Hi Ceiron

My Loki has started to have fits - it's terrible watching the little dog you love go through that and there is little you can do. Typically he collapses, his body goes rigid, his legs start paddling, jaws moving, foaming at the mouth and sometimes they scream. It lasts less than a minute but seems to last forever. Afterwards, he is blind and disorientated for a while, pacing, panting, starving hungry, hot, thirsty and seeking reassurance.

The vets should do a blood test to eliminate any metabolic problems. If this is fine they put it down to idiopathic epilepsy (which means they don't know the cause) or a reaction to some toxin. More than one seizure in a small period of time is known as a cluster.

The treatment is typically phenobarbital, (and sometimes potassium bromide too) which is a very powerful drug that acts like a sedative - it can also have a nasty effect on the liver and kidneys so the dose needs to be carefully monitored.

You can try eliminating anything processed from his diet, particularly preservatives such as BHT which is found in processed dog food. Supplementation with vitamin C, B complex and possibly taurine might be helpful. Bach Flower Rescue Remedy may help with calming him down and you should stay calm and reassuring when it happens.

Could he have ingested something toxic which may have brought it on? Also thyroid problems can cause fits so this may be worth looking at too. Does he seem out of condition, lethargic at all?

There is some talk of a ketogenic diet which may help in humans but isn't really confirmed in dogs. This is high fat, low carb, cf Atkins diet in humans.

For now the best thing you can do is to reassure the dog and try to keep him calm. He will probably be very tired, thirsty and hungry so you should give him food. Honey may help as it raises the blood sugar so if low blood sugar caused it, this should help. Honey also has some amino acids which may help. Make sure he doesn't get too hot - a fit can leave them very hot, so you should cool him down with cool towels etc. Also after a fit they may be blind for a while, so ensure he doesn't hurt himself when he's trying to pace around.

If hypoglycemia is the cause of the fit (low blood sugar) - a little and often approach to his diet might help. This involves giving him snacks, for instance:

7:00 AM Breakfast - high quality dry food or home cooked meal
11:00 AM Snack - see suggestions below
3:00 PM Snack
7:00 PM Dinner - high quality dry food or home cooked meal
11:00 PM Snack -- this should be a high protein, high carbohydrate snack. For example, two plain rice cakes with peanut butter in the middle, egg and toast, chicken and brown rice, etc.

Snack Suggestions:

Celery

Carrots

Apples

Pears

Bran crackers

Rice cakes

Peaches

Hard Boiled eggs

Scrambled eggs

Oatmeal

Low sodium saltine crackers with peanut butter

Cottage cheese

Plain yogurt

Homemade meatballs

Chicken


The goal is not to put weight on your pet, but to balance out the body, stabilize the blood sugar level and ultimately control the seizures.

http://www.purelypets.com/articles/epilepsyarticle.htm

I hope the vet can help you.

Also see these articles:

http://www.dogweb.co.uk/talkdogs/liv...psy_14937.html

http://www.drschoen.com/articles_L2_14_.html

http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/overview.html

Awww ceiron I hope he is going to be just fine, he sounds like such a lovely dog and you are doing so well with him Best wishes...I'll pray that he is going to be ok He really deserves this second chance with you. Give him lots of hugs from me ok xx

Ceiron, I am so sorry to hear what you are going through.

I have never had experience of seizures, nevertheless am very upset to hear of what has happened.

I do hope things have improved, please let us know.

Best wishes xxx

Good luck at the vets, I really hope Oscar will be ok.

Morning Ceiron - how is Oscar today? Did you and he manage to get some rest? Hope you get on at the vets ok and they can shed some light on your and Oscar's very frightening experience. {{{Hugs}}} to you both. Keep us posted xx

Hopefully it will be a 'one off'. There are many causes of fits and since he had diarrhoea it is possible its a virus and he had a high temp. Another cause could be too much protein - the list is endless and only a vet can really advise you. They are controllable with drugs. The poor dog has had a lot of stress recently, losing his owners after 10 years, then being passed to 2 or 3 different people - this would have lowered his resistance and as he was under weight and not vaccinated he would be very vulnerable.

Lets hope it is just a virus and won't happen again. The other signs you mentioned are just typical after effects of a fit. Good Luck.

Seizures are very frightening

If he is diagnosed as epileptic this Dogweb article may give you some help and the reassurance that your dog can live a long, happy and active life: http://www.dogweb.co.uk/talkdogs/liv...psy_14937.html

Hi

I'm sorry to hear this it must have been so frightening

I'm on an american labradorsite.. There's a few labs there with epilepsy.. And I must say.. reading your post of his seizure sounds alot like that...

But dont panic.

Get Oscar to a vet and have hin thoroughly checked over..

I know that when they have an attack the owner goes to them, holds them and just keep them calm till they are back.. Just talking softly to them and stroking them...

thanks guys, just back rom the vets, dont feel like i have slept but he did.lol

he seesm aparently healthy bar the fit and diarohea (still dunno how to spell it.lol)

they have taken bloods and so am waiting on that.

his dirahoea is getting worse though and its looking weird too, is a really reddish brown, kinda like when someones sick due to kidney damage :S

so am thinking the worse :S

what i wouldnt give to know nothing soemtimes.lol

not sure what to do for the diarohea either realy, been ver 24hrs now and its worse now, any help please ?