Hallo. I have found some topics on seizures, particularly one by Caroline to which I wanted to reply to, but a message popped up saying the post was older than 120 days and I should start a new topic. So here it is, and possibly with some repeat info from other peoples' posts on a similar topic of seizure. And apologies for the ramble -- I suppose a sign that I am distressed! I am writing this post hoping others can share their experiences. I do have a wonderful vet and am hopeful he is prescribing the right care for our yellow Labrador boy -- he is 2.5 years old. His name is Snowie and he looks in perfect health! He has had four seizures, the first being last year in May, then again in Aug last year, again this year in April, and now again in Aug this year. And I live in fear of the next one -- a terrible feeling! According to our vet, he had a typical seizure: first vomited, then racing to get outside, then suddenly stopping and looking backwards as if seeing demons, stomach sucked in, then standing and having what looked like the rigors, mouth pulled back, teeth bared (if you didn't know him you would think he was about to attack you), frothing, eyes shut tightly closed, then sudden falling over on one side and thrashing legs like a racehorse, head held back, back arched, body stiff, breathing like a monster, almost gasping for breath through what sounds like constricted airways -- sounds like a whine, lasting about 1-2 minutes. And then the recovery: eyes are like black holes, not seeing, still lying down, wags tail when he realised it was me close by, then suddenly lying on his side as if collapsing, then raising his head again to recognise me (he had to come close to my face to smell me to recognise me), then lying down, repeated about 4 times. Then spent the next hour walking around like a drunk trying to find a place to lie down. Did not want me touching him during that time. Two hours later he was back to normal. For me, distressing to say the least -- I felt like collapsing with sadness. But I kept my cool and made soothing sounds to him the whole time, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck when I realised he was about to have a seizure cos I didn't want him racing into the garden near the pool (I had opened the door to outside when he was vomiting because I didn't realise he was about to have a seizure), and then I held onto him as he began his seizure so that I could lower him gently to the ground when he collapsed onto his side (this was the last time when I knew what to expect; the previous time he was lucky not to knock his head on a stool when he collapsed). The first time he had a seizure I had been asleep and my husband had woken up to help him. We didn't realise it then that he'd had a seizure. The second time I had seen it and took him the next day to the vet. (The seizures always happen at around 3/4am in the morning.) They did full blood tests and he was found to be completely healthy. But two days later I saw tapeworm eggs in his faeces and we thought this might be the cause of the seizure -- he had an infestation of tapeworm. No idea why he wasn't tested for worms at the first visit, but the locum was a specialist cardiologist vet for dogs and appeared only interested in his heart! (As a side, there is an interesting study of radiologists who were so focused on finding cancer in an x-ray of lungs that they failed to see the gorilla toy in the x-ray slide, ie specialists might miss the obvious.) I was pleased it was worms that caused the seizure -- at least I could prevent further seizures. So in April this year, when Snowie was licking his anus a lot, I decided he should be dewormed, and that night he had another seizure. Our vet thought it might be a reaction to the dewormer. Again, relief, at least we could avoid that dewormer. (As you see, I did not want to accept our boy might be epileptic.) But in Aug I think I finally accepted that he might be epileptic when the fourth seizure happened. This time we took him to a vet who is trained as a regular vet but also practices homeopathy and Chinese medicine for animals. I'd taken him to this vet before for treatment for scratching. Then, and now, he diagnosed him as being too hot. He prescribed Purge Heat, tablets that are a mixture of Chinese herbs, which "take the fire out of the liver" and cool the dog. He is a hot dog, hot to the touch, hotter than other dogs I touch (I now do regular comparisons!). And you can see where he licks himself on his groin, the white hair has turned pink, the skin is pinker, and he has a black, what looks like a fungal growth on either side of his testicles. The vet says it is because he is hot and itching from heat, and licking to take away the itch. He has no fleas at all and we've not used any chemicals on him since last year May. He is on a raw food diet -- has been since he was 7 months old. He was very allergic as a puppy and we found raw food was the answer to this -- his allergies went away, stopped scratching and drawing blood from scratching so much. He was stung by a bee at three months and he reacted with swollen eyes and scratching non-stop and crying and trying to run away from the itch. The vet gave him a cortisone injection, and then on top of that gave him his puppy vacs (the 5-in-1) plus kennel cough plus rabies -- all in one go. In