StephDRebel
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,664 
Location: Ohio
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Post by StephDRebel on Dec 2, 2020 17:50:27 GMT
Over the weekend our 12 y/o blue heeler had a couple of accidents before he got to the yard and I noticed some ear drainage and decided to call Monday to make an appointment. Sunday he sneezed really hard and then had a seizure for about 5 minutes or so. He lost all muscle control and when stopped seizing we cleaned him up with washclothes, snuggled him up with his blanket and rushed to call the emergency vet clinics. They all had a 5+ hour wait and it was an hour drive so we were trying to figure out which would be able to see him the quickest when his regular vet called back and said that they would likely just watch him overnight. While i was on the phone, he came back around and started walking around the house. We made the decision with his vet to watch him overnight and to take him to her office Monday morning.
His bloodwork was good, he doesn't have any eyes so the testing was limited for tumors/responses/etc but they confirmed that he does have an ear infection and said his thyroid was low. We started him on drops, thyroid meds and a med for the infection and they were hopeful that it would prevent any other seizures.
Last night, it happened again. He was walking to his fur by the fireplace and just fell over, seized longer and harder than the first time, lost his bowels and bladder again and we did the same thing--- cleaned him up, snuggled with him until he came to (about twice as long this time) and then followed him around the house for 2+ hours until he was ready to settle in again.
Called the vet and they're going to go ahead and start him on seizure meds but they said from what they can see he's really healthy for his age.
Right now, aside from the massive anxiety every time he sneezes or moves he's ok. His back leg will kind of give out every now and then and the only huge problem is that he is struggling to control his bladder. He knows his routines and where everything is. He recognizes my voice and physical touch commands and recognizes the other dogs. For the last 3 days he'll get a drink of water and heads for the door to the garage like usual. He normally rings the bell and lays there while i put my shoes on and then will go down the stairs, through the garage, across the deck, and into the yard to pee. Now he gets water and heads to the door but he's either losing his bladder next to the water bowl, in the garage, or on the deck.
Two things-
1. Clearly we need to contain the pee. Diapers? Belly Band? Do you have experience with a medium sized dog with a lot of pee? Right now, I'm putting a puppy pad under him , pulling the edges up kind of like a sling and guiding him out the door and across the garage and trying to pull the edges up when he starts to go. It's highly ineffective at best. Diapers, belly band, maybe one of the things that you can use in apartments so they can pee inside? Where do I go from here?
2. We have been expecting a decline in health with his age, but this has me freaked out. Right now, he sleeps most of the time and hangs out but what does this look like in a few weeks, months, whatever? Because his blood work is good we're trying meds and hoping that they work but is there chance for a decent recovery? They say he can't feel it when it's happening and that him recognizing routines, people, and pets is a good sign that there isn't permanent brain damage but what do I need to be prepared for? I don't believe at this point that he needs to be put down, but i'm also close enough to the situation that I've got handfuls of pee and I'm worried that we are too close and may be blinded by wanting him to be ok. When we should be considering end of life care, they will tell me...right?
Anything else you have for me will be appreciated- is there anything I need to be aware of? That I should be trying?
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peabay
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,605
Jun 25, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
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Post by peabay on Dec 2, 2020 17:52:23 GMT
My dog had a seizure after we started him on a new flea and tick medication - any chance that's the culprit?
I'm sorry you have to see him suffer like that - they really are members of the family and when they hurt, we hurt.
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sharlag
Drama Llama
I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,574
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Dec 2, 2020 18:08:02 GMT
My 14 year old Dachshund had a few seizures during the last month of her life when she was excited (after a bath, and when I arrived home from work). She recovered within minutes, and showed no sign of lasting effects. Finally, she had one and didn't regain responsiveness. The vet reckoned it was a stroke? or brain issue from which she wouldn't recover, so we put her to sleep.  I *could* have taken her to another vet for further tests to check for brain activity, but due to her age, and the fact that She also had a ongoing mitral valve failure, made it as easy (as making that awful choice could be ... ) for me to decide on euthanasia. You can get reusable belly bands from Amazon that hold a lot of liquid. Just search for that term. I'm sorry you're dealing with this! |
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Post by mnmloveli on Dec 2, 2020 18:57:46 GMT
So sorry your fur baby is having seizures. My Black Lab started having seizures at about 8 and we felt so helpless watching them. He did survive two more years before he passed from something else.
