Epilepsy

Question
Hi!  I rescued my dog almost 4 years ago when he was only 6 wks. old and he became epileptic at 5 months old.  He has been on phenobarbital and potassium.  Lately I noticed when he has a seizure and it is usually around a full moon, they are getting worse and he will have mini-seizures for about a week afterwards, and I am keeping track to see if they last longer. The length of being disoriented after seizure seems longer too.  Do the seizures get worse with age?
Does the brain suffer? Do they have reg. life span w/ this disease?

Answer
Hello Heather-

I am very sorry your dog has epilepsy. It is a devistating disease that there really is no cure for.

I recommend you take your pet back to your veterinarian for a full evaluation. There are other Phenobarbitol medications they may want to put your pet on. I cannot explain why it is occuring around the full moon, other then there is alot of lore about a full moon and what effects it has on nature in general.

I am concerned about the mini-seizures he is experiencing afterwards. You may want to have your vet check to see a tumor maybe growing off the skull and pressing on the brain. You did say your pet has had this condition since age 5 (five) months but anything is possible especially since the medication is not suppressing the seizures. You mentioned the length of being disoriented is longer too, this is a concern, please have your vet run tests to be sure or have them run a CAT scan to check brain activity.

Seizures can get worse with age if there is another underlying condition present which is why I feel he may have a growth on his skull. In most cases the Phenobarbitol and Potassium bromide will curtail the seizures and help regulate the blood and nerves. However, they can cause liver damage if used in high dosages long term. The dosage levels are usually dropped if the seizures reduce.

The brain does not really suffer, what is occuring is an uncoordinated firing of the neurons usually within a portion of the brain called the cerebrum. The mechanisms of why these neurons do not function normally is not understood, but is similar if not identical to the causes in humans. Probably certain substances called neurotransmitters are not in the proper chemical balance, so the nerves do not behave in the normal coordinated fashion.

Dogs with epilepsy will live a regular life span but if the seizures become to bad and the owner feels as though the pet is suffering they will have them euthanised. A friend of ours had a beagle with severe epilepsy, he was euthanised at age 10 because he lost all of his teeth and wasn't really eating the way he should have and began to loose weight. Other then that, he was a healthy dog (began to have liver concerns because of the Phenobarbitol) and rarely had seizures, but when he had one, it was devistating. They needed to administer Valium suppositories which helped to an extent but never stopped the seizure fully. Life span is more to the owners discretion, as sad as it sounds, a lot of pets with epilepsy rarely have seizures based on the medications and others never outgrow it or other causes occur making the epilepsy more prominent.

There is an herbal blend that can be taken daily and has shown results in many pets with epilepsy. It's a combination of sedative like herbs that work directly with the nervous sytem to help strengthen it and help reduce the onset of seizure. I made it for our friends beagle and it did work as far as decreasing the seizures but he was older then your dog and had other medical conditions. This remedy is not a cure but it does help support the nervous system. Its a glycerin based tincture administered 2-3 times per day for the life of your pet. I will leave my email address at the bottom of this response, contact me if you are interested in administering it to your pet.

You may also want to ask your vet to check your pets glucose levels, he may have developed diabetes mellitus (blood glucose levels that are too high) or hypoglycemia (blood sugar levels that are too low).  

I hope this information has helped you and your pet.

If you would like information on natural and herbal remedies for human and animal concerns please contact me at wintersaurora@yahoo.com and I will be happy to assist you and send you a catalog of my home made herbal remedies.

Thank you and best wishes to you and your pet. If you have any other questions please feel free to email me and I will help you the best I can.

Sincerely,
Sharon Hubbs, AHG
Certified Natural Health Consultant & Herbalist