retrospect I think that was way too much for a puppy to handle and I often wonder if that was when these problems took root. I keep in contact with the owner of his brother and also the breeder who kept his sister, and none of them have had any problems with allergies or seizures, although his mother is allergic (I didn't know this when we bought him -- and we did such thorough health checks for hips, elbows, and eyes!). Apologies for the ramble, but I am hoping that others on this forum can share what they are doing with a dog who has seizures and whether you also have experience with a hot dog and ways to keep them cool. Snowie will never be a dog my husband can take running with him (he was hoping for a running companion) because he seems to get too hot too quickly. He exerts a lot of energy very quickly -- he is very exuberant and races around madly. And then all of a sudden must lie down, panting away. He has mellowed out as he has got older and he can manage a much longer walk on the mountain -- 1-1.5 hours. The day of his last seizure we'd done a 3-hour walk, but it was a cool day and there was a lot of water, lots of streams and waterfalls and all in the shade, and we made lots of stops. But perhaps we overdid it? How long do you walk with your dog? What is reasonable? I had visions of doing lovely long hikes with our boy... Now I am afraid it will bring on a seizure. Every night I go to bed I am afraid he will have a seizure in the night. I always tell my husband he will have to deal with it because I feel, in that moment before bed, that I just can't deal with it. Although I know I will, it becomes instinctual to jump up and see what is going on. Of course I sleep very badly because if Snowie makes any alarming noise, I wake up immediately. He sleeps in our bedroom and moves around at night, looking for a cool place, or if cooled down, then getting into his bed to curl up. Our vet has said that his seizures are too far apart to medicate. And if he shows the tell-tale signs of a seizure, to bring him in to treat homeopathically and see if we can prevent them. Tell-tale signs are: licking his anus a lot and stinking of anal glands, scratching, agitated, very hot, needing to sleep outside on our balcony at night, not himself (not affectionate or relating to us). And the dates on which his seizures occur are always around full moon, the last one being the night of the super moon (when it was closest to earth). One reassuring thing the vet told me was this: when they've seen dogs attached to electrodes before and after a seizure, before the seizure the body- and brainwaves were unsynchronised. After the seizure, the body- and brainwaves were synchronised, as if the seizure had acted to reset the brain. I think this is what he said -- I was still upset and wasn't hearing everything he was saying at our appointment. So the key for us is to keep our boy "in synch" so to speak. The first way is to keep him cool. Not sure what else we can do. He's fed human-grade raw meat and bones, dirty tripe, etc (a range of body parts). Small amount of fresh leafy greens and a small piece of fruit. Gets salmon oil supplements, chondroitin and glucosamine supplements (he limped as a puppy so I keep this up), no chemical deflea/tick preparations. I also add turmeric to his food to aid against inflammation (vet said this is good). The one thing that I don't know... could chlorine be bad for him? I've got to add chlorine to the pool at least once a week, and he will still insist on jumping into the pool after his walk and drinking the pool water while he's in the pool. And I'd rather he got cool in the pool water even if he drinks the chlorinated water. Regarding the seizures being at 3/4am: the vet thought this might be because his blood sugar was very low at this point because I'd been giving him his supper at 4pm! Yes, rather early, but it worked with my work schedule. We have now moved his supper time to 6/6.30pm, aiming to get to 7pm. Meanwhile, while we were shifting it later, the vet recommended a small snack (we gave him a raw egg) at 10pm before bedtime so that he didn't get a blood sugar dip in the middle of the night. My big fear is brain damage from the seizures -- altered personality, aggression. Right now you cannot find a friendlier boy in the dog park, this is Mr Friendly, he loves all dogs and all people. Oh - I forgot to mention that he wee'd in his sleep the night after the seizure, although the vet said this might be part of the recovery because he slept very deeply for a day after the seizure. He said if he did this again to be concerned. Well, last night I saw a wet spot on the carpet next to him and it smelled of urine. It was a small spot and I almost died because I am terrified that he might already have brain damage. As I write this I realise I sound neurotic, but I feel so awful to think our beautiful boy might be really sick. I wouldn't classify last night's spot of wee as a proper wee, but it definitely was a leak, some form of incontinence. He is a very vivid dreamer and I wonder if dogs can wee in their sleep as children do, sometimes dreaming of weeing in their sleep and then wetting the bed? And I wonder whether neutering him would help cool him down? I am looking forward to reading all your comments and suggestions and recommendations. Thank you in advance!
