register for free
View our sister sites
Our sister sites
Our sister sites
Our sister sites
celli
Dogsey Senior
celli is offline  
Location: United Kingdom Fife
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 521
Female 
 
25-02-2012, 12:40 PM

Seizures and possible brain tumour

Hi
I'm posting in the hope there's someone else out there that has had a similar experience with their dog.

My 10 yro SBT Spud recently started to have small grand mal seizures, in the first week these were confined to happening in the car but in the second week he has had 3 in the house. He has been on Epiphen for 8 days so still early days.

After full blood, urine and blood pressure tests ( all very normal ) the vet thinks the most likely cause to be a brain tumour, although obviously without an MRI he can't know for sure. Spud is insured but I've decided not to put him through extensive tests as they may show nothing and even if they did I wouldn't put a 10 year old through major cranial surgery.
The fits themselves are very small, confined to jaw champing, turning one circle and very occasional loss of bladder control, he seems to bounce back after the fit within 10 minutes and isn't distressed or disorientated at all, neither does he have any other symptoms such as tremors or head tilt. I've been told that the milder the symptoms the better chance there is of him living with his condition so I'm still hopeful.
I've started him on ( hopefully ) tumour reducing supplements ( selenium, vits ABCE, arginine and some enzymes ) he is also on a raw diet with the occasional meal of Orijen.

Any experiences ( good or bad ) or general thoughts would be greatly appreciated

Jane
Reply With Quote
Brandykins
Fondly Remembered
Brandykins is offline  
Location: Renfrewshire, Scotland
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 8,857
Female 
 
25-02-2012, 12:51 PM
Aw so sorry to hear that. My Loki suffers from the Grand Mal fits and has done so since before her 1st birthday. She is now 6 years old. She is on 2 x 60 mgs of Epiphen and 1 10 mg Potassium Bromide tablets in the morning and the same in the evenings.

I have to say that her fits now are not nearly as bad as they were a couple of years ago, in fact, she went 1 year and 8 months with them, then took them last August but only 6 over 2 days (in the past she's had 39 in two days!). She had 7 just two weeks ago but they are not nearly as bad.

The Epiphen and Potassium Bromide had helped her and I am sure, once the Epiphen is in her blood, your dog will be helped.

Hope the meds for the brain tumour works - I am sure they will.

Big hugs to him from me and doggy licks from Loki xx
Reply With Quote
celli
Dogsey Senior
celli is offline  
Location: United Kingdom Fife
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 521
Female 
 
25-02-2012, 01:13 PM
Thanks so much for the good thought Loki

How did you cope with 39 fits in one day !? I think I'd have needed medication myself after such a trauma. Hope your dog remains fit free
Reply With Quote
Mazza
Dogsey Senior
Mazza is offline  
Location: Redcar.uk
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 935
Female 
 
25-02-2012, 02:35 PM
My boy was 11 years old when he started having odd blank episodes, I would enter the room and he acted strange as though he didn't know me, so hard to explain,not exactly growling but muttering. It would last only a minute and I thought it was the start of dementia or the fact that he was almost deaf and had poor eyesight. One day his balance was very poor and I took him straight to the vet and he diagnosed what I feared and said was certain it was a brain tumour. He was put on medication and appeared to pick up but sadly he died three days later in my arms, no sign of any pain or distress. It was a shock to me and my vet. Ironically I got a pup a few months later and I could tell by the similar gait that something was wrong with his brain but numerous vets said it was HD and thought I was neurotic!! Eventually a brain scan proved this to be true,he has a mass covering more than half his brain, they couldn't do anything for him and the outlook was poor. I still have him a year on and he has a near normal life. They were suprised to hear he had never had a siezure and to expect them but so far so good.. I hope the medication works for Spud, I know only too well what a worry it is.
Reply With Quote
celli
Dogsey Senior
celli is offline  
Location: United Kingdom Fife
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 521
Female 
 
25-02-2012, 02:56 PM
Very sorry to hear your experience brophy, seems very unfair that your pup should have a tumour at such a young age . I know a couple of people who's dogs have brain tumours and they've gone on to live normal or near normal lives, I've even met one who's head is distorted by the tumour and yet he's in no pain and has a normal life.
Reply With Quote
cava14una
Dogsey Veteran
cava14una is offline  
Location: Fife Scotland
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,946
Female 
 
25-02-2012, 04:02 PM
No experience just wanted to say hello and hope you get some help
Reply With Quote
3dognight
Dogsey Veteran
3dognight is offline  
Location: Canada
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,536
Male 
 
25-02-2012, 05:41 PM
hello there iv got a pal who is going through this now, the dog is 8 and and he was having them every day ,the vet said the same as yours/.m wife is a pharmacist and they despence potassium bromide for dogs who do this .its working for my friends dog.i fit every 2 months as opposed to lots in 1 week....please ask your vet about the meds i mentioned here, im not one! and hope i got the name right.good luck to you and your pup...
Reply With Quote
Lucky Star
Dogsey Veteran
Lucky Star is offline  
Location: Usually in a muddy field somewhere
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 20,145
Female 
 
25-02-2012, 07:18 PM
Hi there

No experience of a brain tumour but my Loki, like Rose's Loki, has the full blown seizures. He is currently on potassium bromide alone, with rectal diazepam and now Keppra for when he clusters.

I'm sorry your dog has started having seizures and I hope the diet and epiphen work. It can take up to two weeks to become fully effective and he will need blood tests to monitor the levels.
Reply With Quote
celli
Dogsey Senior
celli is offline  
Location: United Kingdom Fife
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 521
Female 
 
25-02-2012, 09:20 PM
I have read about bromide being used in conjunction with Epiphen and it's certainly something I'll look into if the Epiphen on it's own doesn't work.
In the mean time Spud's his usual self, wanting all the attention and determined to have as much fun as an old boy can.

[IMG][/IMG] My boy spud
Reply With Quote
Lucky Star
Dogsey Veteran
Lucky Star is offline  
Location: Usually in a muddy field somewhere
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 20,145
Female 
 
26-02-2012, 06:51 PM
Oh he is lovely. What a lovely expression!
Reply With Quote
Reply
Page 1 of 2 1 2 >


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Seizures Possible Brain Tumor (Threads merged ) freckles211 Dog Health 47 21-01-2009 11:46 PM
Slipped Disc or Brain Tumour freckles211 Dog Health 13 21-05-2008 07:10 AM
Aggression due to brain tumour - or is it? Deccy Dog Health 15 19-04-2007 02:57 PM
Really worried... unwell dog (possible brain tumour) not eating, vomiting Gail Dog Health 32 24-01-2006 07:11 PM
Brain tumour or epilepsy? (what to expect of a dog diagnosed with brain tumour?) Gail Dog Health 2 29-12-2005 07:42 PM

© Copyright 2016, Dogsey   Contact Us - Dogsey - Top Contact us | Archive | Privacy | Terms of use | Top