If you are prescribed Phenobarbital, it can be very expensive. A one-month supply in a regular drug store was $600 ! Make sure you shop around. Costco was about $50 !!!
Some dogs can be allergic to Pheonobarbital. My lab was and we had to switch to Keppra.
All seizure medicines can cause weakness in the rear legs and back, which we did see in our lab. But we had to weigh our options between weakness/tiredness vs seizures that could kill him. Like I said above, our lab did last 2 years with no seizures and passed from something else.
One more mention, Pheonobarbital is prescribed in "GRAINS" not milligrams. Ensure you understand what the vet is prescribing so you can double-check the pharmacy prescription. When my lab started on this medication, he was overdosed by a big name pharmacy. When I caught it 4 days into the prescription, reported it and went to pick-up a correct prescription, they did the same thing again !!!!! I was furious. To think they are giving this well-known prescription out to humans was really scary
Praying for your furry loved one.
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Post by Basket1lady on Dec 2, 2020 19:08:12 GMT
Your poor pup! Yes, many dogs do fine on a seizure medication. The issue is the underlying condition, which can be expensive to diagnose. I hope others have better advice for you, but I didn’t want to read and run.
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anniebeth24
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,544
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Post by anniebeth24 on Dec 2, 2020 19:12:06 GMT
In my experience, vets have waited until we asked about end of life options. They were honest and shared their opinions, but not before we initiated the conversation.
Hope you are able to get things figured out.
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inkedup
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,837
Jun 26, 2014 5:00:26 GMT
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Post by inkedup on Dec 2, 2020 19:12:09 GMT
No personal experience, but we have friends whose dog began experiencing cluster seizures in his later years. They worked closely with their vet to keep him medicated. I believe he was on a high dosage of phenobarbital for maintenance and they had a shot in case he clustered and couldn't stop seizing.
It was a lot of work and expense, but they also had a few extra years with their boy.
It is a wonderful thing the way dogs love us, and you are certainly proving you deserve every bit of love that your boy has for you. <3
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Post by christine58 on Dec 2, 2020 19:33:15 GMT
When we should be considering end of life care, they will tell me...right? Our dogs...maybe they do but honestly if his 2nd seizure was worse than the first, I know what I would do. |
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MerryMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,538
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Post by MerryMom on Dec 2, 2020 19:51:55 GMT
Some of the symptoms you described sound similar to our dog years ago, especially with the sudden peeing issue. Our dog never had any accidents. It turned out she had Cushing’s Disease. She went blind within a few weeks which just broke her spirit, so we had her euthanized.
We had another dog who had seizures so he was on low dose of phenobarbital. He lived until he was 13, so he did okay.
If your dog goes on phenobarbital, get it filled at a pharmacy rather than the vet. It was always cheaper. I always called around and got prices from the pharmacies because at times, phenobarbital would have these huge price spikes. I used a lot of discount codes to transfer a prescription, etc.
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scrapngranny
Pearl Clutcher
Only slightly senile
Posts: 4,763
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Post by scrapngranny on Dec 2, 2020 20:06:11 GMT
My border collie had seizures for 4 years before she died, at 14. With your dog’s age, I think it is likely a brain tumor or some neurological issue. There are some meds they can try that might lessen the frequency of the seizures.
The sudden onset and frequency of the seizures doesn’t sound good. My girl started having one every once and awhile to more and more as the time went by. There was nothing we could do about the pee, since we never knew when a seizure would happen. We kept towels handy in the family room, where she usually was. They would happen while she was sleeping or awake.
I’m sorry this is happening to your pup.
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Post by Zee on Dec 2, 2020 20:10:23 GMT
This is so hard but with the seizures worsening and the loss of bladder control, he may be telling you it's time.