Re: Hot dog gets seizures, wee'd in his sleep So sorry to hear about the problems your boy is having ;( I know his hard it is when your dog is so poorly, but you can't do a lot to help I have no experience if seizures but just wanted to make a suggestion: Have you heard about cool mats for dogs? A few people on here have brought them for their dogs who struggle in the heat and say they are really good. Might be worth looking into! Sorry I couldn't help any further x
Re: Hot dog gets seizures, wee'd in his sleep I had an epileptic German Pointer, in the beginning his fits were always about 3 - 4 pm but eventually would happen in the night, so I understand how you feel. Most vets don't seem to know much about epilepsy, mine was very good and went to a lecture given by a vet about epilepsy. I would advise you to go on the PCFCE on the internet. Specific help - Canine Epilepsy Website www.canineepilepsy.co.uk/owners/Owners_spec_help.htm Phyllis Croft Foundation The Phyllis Croft foundation for canine epilepsy (PCFCE) was founded to bring support and comfort to owners of dogs who suffer from ... the phyllis croft foundation for canine epilepsy (pcfce) They are very knowledgeable and very helpful and supportive. I am afraid my dog went into status epilepticus when he was just 8 years old (continuous fits) and the vet thought he was brain damaged so he was put to sleep. I put this down to the change in the phenobarbitone from human to canine as he hadn't had a fit for 8 months before this. I am sure your dog will be able to live a normal life as his fits are so far apart. If they get more frequent, he may be put on medication. If he does go on phenobarbitone eventually, do not be disturbed that for the first ten days or so he will be very wobbly, I almost gave up then, but suddenly the body gets used to the drug and he was fine. It is very important that the phenobarbitone is given every 12 hours. However, you may never need to put him on medication.
Re: Hot dog gets seizures, wee'd in his sleep Hi there, perhaps it was my posting about the sudden passing of my beloved chocolate boy Teddy in October 2013 that you were trying to reply to? Teddy died suddenly aged 4 when playing ball with our dog walker. He had a massive seizure and all indications are that he had Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC). He was a lively, energetic dog who regularly ran with both my husband and I and never seemed to tire. With hindsight, there were 2 previous incidents which should have raised alarm bells for us, but I was convinced both were minor: he once stopped on a run, sat down, turned and looked at his rear end and whined (I thought perhaps he had been stung/ nettled and he soon was up running around again), another time the dog walker reported that he couldn't walk/ was dragging his rear end when he came to collect him for a walk ( this again quickly passed and I thought perhaps he had cramp as our older lab sometimes lay on top of him in their bed) I joined this forum in a quest to find out more, to get answers and I really hope that you get some good advice/ direction. I always find forum members to be supportive and helpful! From my experience, neutering didn't affect Teddy's energy levels/ temperature and he was castrated still 12 months. From my reading, swimming appears to be a safer option to running for dogs with a history of seizures, as cool water actually lowers their body temperature. Please keep us posted,
Re: Hot dog gets seizures, wee'd in his sleep Hello there - I can't help, but just wanted to say sorry to hear this is so distressing for you. The resources Stacia pointed you too look very good and sensible.
