My German Shepard has siezures

[Catcrazed]

My room mate aquired a beutiful male German Shepard. We (The dog and I) did not get along well at first but we are making progress. When he was seven months old he had his first siezure and has had them almost everyother month since then. He is now 14 months old. Is this a breed problem common to German Shepards?

[Karen]

Epilepsy is in fact most common, I was told, in German Shepherds and Collies. Bring your pup to the vet - they can run tests and determine if it is Epilepsy, and there are medications that can help you and your dog lead a normal life.

[shais_mom]

Epilepsy is common is purebreeds from the age of 6 mos to 5 years.
My 4 year old greyhound was just diagnosed with epilepsy around Easter this year. She had 3-4 petit mal seizures and 2 grand mal seizures that I witnessed. Scared the you know what outta me!!! Shaianne has been on phenobarbital 1 pill a day (1/2 in am and 1/2 in pm) since Easter. They told me that if they start having them a month apart that is when we worry. Shai's grand mal seizures were 3 weeks apart. She has been doing beautifully with the medicine. It has not changed her disposition or anything.
If she were to continue to have the seizures on the meds then we would have upped her dosage and if that didn't work then we would have to go the route of a CT or MRI to see if she had a brain tumor. I am an xray technologist and of course my first thought after her first seizure was "Its a brain tumor or epilepsy."
I am not sure if I would go the route of a CT or MRI, a brain tumor is so devastating I wouldn't want her to live in pain b/c of me. Now don't get me wrong, she is my heart and soul but she has been my best friend and wonderful furkid, but I wouldn't want to prolong her suffering. But Thank the Good Lord I don't have to deal with that just yet b/c she is doing beautifully on the meds.
Please keep us all posted, and we all will be thinking of you!
But please take the puppy to the vet ASAP! I called after Shai's first seizure and they told me just to watch her and when she had the 2nd one they got me in ASAP that day to do blood work.
Anyway, thanks for telling us about the precious pup!!!
http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by shais_mom (edited June 11, 2001).]

[Sudilar]

Good luck with your furbaby.

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[Daisy's Mom]

Daisy's boyfriend Moe is a 14 year old Brittany Spaniel. He had two seizures within a month last spring, and like Shai, was put on Phenobarbitol. It works perfectly for him too and he has had no problems with it. Good luck with your GSD!

[Catcrazed]

Thankyou guys for your advice. We have already taken him to the vet. He told us to keep a reccord of when he has siezures. So far, every two or three weeks. My room mate wants to put him to sleep bcaause we cannot afford medication for him. We aleady spend more than 300 dollars a month on people medicine. How much is this stuff going to cost?

[Sudilar]

Oh please don't put him to sleep. Take him to a German Shepherd Rescue. They should be willing to take him and find him a home that can afford the medicine. This seems to be something that can be controlled. Please give him a chance!!

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[sammi]

Oh, I hope you don't put him to sleep. I don't know what the medication costs but, sometimes you can get it cheaper at the drug store than buying it at the vets. (you would need a Rx from the vet) Find out what kind of med the vet usually recomends and call around to get price costs. Like others have stated that this most of the time is very treatable.

[tatsxxx11]

I agree. PLEASE do not put him to sleep. German Shep. Rescue places many fine GSD's with either age, behavioral or health issues. Please contact them if you feel you can no longer care for him. Please give him another chance! And thank you for trying to address his issues.

[This message has been edited by tatsxxx11 (edited June 26, 2001).]

[Pam]

My miniature poodle had seizures and was on Phenobarb for several years. She is at the Rainbow Bridge now (died at 14) and at the time of her death in 1998 we were paying $7.00 for 100 pills. She took two a day so it was 50 days worth. When you figure it out it's not that much. Of course prices have most certainly gone up in three years. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/frown.gif I also say PLEASE do not put him to sleep. This is a fixable/workable problem!!

[AdoreMyDogs]

If you lived closer to me I would offer to adopt him...GSD's are my dream, I have always wanted one and it's sad to hear of one who's life may be cut short due to a very treatable illness. Please, opt to put him into GSD rescue before putting him to sleep. There are plenty of people out there who love GSD's and have enough money to pay for regular meds, and are desperately searching for the perfect rescue. Perhaps your last gift of love to the dog is to put him in a home where he will be able to get the medical care he needs to live a long life. Maybe you would even foster him until the GSD rescue finds him a good home, that way you can meet the new owners?

Again...it's too bad I don't live closer to you. I would promise, with all of my heart, to give that dog the best life I could possibly give a dog.

[shais_mom]

Please don't put him down, he can find a wonderful home somewhere. People told me to put Shai down when she started the seizures, but it would break my heart.
Phenobarb, is about $20-25 I am still using the 1st perscription the vet gave me around Easter. She takes a half a pill twice a day.
It is well worth it to me it I don't have to witness her having a grand mal seizure again, twice was enough for me!!!
Keep us posted!!

[Stenograsaurus]

I agree with what everyone on here said. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not put him to sleep!!!! If you decide you cannot afford the medicine and you you need help finding a local rescue center, I'm sure everyone on this board would be happy to help look for one for you. Let us know what you decide.

[This message has been edited by Stenograsaurus (edited June 27, 2001).]

