Jackie Keeps Having Fits

[jackie]

Yesterday Jackie had 5 fits in the middle of the night and I had to take her to the emergency vets office at 6am because I didn't have any diazepam left for her. They kept her for observation until 12.

Again about 9 o'clock last night she had a small seizure which was over pretty much before it started, but they have been coming every couple of hours since then, four in total now.

The vet told me yesterday that I would have to start her on her medications again, I didn't give her the pills before because she rarely had attacks (I have been fostering her 6 months and shes only had 2 attacks), and I know they are hard on her liver. She is now taking half a Luminol pill in the morning and another half in the evening.

I am just at a loss what brought on the attacks again, I haven't slept all night and I just don't know what to do. The vets just keep telling me to wait and the medications will kick in, but I am not sure how many more attacks we can take. Poor Jackie is just in a stupor and the other dogs are really agitated.

Has anyone here had an epileptic dog before? I have been researching what triggers the fits, but I can't find anything in common with whats happening to Jackie. If you can just keep Jackie in your thoughts I would really appreciate it.

[Killearn Kitties]

Can't really offer any explanation that would help you. I have known two epileptic dogs, and both took medication for it. I don't think that their owners felt that there was any one thing which triggered the fits though; they didn't seem linked. I do remember one of the owners felt that every time her dog had a fit, it took her a little longer to get over it than the last time.

I wanted to wish you and Jackie all the best. I hope she is more herself soon.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

Poor Jackie. I hope the medication will offer her some relief. Must be very distressing for you all

[Freedom]

Prayers for Jackie. Hope that the meds will help quickly so she can feel better.

I don't know much about epilepsy. However, I do remember a story about 8 years back, that a woman with it had some of her attacks triggered by Debra Norvil's voice on TV!

[jackie]

OK, well we just woke up from a nap and Jackie had her 13th seizure. :(

She is now on Luminol, and 15mgs of Valium.

I am beside myself, I don't know what to do. I have called in sick to work today, but I can't stay home everyday.

I don't understand how people can live like this for years on end, this is only day two, and I am thinking about diving into Jackie's Valium stash.

[pitc9]

Oh how sad.... I wish I could help with words of wisdom, but I don't have any to offer. Joyce lost her wonder dog Alex recently and he suffered from seizures. She may be able to answer some of your questions.

[Killearn Kitties]

I'm so sorry I can't be of any help. I can only keep you both in my thoughts.
I hope that the medication stabilises Jackie very soon.

[Taz_Zoee]

Zoee has had about 4 or 5 seizures in her 3 years. They've been far apart so medication is not necessary at this time. But I totally understand how draining and upsetting it is to go through it, not only for you but the dog as well. I have a small supply of Valium for Zoee just incase she has another. I have not been able to find a trigger for Zoee's seizures, especially since they are so seldom.
I am hoping that Jackie's fits stop and you have a long rest time.

[jackie]

I am taking admitting Jackie into the vets for overnight care. I can't handle it anymore. She had another fit, then broke through the barricade and fell down the steps.

[3muttsandaboston]

Have they done tests to see if there is anything wrong besides epilepsy that suddenly brought this on? I'm so sorry for what your going through.

[Daisy and Delilah]

How frightening for you and Jackie, Jackie. Thoughts and prayers are coming your way. Feel better, sweetheart :(

[Ginger's Mom]

I am so sorry, Jackie. Jackie is lucky to have landed in a foster home that is so attentive and taking such good care of her special needs. Prayers going out that things will calm down.

[lizbud]

I am so sorry to hear this.:( Another person with personal experience
is 4 dog mother . Her dog Snoopy had seizures. I hope the Vets can help
Jackie.


http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=140384&highlight=snoopy

[4 Dog Mother]

I see Luminol is Phenabarbital. Snoopy took Phenabarbitol for 4 of his 6 years of life. It did end up damaging his liver but it also gave him and us time I don't think we would have had without. Snoopy had other health problems too so it wasn't just the liver damage that caused us to have to choose to put him down.