Re: Hot dog gets seizures, wee'd in his sleep Hi - no help either I'm afraid, but I do want to send you sympathy and hope that things are ok for Snowie.
Re: Hot dog gets seizures, wee'd in his sleep You poor thing :'( I'm in bits reading this. I really hope you can get some help for your lovely boy and some peace of mind for yourself x
Re: Hot dog gets seizures, wee'd in his sleep Hi MF, Dexter is our first dog so I haven't got a lot of experience of some of the ailments /conditions dogs can suffer from and I can't help you with your worries about Snowie who I can tell you love very much x Can I just ask where you live?do you experience very warm times of the year?i ask because I live in Dubai and have to keep my dog cool through some really high temps. I have one of the cool mats that Ternaya is talking about,to be honest I bought it just as the temperatures got too to even try to let Dex be outside and use it but I will when it becomes cooler and he can have times outside.You can also buy jackets made of the same fabric that are designed to draw the heat away from their bodies...they look a bit like a life jacket .....again it will become more appropriate when our temps cool a bit so I can't vouch for their suitability yet. At the moment I walk him early ( 5 am ) to beat the heat and he swims as much as I can find opportunities for him.I have a pool but we don't let Dexter swim in it as my vet said the chemicals aren't particularly good for them to ingest or to have on their skin....I can't tell you exactly why though,we just adopted a no pool policy due to the caution....I know dogs that swim and drink swimming pool water with no ill effects though ??? On evening walks I hose Dexter down before we go out so he's soaking wet before we start.....I don't do that when we are desert walking I also bought Dexter a garden bed that is like a horizontal deck chair ,it's on legs so he's off the floor and the support is a breathable fabric.....I want him to use that in the garden in the cooler winter months ( which are still in the mid 20's) but at the moment it kind of moves around the house wherever we are and he does lie on it by choice,it let's them have air circulating under them to keep them cool. Do you have ac in the house?if so then I'm sure you use that appropriately to help Snowie but if not it might be worth thinking of a fan? I say that without thinking about the practicalities of how you rig that up,safely round a young lab but I always feel where there is a will there is a way. I can't think of anything else really that we do.....oh I guess we always make sure the car is really cool before he gets in and we've got the windows tinted to lessen the glare on him. I hope that's helped you a bit with what we do to keep dexter cool even though I can't share any experience with you about the vets.the only thing I would say are you totally happy with your vets diagnosis and treatment?Stacias reply just made me think if this condition can deteriorate into brain damage it might be worth a second opinion to check that absolutely everything is being done now. My very best wishes to you MF ,let us know how Snowie is doing,I can totally understand how worried and distressed you will be by this x Angela x
Re: Hot dog gets seizures, wee'd in his sleep [quote author=Naya link=topic=7524.msg104970#msg104970 date=1409088625] Have you heard about cool mats for dogs? [/quote] Thank you for the suggestion. I have read about those mats on this website. We do have cool tiled floors for our boy to lie on, and he does go to lie there when he needs to cool down. And before he was jumping into the pool of his own accord, I would get him to lie on those blue gel packs that you put in the freezer (as a puppy he was too afraid to go in because our pool is a terrible design and you need to step down onto the seat in the pool, which is quite deep for a small puppy -- but as an adult, Snowie has no problems jumping onto the seat and jumping out of the pool). But I will consider the cool mat for upstairs where he sleeps at night -- no tiles up there, and possibly he will find cooling comfort on the mat. Thanks for reminding me of it! And thank you for your kind words of support.
