Hi, My 2.5 year old red fox Labrador started having seizures every 3 weeks on Wednesday nights around 10pm. I took her to my vet and they did all the tests and she is in perfect health. The diagnosis was epilepsy and said I need to start Keppra XR for her life. They said if I ever stop the seizures will be worse. A neighbor of mine had a dog with epilepsy said her dog became tired all the time with Keppra . She also said the "every 3 weeks on Wednesday doesn't sound like epilepsy. Right now she has mild seizures every 3 weeks and I am debating if it is worse to get the side effects of Keppra XR. I would normally try a medication but the vet said once you start , you cant stop. Any advice from people with dog would be appreciated.
Hi, So sorry that your dog has epilepsy. My dog had epilepsy starting at age 2 until his death at 11 years old(cause of death not epilepsy). My dog was on many drugs up to five including keppra xr throughout his life as the epilepsy progressed. The rule of thumb is that if a dog has more than one seizure per month, meds are started. It is dangerous for a dog not to be on meds if he is having repeated seizures. Also, the longer that he goes untreated the worse they can become. My dog Sam led a normal life even though he had epilepsy and was on many drugs. Please do not wait to treat your dog. Your dog may be tired when he first starts the drugs, but their bodies adjust. Best of luck to you. Feel free to ask any questions. I would be happy to help.