That being said, I am surprised your vet has not increased the dosage of luminol you give Jackie or added something else like potassium bromide. Snoopy did well on the meds - usually going 4-6 months without a seizure but then he would have a couple in a couple of weeks time and not have any again for awhile. Continuing to have seizres like Jackie is doing can cause kindling which is where the brain begins to think that is the natural way to react to whatever is bringing the seizures on. And they will become more frequent.

My vet said that you can run all kind of expensive tests to see if you can find the trigger to the seizures. But most of the time they don't find anything. Having a dog with seizures especially with the cluster seizures which it seems Jackie is having is very difficult to handle emotionally for us humans. Snoopy had grand mal which means he lost control of his body's functions which meant there was a mess to clean up each time he came out of it. Trying to clean up after and then deal with a confused lost, somewhat temporary blind dog can be very tough. A couple of times he got his jaw clamped on the side of his kennel and once on the fence outside - that was very disturbing because there was no way to "unclamp" it and you had to try to hold him still enough to not do damage.

I will keep you and Jackie in my thoughts and prayers.

[jackie]

I just got home from the vets a couple of hours ago and Jackie is home with me. I was going to leave her for observation until tomorrow, but the vet said she would probably be more comfortable and calm in the house.

She hasn't had a seizure for more then 24 hours (touch wood) and seems to have improved. When I want to the vets at 9am she was so tense she was hunched over and was walking with her nails curved under her feet. I stayed with her for about an hour, went home, then went back about 4 o'clock to pick her up. She is much more relaxed now, but hasn't stopped pacing the house since we got home. It is funny, the other dogs look more tired out then she does, and they haven't even done anything.

4 Dog Mother, the vet did increase her meds and so far she seems to have improved. She isn't crying constantly like she was before, but does seem very disorientated. She keeps stopping and studying things, like a pair of shoes, like she has never seen then before in her life. She also keeps walking to the corner and pressing her nose into it and just standing there. It reminds me of a little kid on a time out.

I will keep you updated, here is hoping she doesn't have anymore seizures and settles down.

[Daisy and Delilah]

Still thinking of Jackie and sending more prayers out. I hope she doesn't have any more seizures. It's so sad. {{{{{JACKIE}}}}}

[momoffuzzyfaces]

I had a dog who had seizures for years. I know how frightening they are. Dilly didn't start having them until she was poisoned. Some jerk was poisoning dogs in town with rat poison. She was outside in her pen, not bothering any one while I was at work. :mad: The vet saved her but she had the seizures off and on until she passed. She was on med that couldn't control the seizures but did damage her liver. :(

I got so I could tell when one was coming. She would start looking around like she was seeing things that weren't there and creeping around looking in corners. Her eyes didn't focus when she looked at me. Like she didn't even see me. Sometimes I could head a seizure off by giving her her med when I noticed her doing that. The days she didn't have seizures though, were great for us both.

Prayers are with you and Jackie. :(

[4 Dog Mother]

The pacing and whining were more due to the valium than the seizure for Snoopy. The standing in corners was still a side effect of the seizure- he would also run into walls - so sad to experience all that. During the last couple of weeks of his life when he started to have more frequent seizures he would cry too.

[joycenalex]

jackie, a wonderful website for dogs with fits is www.canine-epilepsy.com. join us. epilepsy IS NOT a death sentence. alex the wonder dog, lived and lived well for 11 years with seizures. i'll be home monday, you can PM me with any questions. and yes, i do understand about thinking about "borrowing" half a pill ;)

[jackie]

jackie, a wonderful website for dogs with fits is www.canine-epilepsy.com. join us. epilepsy IS NOT a death sentence. alex the wonder dog, lived and lived well for 11 years with seizures. i'll be home monday, you can PM me with any questions. and yes, i do understand about thinking about "borrowing" half a pill ;)


Thanks a lot for the link Joyce.



It was another rough night here. Jackie didn't have any fits but was whining and pacing all night. I just wish she would calm down and make it through a night normally.

Yesterday evening she peed on the floor about 15 minutes after we came in from a walk, which is so out of the ordinary for her. I stood up and walked her around the block three times last night, and she wouldn't go at all. This morning she went for what seems like forever. Usually the first thing she does when we gets out is pee/poo even if she doesn't really need too. Now it seems like she is holding it. I can't figure it out.

[joycenalex]

how's jackie today?