Re: Hot dog gets seizures, wee'd in his sleep [quote author=Stacia link=topic=7524.msg104989#msg104989 date=1409091187] I would advise you to go on the PCFCE on the internet. [/quote] Thank you for recommending that site -- what a WONDERFUL website! I found it so reassuring. And I loved what they said about it's okay to laugh. After our boy's seizure a few weeks ago, my husband renamed him "Julius" -- as in "Julius Seizure"! I tell you what, laughing sometimes is the best medicine, and our boy also laughs -- you can see it the way he pulls his ears down, eyes light up, a lightness in his face, and a tail that's wagging madly -- he does this when he knows he's being naughty (like jumping onto the bed while you're trying to make it up) -- and then we all have a good laugh. I am so sorry to hear about your boy and the continuous fits he eventually had. That must've been an awful time for you. Thank you for the advice regarding the medication, and yes, hope we don't have to go that route. But if we do, at least we know what to expect.
Re: Hot dog gets seizures, wee'd in his sleep [quote author=Dr CEM link=topic=7524.msg104992#msg104992 date=1409091681] Hi there, perhaps it was my posting about the sudden passing of my beloved chocolate boy Teddy in October 2013 that you were trying to reply to? [/quote] I am so sorry to hear of the sudden passing of your beloved Teddy. What an ordeal it must've been for you. So interesting about the way he looked at his rear end, or seemed to be affected there. One of the signs leading up to Snowie's seizures is that he licks his anus A LOT. And yet the last time he had a seizure, his faeces were tested for worms and the test came back negative, ie no worms. His anal glands were a little full, but not terribly so that would cause concern. So what do you think the connection is between a seizure and irritated anal glands? The only thing I can think of is what the vet said: when a dog is allergic, all his glands overwork -- eyes get gooey and the anal glands also fill up even if the dog is eating raw food and passes hard stools. Did you ever find out why your boy had that reaction, ie sitting and looking at his rear end or dragging his rear end? I'd be so interested to know. I was chatting to a vet (at a social setting) and asked if thought neutering might help a dog cool down (I'm thinking of the saying "hot blooded" as in very virile, and wondering if that saying has any connection to levels of testosterone!) and this vet didn't think it would make any difference. Snowie's brother was castrated at one year and he is as lively, if not more so, than Snowie. In fact, I think Snowie has mellowed far more than this brother. We would love Snowie to swim but he refuses! He does not like to have his feet leave a solid surface. He's happy to wallow in the pool and walk up and down the pool seat, but he will not swim in the pool. He also won't go deeper than he can walk into the sea -- even if other dogs are swimming out, he will not follow them. The only time he swam was when we went away for a week to a town with a lagoon, and then he loved swimming into the lagoon to retrieve his ball. The interesting thing is he is so confident in all other areas of his life, excited by new things and new places. But will not swim! Yes, I do agree, I think swimming is the ultimate exercise for a hot dog. One interesting thing to add: I've been cleaning Snowie's ears the past two days really well with cotton wool and a special dog ear cleaner (I always clean them with the towel when I dry him after every swim, but just a cursory drying of them). He had been holding one of ears at an odd angle and was shaking his head. His ears were red and hot. Well, a lot of gunk came out of the affected ear. He has stopped shaking his head, stopped holding the ear at an angle, and his ears are now COOL!! In fact, his body is cool, too. I'm just so thankful that he is cool, so much more relaxed -- for him and me! Who knows what could've been heating him up -- an ear infection perhaps?
Re: Hot dog gets seizures, wee'd in his sleep Maybe it really was an ear infection? Let's hope he stays nice and cool now. At any rate, I think trying to stay 'light' about this yourself, being cheerful and avoiding stressing about possible fits will be helpful for Snowie. Our dogs are so very sensitive to us and our moods - I am sure he will be picking up on your nervousness, and while I assume that wouldn't trigger an attack, nonetheless we all know that stress is bad for our mental and physical health. That goes for you AND for him! So, as much as possible, focus on the good things, enjoy your lovely boy, and be happy together. If you could post a photo, we would love to see him!
