing.. but I do feel in my heart that Milk Duds is what took my Osa's life.. that and some one else's laziness.. I miss her alot.. it didnt take much.. she was a 110lb Rottie....she just thought she was a 10 lb lap doggie! RIP Osa! | |
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 4/15/2008 12:56:53 AM | Seizures are the result of muscle responses to an abnormal nerve-signal burst from the brain. They're a symptom of an underlying neurological dysfunction. Toxic substances, metabolic or electrolyte abnormalities and/or imbalances cause an uncoordinated firing of neurons in the cerebrum of the brain, creating seizures from mild "petit mal" to severe "grand mal."
Just like in diabetic humans, seizures are part of the symptoms, check out this article on Postexercise late-onset hypoglycemia in insulin-dependent diabetic patients
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/10/5/584
Fruits contain sugar & if he's diabetic they could be hurting him even more than just toxicity(as with grapes & raisins)
As for the fleas, boric acid powder will control them in the carpets & when mixed with boiling water & then cooled makes a good eye & ear wash
Good luck & hope you get some answers quickly  | |
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| Question for Texas or Veterinarian on dogs with seizures
Posted: 4/19/2008 12:43:18 PM | We have a Dachshund also when we got her that very afternoon she had a seizure also.Hers were so bad she would completely stop breathing.All I knew to do because I was new to having her and hadn't been to a vet with her yet,was to make sure she did not swallow her tounge.I was outside so I had to use my whole had to put in her mouth to keep toung down.yes she normally bit down on it from pressure of seizure,but i didnt care.When I got her out of it to the vet we went.They to did the blood test and all and the scaring in her throat showed she had then for a while.But any ways we got the meds like you and we have her on it still today,It may have to be regualted by more blood test to make sure she gets right amounts.It has not seemed to cause her any kidney problems,There has not been any blood in her urine or any color change to sugest any problems.I have noticed that if she gets to hot or runs arround to much she goes into some small seizure type of breathing hackling noises,where she dont go full into a seizure but she breathes real hard.I just pat her on chect and rub her throat and talk to her till she out of it.I do not let her run arround much or be out side much ata a time and i am there to watch her so she does not over exert herself.This moisture heat does a number on us People as big as we are and cause us great allergy problems,imagine the little animals trying to cope as us big grown ups do.It harder for them because they have smaller inside.When she use to go into full blown seizures she would not respomd to me or my voice.like she was in a trance.So if your dog gets very alonish or quiet try to make it come back to realness.That may help keep them from going into a seizure.Also keep them cooled.I keep a fan on floor to keep good air flow.When out side make sure they go at it slow and easy.Not to beath in the outside air to quick.That is what I do to minimize the attacks with mine.Cricket is alot better now and does not go into much seizures at all.But she does if over do it have a breathing attack.As for the Ears our little Applehead Chuhuaha hd a very bad one in both ears.There was alot of Black stuff build up with the wax in ear.I have taken Q-tips and cleaned and cleaned.That was not helping.So I took believe it or not(Aquaphor)healing ointment made by Eucerin and I put it on my finger and out into ear conal and I rubbed it all in and I left in in over night and the next day the oilyness of it had loosened all the balck stuff and I cleaned it all out with Q-tips and then bathed him and he is now doing great.I havent had to repeat it yet,but will if any more starts to build up.Greasy ointment will remove the greasy wax and all in ears.When wax is removed it takes the other stuff with it.I hope this is a help.Im not saying for you to use it but it did help me with my dog. | |
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