My poor dog

hi im new, my dog has recently been diagnosed as having suspected epilepsy but im at a loss at whats really going on with him.hes not been very well for a while keeps getting a high temperture and genually under the weather, hes also been neutured recently.
my dog is 21 months old and has always been a real softy but since he has been neutured its like i have a different dog.he keeps having these strange episodes where for a few hours hes really odd, hiding, sitting on my feet really leaning on me, heads low, pacing,blocking doors etcthen he starts frantic barking then suddenly he will jump up start snapping and snarling, the first time he did it he bit my 18 year old daughter as she touched him trying to calm him down. hes also had a few more episodes of this strange behaviour similar kind of thing but hes not bitten as we have put him somewhere quiet.
the vet is convinced that its the build up to epilepsy and hes on medication, from what i have been told he might start to have twitches then go on to have fits. i have watched him and the snapping and snarling lasts for about 30 seconds then he lays down and ive seen his whole head jolt forward,then he sleeps and is then very quiet for the next few hours.
im really concerned about my dog and even more concerned how we are going to manage him if this continues, i have read up on this condition but i cant find anything about this snapping and snarling, i hate to say this but im starting to be really wary of him.

Hello Mariasmutt, welcome to Dogsey.
Poor you this must be a worry.
Have you consulted the vet about these new symptoms? Is he on any medication that might need adjusting?

I haven't really got any advice but I wish you well.

May I ask a few questions?

What breed is he?
What meds has your vet prescribed?

My Border Collie "Snorri" was severely epileptic, but didn't exhibit any of the symptoms you describe - he always went straight into the grand mal siezures. Take a look at the articles section of the Dogsey board: there's an article there on epilepsy (I wrote it ) with some links to epilepsy sites. You might find them useful.

(Snorri-dog has passed on now, but I assure you it wasn't epilepsy that killed him.)


Snorri

thankyou for your welcome, yes the vets seeing him regular at the moment and im having to keep a diary of whats happening and i can up his med if i need to but hes only been on it for 3 days so im waiting to see how he gets on first.

Hi snorri im really sorry you have lost your dog. My dog is a lab/collie/staff cross.at the monent hes only on med to keep him calm till a full fit occurs.After these episodes he is very distant and does not appear to hear me, this is all new so i really dont know much about the condition so i will take a good look at your article and links you have provided.

Seizures (fits) can take all manner of forms, so it could well be epilepsy rearing its ugly head. Hes about the right age for it. Speaking as someone who has fits herself, he isn't snapping/snarling out of meaness, or agression, its likely fear. The period of time before (during of course) and after a seizure are very confusing and uncertain, especially to a dog with limited ability to reason or rationalize things.

So sorry to read this. One of my dogs had epilepsy, but it was very mild.

I hope your vet can sort it out - please persevere for the poor lad x

do you have any update at all?

i tend to go along with this, i have a friend who had a staffy that started fitting and he told me that she once bit him, but it was following a fit, i spoke with him about this post & his opinion was the dog had a fit previous to the biting otherwise wouldnt have done it..as you say, fear, confused etc. his staffy was put on medication and once the balance was settled the fits became less frequent, this post struck a chord with me because i remember his dog acting in similar ways to the posters ie pacing etc. i am interested in an update to see how things have gone.

Staffords can sometimes sufer with a condition called L2Hga
L-2-Hydroxyglutaric aciduria
L-2-HGA (L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria) in Staffordshire Bull Terriers is a neurometabolic disorder characterised by elevated levels of L-2-hydroxyglutaric acid in urine, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. L-2-hydroxyglutarate is normally metabolised to a-ketoglutarate but in affected dogs it is not, and builds up in the body with devastating results. L-2-HGA affects the central nervous system, with clinical signs usually apparent between 6 months and one year (although they can appear later). Symptoms include epileptic seizures, "wobbly" gait, tremors, muscle stiffness as a result of exercise or excitement and altered behavior

Although both parents would need to be carriers for your dog to be affected, not so common in cross breeds unless closely related.