Re: Hot dog gets seizures, wee'd in his sleep [quote author=Dexter link=topic=7524.msg105037#msg105037 date=1409128713] Hi MF, Dexter is our first dog so I haven't got a lot of experience of some of the ailments /conditions dogs can suffer from and I can't help you with your worries about Snowie who I can tell you love very much x Can I just ask where you live?do you experience very warm times of the year?i ask because I live in Dubai and have to keep my dog cool through some really high temps. [/quote] Hi Angela. Snowie is our first dog, too -- so we are full of worries! We always had dogs as children in our families, but this is both my husband and my first dog as adults that we are responsible for. I had no idea one could worry about a dog so much!!! We live in Cape Town, South Africa, and the weather can get hot. But certainly not like Dubai!! There are two Malamutes who live up our road, and they are cooler than our Lab boy. In fact, one of them sleeps in the bed with her owner whereas Snowie has never liked cuddling because he gets too hot. I will try your idea of soaking him with the hosepipe before a walk -- what a great idea! (Although he hates the hosepipe -- when I wanted to shampoo him once cos he was smelly, I had to shampoo him and rinse him off in the pool!!!) Yes, I am concerned about his drinking the pool water just after I've added chlorine. I try to add chlorine at night after his last swim, and hope by the morning it will have dissolved and be less toxic. Admittedly, I often forget to add the chlorine at night, so another day goes by, and many times we have a lovely green pool!! (I try to add chlorine once a week, if I remember!) While I am concerned about the chlorine, I more concerned about Snowie's heating up, so we let him into the pool whenever he wants to go in -- day or night. He's very easy to dry off with a towel, and in fact he hops onto the outside table making it very easy to dry him off without having to bend over! And he's always clean when he comes inside! Regarding the vet's diagnosis: I am happy with the diagnosis and treatment thus far. The homeopathic vet comes highly recommended and his rooms are at a well-regarded animal hospital. I have taken Snowie to two other vets previously, and this vet is taking the most action thus far. The other vets just said to wait and see what happens, never once spoke about overheating or ways to cool him down, or about when to feed him. One vet did say that he should take a multivitamin if I'm feeding him raw food, ie not pellets with added vit/minerals. But the homeopathic vet said the multivitamin can increase his body heat (I think because of the kind of protein added to the tablet), and that his raw diet should be providing everything he needs. The homeopathic vet also gave him an injection along his spine from tail to head into acupuncture points. I don't remember the injection serum, but it was a homeopathic remedy that is supposed to reduce inflammation, which he said is often accompanied with a seizure. Whether it was the injection or that time had just passed, Snowie showed a huge improvement and increased liveliness, and went "back to normal".
Re: Hot dog gets seizures, wee'd in his sleep [quote author=Karen link=topic=7524.msg105075#msg105075 date=1409135008] Maybe it really was an ear infection? Let's hope he stays nice and cool now. At any rate, I think trying to stay 'light' about this yourself, being cheerful and avoiding stressing about possible fits will be helpful for Snowie. Our dogs are so very sensitive to us and our moods - I am sure he will be picking up on your nervousness, and while I assume that wouldn't trigger an attack, nonetheless we all know that stress is bad for our mental and physical health. That goes for you AND for him! So, as much as possible, focus on the good things, enjoy your lovely boy, and be happy together. If you could post a photo, we would love to see him! [/quote] Karen, you are SO RIGHT!!!!! I was just thinking of that yesterday morning on our walk, whether this happy-go-lucky boy picks up on the fact that I worry so much about him. He certainly doesn't seem to be worried at all!! Yes, a very good piece of advice. Now, if only I could work out how to add a pic of my boy... Do you know what I click to do this? I see an "image" icon, but it doesn't take me to select an image.
Re: Hot dog gets seizures, wee'd in his sleep Thank you everyone for your lovely words of support -- so very much appreciated.
