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Epilepsy

wow- thanks for that info. we will definitely have a bag of ice on standby now.
we had been using a towel soaked in cold water to help keep macys temp down but those are good results and good news! cl*p
 
That's a very interesting and helpful article Kate. Thank you so much for sharing.

My boy Little Joe has been epileptic since he was a very young puppy. He has been examined and MRI scanned by a specialist neurologist, who told me (as if I didn't know already!), that his illness is stress and fear related, with no neurological fault discernable on examination.

Almost every fit he has ever had has taken place outside the home; therefore I have probably prevented many by making him a home based dog, only to be taken out when necessary, resulting in no fits for over 2 years.

He had a check-up recently. As he has been fit free for so long, the neurologist suggested that it's time for some confidence building. She suggested exhibiting him at one or two small, local shows to see how he gets on.

I chose the wrong one for 'small' for his first outing, as it was crowded and noisy, but he enjoyed his moment of fame in the ring and receiving a rosette. When it came to lunch time I thought a short walk might take him a step further towards normality, but we only went a few yards along the driveway before he took fright and fitted for four minutes.

One of the other exhibitors had a 'Stroller' buggy for sale, which I decided to purchase for Joe. As soon as he went in it Joe became a different dog. He absolutely beamed at me. I took him around the hall, then outside and he loved it, especially the fuss he got from other people. Going home on the bus was no longer an ordeal for him, neither was walking on a lead. :lol:

:updte:Joe has been to a couple more shows since then, and has had several 'walks' to and from the shops, which he has thoroughly enjoyed, now feeling safe inside his own space. On Saturday I took him to a small Limit show, in which I entered him in 4 classes and myself in the 60+ handling class. He revelled in the applause when he got 3 firsts and a second. I'm afraid I let the side down because I could only manage a fourth. :mona:

Kate, I'm starting to believe that there is a lot of hope out there for dogs who suffer from this disease. Perhaps we should be more open minded in finding solutions to their problems. I will keep a suitable ice pack in the freezer from now on, because, after all, you never know.
 
From reading other people's posts, I've picked up that there is epilepsy which is hereditary in origin, and epilepsy which originates within the dog itself - perhaps from fear like your Joe, where the fit is really the brain saying 'I can't cope with this, I'm going to shut down'. It's so easy to forget how small Cavaliers are, especially as puppies, and crowds must seem terrifying to them. My small B/T was hand shy his entire life, because people wouldn't get down to his level when he first started going out and about as a puppy - they bent over him and must have seemed like trees about to crash on him. I'm so glad Joe is enjoying his outings in his buggy - they're great inventions! Perhaps you could put a cool box with ice in it in the shopping tray underneath - though it sounds as if he's not likely to need it!:lol:

Kate, Oliver and Aled
 
Kate H said:
I know some people on the forum have Cavaliers with epilepsy, so thought they might find this article interesting, if they haven't already come across it - it was posted on my obedience forum, where, of course, a lot of border collies have the disease.

http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/icepack.htm
Click to expand...
The Canine Epilepsy Network has been a godsend for me with Clancy. His is idiopathic, meaning of unknown origin, but is likely genetic. His first grand mal seizure occurred at the age of 3. They were infrequent until age 6, and when he began having cluster seizures, we put him on medication. Phenobarbital caused liver problems, but potassium bromide bought us 51 straight weeks seizure free. He began again in January of this year, having single grand mals every 3 weeks or so. We decided to consult a neurologist to manage his care rather than just continuing on with his regular vet. A new medication (Zonisamide) was added to his regimen. He had one sizure nine days after starting, and another 5 weeks after that.

We're going in tomorrow for his follow-up appointment. I can live with single seizures every month or so, but the clusters were awfully frightening. They always happen when he is sleeping, usually in the middle of the night. With the nearest ER half an hour away, I want the best control we can get of his condition.
 
Possible Epilepsy

"My boy Little Joe has been epileptic since he was a very young puppy. He has been examined and MRI scanned by a specialist neurologist, who told me (as if I didn't know already!), that his illness is stress and fear related, with no neurological fault discernable on examination."
Click to expand...


Hi there! I have been searching the forums for discussions of epilepsy as it is a concern for my puppy, too, and your message was the first I saw that mentioned a "very young puppy" with epilepsy. I have a 13 week old pup and she has recently had a few seizures and I keep hearing from several vets that epilepsy is very rare in a puppy so young and that it's so hard to diagnose (we've already been through a round of tests to rule out liver shunts, etc and the MRI is up next). So anyway, I was just wondering how long it took for you to get a diagnosis and if your dog was treated at a young age (we've also heard that she is too young for medicine).
 
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