Gosh - I have just read through all of this and am horrified of what you have had to face on your own!

Poor Ace clearly has something major going on, and I think you handled it brilliantly - despite having no back up from the vets you dealt with I would definitely be looking to get another vet, and have them run a series of simple blood tests to see if it flags up a major brain problem.

It is entirely your choice, but I think if he were my dog I would want to find out exactly what the problem was before going down the route of pts

However, as has been pointed out, you also have to make sure that the children, other dogs and yourself are safe if he does suffer another episode.

What an awful situation for you.

Just caught up on thsi thread, so upset for you that you got such a lack of support, your vet sounds like an idiot!! Very difficult decisions will be thinking of you xx

what a horrible situation to be in i cant even imagine what it must have been like for you today.

As for the vet i would really want more information and test ect before pts as your dog seams quite well now, but definatly need some safety measures. I know it sounds horrid but would you consider a catch pole so you can atleast get him and move him to a safe area without getting close enough to be bitten.

I hope you manage to find a solution

In a seizure the dog jerks and writhes. He does not dash round biting things.
The only one who is in danger of being bitten is the person who is close enough to get their hand in his mouth as he`s lying there. Or decides to cuddle him better before he`s recovered. The dog is in more danger of biting his tongue than onlookers.
Afterwards he needs to be left alone to recover. Shut the door of the room he`s in and leave him alone.
What I used to do was stand there till it finished then throw a towel over him and make sure the other dogs etc left him alone till he came round. He is disoriented for a while and needs to be left alone.
This is the same dog as yesterday. Epilepsy is manageable.
Change your vet.

Do you know what triggered it? Was the dog too hot? Is he ill? Has he eaten something toxic?

Not always---it is very frightening to watch a dog out of its head trying to kill anything in sight. I was lucky that I managed to get out of the room with all the dogs when it happened at night. No way could you have calmed him or cuddled him. Like people they all come out differently.

I spent the next day in tears on and off trying to work out how I could possibly risk it and deal with it.

Luckily I tried epiphem and it seems to have worked---it was not 'normal' epilepsy as such and it happened usually when he was awake and running.

I make sure he is always with me and I don't leave him in the car or when I am having a bath---although TBH if it was going to happen again it could be when I was in the loo! I did stop competing with him and I don't think about it now when I am walking them----although it could happen I suppose----5 years he has been clear.

If I had had children I would never have risked it, not seeing how bad he was afterwards.

It is an awful situation and as has been said all anyone can do is what they feel is best for them and the people/animals around them.

rune

Depends on the seizure. One dog I knew was diagnosed epileptic after several episodes of seemingly random aggressive behaviour where he'd suddenly leap up out of what appeared to be a deep sleep and bite anyone and anything near him. There was no twitching, jerking or anything. Once medicated the episodes stopped completely.

To me it sounds like the aggression in this case was during the post ictal stage though which certainly isn't unheard of.

This is what happened to my mother's dog, she would just go for you.

the presentation is very different in individual dogs.

as it is in people.

I feel just awful for you, that must have been terrible to witness.

While I think the vet is being premature in not even offering you any diagnostics, I can kind of see where he is coming from.

Onset of idiopathic epilepsy (where there is nothing sinister going on underlying) is between 2-6 years of age most of the time. Acute onset seizures, especially violent ones like Ace is having, in a dog over age 10 almost always means something quite sinister, like a brain tumor or similar. I would imagine your vet is simply trying to save your resources, or your having to go through another event like he had. Again, I think bloodwork at the very least should have been offered. But if its a brain problem, chances are his labs look completely normal.

I hope that he never has another episode, but do watch him for other neurological changes, the personality changes, wobby gait, any getting lost in rooms, pressing his head against walls. circling, etc. Would point to some kind of brain disease.

Nothing to add except to say whatever Ace's fate, YOU are the one to make the decision, not the vet.

Huge hugs coming your way honey - it's a ghastly situation to be in, and I really feel for you.....

x0x

Did you take him to the same vet you took him to for the needle biopsy's of that lump? Have you had the results back yet? and did you inform them of the changes in behaviour lately as you mentioned in a previous thread?