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Post by natscraps on Dec 2, 2020 21:22:57 GMT
We had a hound mix. She was around 13 when she had her first seizure. It was Christmas Eve. We came home and found her extremely disoriented with her rear legs not working right. They assumed it was a brain tumor. We had her 3 more months before we put her down. The last few weeks she couldn’t be left home alone. We had her contained to the family room to limit where we had to clean up pee. One day she had a seizure and peed blood. Afterwards she cuddled with me and wouldn’t leave my side (very unusual for her, she was a daddy’s girl and never gave me the time of day unless i had food) At that point we knew it was time. Our vet gave us signs to watch for after the second or third seizure.
Positive thoughts for you and your furbaby
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M in Carolina
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,128
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Post by M in Carolina on Dec 2, 2020 21:39:00 GMT
I also wonder if it's a tumor although the Cushing's disease is definitely worth the tests. My cat started having seizures, and the vet diagnosed that it was something in her brain --she was 18, and the exact diagnosis wouldn't change treatment and tests were very expe, so we don't know if it was a cyst, a type of tumor, or something else. We were able to control the seizures with medication for a few months and spoiled her rotten. She started having more seizures closer together her last day, so we knew it was time.
Some owners get really, really upset if the vet mentions euthanasia, so I have been vocal that I don't want to wait too long. Quality of life is paramount, and I begged the vet to tell me when my pets were no longer enjoying their lives. My vet said that it was a relief to be told exactly what I expected of her, and that I encouraged her exoerise.
I'm not sure it's time yet for your dog. It wouldn't hurt to explore doggie diapers while you experiment with meds and run tests. Since you love so far away from the emergency vet, it might be a good idea to see if the vet will give you a means of euthanasia just in case, so your dog doesn't have to go through an hour car ride while seizing.
I hope it's something that can be treated. Hugs.
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Post by mom2kbs on Dec 3, 2020 1:14:04 GMT
we had a lab mix that had seizures. We couldn't figure out why. She then started leaking urine. We medicated for that. It is a pill two times a day and the bathroom issues stopped. She had seizures every few months and lasted about 2 more years. She ended up with hear failure and we had to put her down. It was devestating. I hope you find a positive solution!
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Post by idahopea on Dec 3, 2020 1:39:40 GMT
There are several threads about dog seizures on here, but I don't know how to link them. I remember responding to them though. We recently had to put our dog down after 2 years of seizures and lots of expensive medications. He was only 6. According our vet, they are very common in golden retrievers. Our dog had good quality of life until the very end. We tried many things as recommendedby our vet. He was on 3 different seizure medications at the end but none were stopping the seizures. CBD oil did not work, an Asian herb did not work, SAME didn't make a difference after a bit, but acupuncture did seem to help. Our vet was training in it and tried it on him. I took him once a week for months, but eventually even that stopped helping. We were lucky we could afford all the different treatments and it was heartbreaking to have to say goodbye but we knew when it was time. I will be thinking about you and your sweet pup!
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StephDRebel
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,664
Location: Ohio
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Post by StephDRebel on Dec 3, 2020 1:55:03 GMT
Thank you. Today a few times he started to shake a little, like a shiver but more a few times and then tonight he had another bigger seizure. Smaller than last night but he was pacing for longer befire he settled. He is one day on antibiotics and they called to say the seizure meds were ready while he was seizing tonight. Im terrified to be home alone with him tomorrow while dh goes to work but the vet is going to call again in the morning. I want to see if the meds will work, but I dont want him to be unhappy or feel unsafe, ever so I think we are going to talk about end of life options and how long we can reasonable expect to see the meds offer some relief and we will go from there. This is terrible. This guy has had a hard, hard life. I dont feel like we've made up for it quite yet. :/  |
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Post by laurasw on Dec 3, 2020 2:33:26 GMT
Awwww, sweet baby. I'm sorry he's having seizures and that it's so hard for you guys. If you do need to go with a belly band we use some on our dog and have for years.
I brought a stray male dog home years ago and our male dog at home started marking in the house so he wears one 24/7. We've had the best luck with the Paw Legend washable bands that we bought off of Amazon. Then we line them with 2 feminine pads (side by side) and just throw those out and replace as needed.