Re: Hot dog gets seizures, wee'd in his sleep Hi there, sorry to hear of the problems you have with your boy. Apart from the seizures, it sounds very like your boy has allergic skin disease. These dogs feel hot to the touch (when the skin is inflamed it feels hot), itch and scratch, get recurrent ear disease, rub their skin around the anus often causing a secondary blockage of the anal glands, frequently chew their paws and may get blackened, thickened skin especially in the groin. Around 10% of allergic dogs will sweat too. Treating his skin problems and resolving the itch/scratch will almost certainly stop him feeling hot to the touch. However, this is unlikely to affect his seizures. However, certain wormers will trigger seizure episodes in dogs prone to seizures. My last lab was epileptic and I treated her with phenobarbitone all her life, and certain wormers would trigger seizures in her. Current thought is that if your dog has seizures more often than every 3-4 months it is worth investigating and treating them, as every time they have a seizure episode they are then more likely to have another one. Many seizures occur in clusters, and vary in severity from mild to severe. Dogs often have several episodes of seizures over a period of days and then none for months. Because many dogs urinate during a seizure, it would be possible that he had a very mild seizure overnight causing him to wee in his sleep. Again, it is very common for seizure-prone dogs to fit overnight when asleep. Stacia's link to PCFCE is great, and I hope this all helps.
Re: Hot dog gets seizures, wee'd in his sleep Hi there, I am really sorry to hear about your dog. Fits are really scary. I have a Malmute who had 2 massive fits in front of me age about 6 months and 8 months. The second one I never thought he would never come out of he seemed to be fitting for ages. He really really scared me. He is now 9 and not had a fit since. My vet took the wait and watch approach and with no treatment he is a fit fine dog. I do think one day it may happen again but we just plod on. I hope your dog remains happy and fit free/ or well managed for as long as possible. Best wishes Emma and my old Mally Jasper
Re: Hot dog gets seizures, wee'd in his sleep Very sorry to hear of your dogs seizures . Like Lochan , I also had a seizure dog who , after a short watch and wait policy was put onto phenobarbiol , she coped very well indeed with her twice daily doseage . We had blood works done every six months, just to ensure that a theraputic dose was being given and also to check on her liver , she went on to live a happy life for some time , I hope you are lucky too
Re: Hot dog gets seizures, wee'd in his sleep Hi there, I am so sorry to hear of your poor dog’s health problems. You must be so worried. I am not going to comment on the treatment programme for your dog's epilepsy itself because I think that is really something you need to decide in conjunction with your vet. But I am going to comment on your choice of vet, and why I believe very strongly you should seek another veterinary opinion. I do hope you won’t be offended by this, but I personally feel it is very important. When interest in homeopathy was revived a few decades ago, there was a great deal of hope that it would be a less invasive way of treating a whole range of ailments. A number of vets and doctors began offering homeopathic remedies in response to public interest and demand. Many scientists were concerned about the plausibility of homeopathic remedies and the principles behind them. In recent years a good deal of study has put most of the debate to bed. Homeopathy simply does not work - a vast amount of literature confirms this. There are no remaining molecules of the original substance contained in homeopathic remedies, they are simply common liquids like water, or pills made entirely from sugar. Of course, this information has left vets and doctors still practicing these remedies in a very difficult position. Most vets have abandoned homeopathy altogether. But this is very difficult for those that have built their entire career around homeopathy. I do hope you will read this article should our government be funding homeopathy before making up your mind. It is about why I believe we should no longer fund homeopathy in this country, but it also contains a lot of information that you should be aware of. This is not just my personal opinion, it contains links to the evidence that has built up against homeopathy over the last few years. I am so sorry to be negative about this, and if it were not such an important topic I would probably not comment at all. Whatever you decided, I do wish you all the best in finding the right treatment to keep your dog's seizures under control.
Re: Hot dog gets seizures, wee'd in his sleep Hi MF, I have no experience of epilepsy personally but we meet a friend and her dog down the park who suffers from it. He's a border collie/lurcher cross. Lovely dog. The way Lochan described the pattern of fits is Sam down to the ground. He can have a cluster of them and then be ok for a few months. And he tends to have them at night. He's also on phenobarbitone twice a day and he's now 10 years old. I hope everything works out ok for you and Snowie. Lovely name by the way.
