seizure aftermath

Question
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Followup To
Question -
My dog is about 2 years old.  He's half cocker spaniel & half poodle.  He's been having seizures for quite a while and we've been giving him the medicine the doctor gave us.  Last night, between 8 & 10 pm, he had 3 seizures.  He's never had more than 1 in a night & he has always been normal by morning.  All last night and today he's been incoherent.  He doesn't recogonize us or his name.  He doesn't seem to know where he is.  He can't walk without bumping into things.  He fell into the basement this morning.  He walked right into it when I was trying to get him and the other dog outside.  Is this behavior permanent or will he return to normal with more time?
Answer -
Hi Stephanie!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 him and calming him down during his seizure.After his seizure,he will smell.He might pee on the floor during the seizure.After a seizure,it is possible he could go blind for 5 minutes and he will walk into things.You should watch him 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 his 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 him I would give him 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 he 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 him to the vet and have the vet check his back and hips as well as screen for vestibular disease. He may need x-rays.


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

Yes, he 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 him to the vet.He will probably need to get a blood test taken so the vets know the exact extra dosage of medication he will need.

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 him kisses for me!
Nicole.D.






Thanks for the information...about how long should it last though? He's been out of it for about 24 hours, he seems to be getting better but I don't know. I gave him his medicine like usual and he seems ok, but he just stands there and doesn't like to follow us or sit down.  Any information on approximate length would really help.  

Answer
Hi Stephanie!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 he may not.If he keeps having more seizures each day,besure to go to your vet for some help.Also,be sure to take him to the vet to get blood tested so they can adjust his medication.

I hope this is helpful and good luck!Please keep me posted!
Nicole.D.