Hope that his meds can help him and that you guys can continue to love on him :-)
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Post by idahopea on Dec 3, 2020 4:30:48 GMT
Our dog always walked around after a seizure too so that's probably normal. He did crash into things a lot and would get into spots he would never go normally and sometimes got stuck. He would also drink a lot. There really isn't anything you can do during the seizure although they are very difficult to watch. We would just pet him and try to reassure him. You kind of get used to the pattern they take and know what to expect. We kept carpet spray and a container of dog towels handy to clean him up afterward because he drooled a lot and would sometimes pee. Our dog liked being on the cold tile so that was easier to clean up than the carpet.
A friend who had a seizure reassured me that she didn't feel anything during the seizure and didn't remember it afterward so that helped us to know the dog probably didn't either.
I'm sorry you are dealing with this!
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Post by idahopea on Dec 3, 2020 4:46:07 GMT
Thought of a couple more things...
Keep a log of the date and time of his seizures, about how long they last, and any new behaviors (peeing, foaming,drooling, etc.). You think you will remember but you might not. It made it possible to tell the vet exactly how many seizures our dog had had and how long they lasted. We could see a pattern and when the medication was working and when he needed it adjusted.
We wrapped pills in tiny slices of mozzarella cheese sticks or tiny pieces of tortillas with a bit of peanut butter on them.
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Post by peasapie on Dec 3, 2020 7:12:04 GMT
Since he has an ear infection, it makes sense to treat that and see if it is related to the seizures. Meanwhile I would use the belly band to help him through and give him seizure meds for a week or so. Once the ear infection is cleared up, try weaning off seizure meds to see how he is doing. It helps to sort out various problems in order to see what is at the root of the problem.
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Post by Patter on Dec 3, 2020 11:49:40 GMT
When we should be considering end of life care, they will tell me...right? Our dogs...maybe they do but honestly if his 2nd seizure was worse than the first, I know what I would do. This I am sorry to say. We had a very healthy 3 year old dog that began having seizures. We worked with neurologists and our regular vet, and when they got to where your dog is, we had to put him down at age 4. It was AWFUL. We did phenobarbital and several other drugs. We did not opt for imaging but we believe it was a brain tumor. I ache for you and your pup because I still have images (6 years later) of the places he had seizures and what they looked like. Awful! We did begin to notice signs when he was going to have one so we were able to get him to a good place. He would always start bumping into walls then have a seizure. He could see but it was like he would go blind beforehand. Hugs as you walk this difficult path! |
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schizo319
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,030
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Post by schizo319 on Dec 3, 2020 12:00:13 GMT
1. I would try the belly band - add a large overnight type menstrual or incontinence pad inside to contain the pee.
2. We had a dachshund who had seizures so bad that she wouldn't come out of them on her own, she HAD to have a shot of valium. I drove her 30 minutes to an emergency vet with her in a full-on seizure once - we were terrified of brain damage, but she did fine. Once she went on medication, she didn't have any more seizures at all.
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dald222
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,602
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Post by dald222 on Dec 3, 2020 23:18:27 GMT
we had a beautiful dog sheba that had seizures for yrs. she finally died from it sadly. so i hope your dog lives many more yrs.
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kimi
Full Member
Posts: 196
Aug 11, 2020 21:47:04 GMT
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Post by kimi on Dec 3, 2020 23:35:44 GMT
My dog starting having grand mal seizures when she was 10 years old. The doggie neurologist said that a brain tumor is usually the cause of seizures in older dogs. But the only way to know is to have an MRI. So we had the MRI and it was negative. Then we had a spinal tap, which ruled out cancer. So the dx was epilepsy. She was put on a anti-seizure med, Levetiracetam (brand name "Keppra"). As far as we know she never had another seizure.
We were told that seizures fry the brain. With GoodRX and Costco, the med cost was reasonable, $24 for a 40 day supply. The same drug/dosage would have cost close to $200 at CVS!
She lived for another 5 years. At the age of 14 she was dx'd with bladder cancer, then 10 months later her cancer advanced to the point where we had to put her down. When the seizures started I was so afraid we would lose her then. I'm fortunate that we got the additional 5 years with her.
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Southern Side eyed Pea 
