K9 Seizures

Question
We have a 7 year old, female Irish Setter, that we have had since a pup.  Seven months ago we "rescued" a 3 year old male Irish Setter.  An immediate change in the 7 year old took place.  Getting up at 3, 4, 5AM whining, pawing until someone would get up.  Then she would go back to bed.  Often times not even wanting anything, including outdoors.  Within the last month, it happened, a seizure.  Immediate blood test (blood profile chem 21) came back normal.  No medication given and we were educated about seizures from our veterinarian.  3 weeks later another seizure.  Still no medication given as our veterinarian wants to wait another 30 days to see if another seizure occurs.  If so, medication will be dispensed at that time.  Fingers crossed she never has another one!
Also, after the 2nd seizure she seems to be more alert than she has been, in the past, and for the last 3 nights she hasn't woke anyone up until around 6AM which is her normal feeding time.
I realize seizures can be unpredictable - they can start and continue or go away for months in between and some times never return at all.  I understand that the cause of seizures can stem from a vast array of medical conditions.  Irish Setters being prone to Epilepsy.
Could the 3 year old dog coming into the home cause enough emotional (jealousy) stress on the 7 year old to devlope seizures?  Or, is your opinion that the seizures are of a medical nature?  Should any additional specific blood test(s) be done?  If so, what.
Thank-you,
Kathryn Becker

Answer
Hi Kathryn!Most seizures are serious and severe.During a seizure,the dog will fall to the ground,foam at the mouth,shake and his eyes will go all crazy.Make sure that during a seizure,he is not near any dangerous or sharp objects.You can try petting her and calming her down during his seizure.After his seizure,she will smell.He might pee on the floor during the seizure.After a seizure,it is possible she could go blind for 5 minutes and he will walk into things.You should watch her realy closely after a seizure.Sometimes,dogs have such a severe seizure that they never come out of it and they have to be put to sleep.After a seizure,he could forget lots of things and act like he does not know where he is,who his owners are and he will freak out.Also,be sure to keep him away from stairs be cause that can be very dangerous falling down them.

As far as treats and dog food, I would stay away from ANYTHING that has preservatives that aren't natural such at the BHA/BHT as well as red food dye/color.

I would recommend feeding an ALL-Natural diet such as those made by Innova, Flint River Ranch, Nutro Natural, Natural Balance, Wysong, Eagle Pack, Precise....available at bigger pet stores. For treats I would recommend giving vegetables like carrots, green beans, broccoli and cauliflower. Also it is good to get a food that does NOT have BY-PRODUCTS because that could be anything from skin, intestines, bones, brains, feathers, etc. Some dogs are allergic to wheat, corn and soy.

Did your dog ever have any blood work checked? If not, I would recommend checking kidney and liver function as well as blood counts, thyroid level and screening for Lyme Disease as any abnormalities may be contributing to the seizures.

The treat will process through his system fairly quickly (1 day); however, I do not know how long the preservative may stay in his system after absorption. I would definitely throw those treats away!

If the Phenobarbital isn't controlling her seizures, then I would ask your vet about Potassium Bromide anti-seizure medication. I also recommend that any dog having seizures be put on a B-Complex vitamin and for her I would give her a B50 twice a day.NEVER GIVE ONIONS or veggies that have been cooked with onions. You can feed raw or cooked veggies...canned or frozen. If giving canned veggies, make sure to rinse first because of the salt. I would avoid corn as they don't digest it very well.

Treats should not trigger siezures unless there is something called a portocaval shunt, which would have been detected very early in life.

If she is still having siezures even with phenobarbital, then I would have the blood levels checked to make sure that he is getting enough. Another option is to add potassium bromide to his drug regimen. Some dogs become tolerant of the phenobarbital after a long time.

You can crush up the veggies and mix them with dog food....or puree them with chicken breast meat.

I would give about 15-20% of his total diet as veggies.

You should take her to the vet and have the vet check his back and hips as well as screen for vestibular disease. She may need x-rays.


This could be due to an underlying liver problem or that the medication is too strong. Again, take her to the vet for an exam and I would have blood tests run.

Yes, she could have brain damage. There is nothing really to do.

I do know a lot about seizures from my life experince.My dog has seizures adn he is a Germand Shephard.He started out with having one big seizure.Then after we gave him a certain treat he started having more,so now he has to have one certain treat and it cannot be changed.He would always walk into walls and bump into people and would forget everything and everyone.Sometimes,he even went blind.

I would recommend you should take her to the vet.She will probably need to get a blood test taken so the vets know the exact extra dosage of medication he will need.

Seizures take a lot out of a dog.It could take several days to a week for him to start acting normal again.Depending on the dog and the cause of his seizures,he may grow out of having seizures and she may not.


I really hope this is helpful and please talk to your vet about all of the above before trying it!Please keep me posted and good luck!Give her kisses for me!
Nicole.D.