[Catcrazed]

Unfortunately it is not my decision, but I am trying my hardest to get Lynn (dog's owner) to be reasonable. She also was planning on studding him out since he is pure-bred but now can't. If these pills are as cheap as you say I will pay for them with my baby-sitting money. Charlie's medicine is more important than school books, gas, or tuition anyday. He is my buddy and I won't let him die. I wonder if it's genetic or if the breeder knew... :confused:

[AdoreMyDogs]

Thank you for doing all you are able to do to keep the dog alive. I hope the pills are as cheap for you also, because it would be a shame to end a life for financial reasons :(

I do know that epilepsy is quite common in GSD's and yes it is genetic...tell her not to breed him! He really shoud be neutered. It's real important when there is a dog that has a genetic disorder not to have it bred. It will just add to the genetically deficient puppies out there who will end up dying young because of their illness, or being placed into a shelter due to lack of finances to keep up on their medical costs. If your roommate has the contact information from the breeder she should call them and let them know. A responsible breeder will steralize the parents to your roomates dog if he/she learns about this. Good luck and keep up the good and kind work of offering to pay for your roomates dog. That is a wonderful deed, and you will be most rewarded by the life and affection of a lovely GSD!

[Catcrazed]

I agree

[Tanya&Fritz]

I have just read through this topic for the first time. Just out of curiosity, is your roommate not emotionally attached to the dog? I couldn't even CONSIDER putting my dogs to sleep for any reason. I'd probably go without food myself to pay for any medication. I'm just curious. Sorry if I sound nasty, I'm really not! :)

[Catcrazed]

Somehow I don't think she is.
She won't pay the seventy bucks to nueter him either.

[carrie]

Where did your friend get this dog? Why did she get this dog? Was it only to use him as a stud? Did she have any idea what living with a large stud can be like? If she has no bond with this dog, will not neuter him and has little interest in caring for his health and emotional well being she has no right to have a dog. It is vital that she contacts the breeders and explains the situation to them, although it is unlikely they will stop breeding from affected dogs as they have not bothered to check what sort of commitment and care their pup would get once it left them.
I too am sorry if I sound mean and cross but this sort of thing makes me mean and cross!

[lizbud]

If your roommate is not really bonded to
the dog,would she consider selling it?
Hopefully to someone who cares more about the
dog than the money she hoped to make breeding
him. I think this could be considered as a
Rescue type situation.At least he has you
on HIS side.Thanks to you for that!!!

[Catcrazed]

I will take care of Charlie. It's not nessecarily that she won't. It's more like she can't because a back injury compuonded by a weight problem makes it difficult for her to move around. She only gets $500 a month in social security.

Getting the dog wasn't her idea. Her dad wanted a German shepard but didn't realize how difficult Charlie woiuld be to raise. Plus it nipped one of his grandkids so his wife made him get rid of it. Instead of returning it to the breeder or something they gave it to Lynn, not even consulting the rest of the house on a dog that is, out of nessecity, everyone's responsibillity! :mad: :mad:

[lizbud]

Catcrazed..
Thanks for your update on this.His name
is Charlie!!That name holds a Special place
in my heart forever.
If you can afford the neutering he will be
a lot easier to train and control.. If He has
all that done & someone to make sure He gets
the meds to control the seizures, Charlie
could make a very good pet, loyal friend,
and strong protector of 'His Family'..
Please let me know how everything goes.

[joycenalex]

dear catcrazed, alex the wonder dog has been diagnosed with epilepsy since 3/97. he has a good life. i strongly urge that you get him to a vet for a full check up, including a full 6 part thyroid panel--low thyroid levels can cause seizures--and a chemistry panel. this will the be expensive but it's well worth it up front, it'll let you know up front if there is a metabolic cause for the seizures, then get him neutered, a dog who has seizures CANNOT be used for breeding. (you don't want someone else watching their beloved dog thrash around.) now it gets simpler, after that get him on the best dog food you can, BHA, BTA and ethoxyquin and rosemary can and have caused seizures and are in many foods. if you have a printer with your computer, some premiun foods company will download coupons to make it even cheaper.
it helps to keep a log of where/when/what was happening when charlie has seizures. that's how i found that alex was sensative to a certian type of flea preventative, but not to another.
i buy his phenobarb at the drug store, 3 months at a time, and the pills cost me $8....dirt cheap.
there is a lot of knowledge out on the net on how to help your dog, research is important, i cried with relief when i found out there was hope for alex. if you have questions, please don't hesitate to email me. all the best to you and the roomie, alex sends woofs to charlie

[shais_mom]

How do you get phenobarb at the drugstore? Ijust got shais at the vet, 100 pills which will last 100 days for $24.00???

[jackiesdaisy1935]

CATCRAZED, I think you two were put in a situation where it sounded great to get a purebred German Shepard and make some money putting him out to stud. However since he became ill, and it sounds like you both are really not in the position to pay for his care and medication, I'm sure you have good intentions, but this problem won't be for just a day or a week or for who knows how long, and I know that you have come to love him and want to help him, don't you think for the dogs sake he should go to a German Shepard rescue where they will find someone who has the resources to pay for his care and will take wonderful care of him. Maybe if you do this, you could have visitation days with him. I think at this point you should discuss this with your roomate and maybe do what is best for the dog.
Jackie

[joycenalex]

this is for shais mom. the vet(really the tech after getting the vets okay) calls it in to the drugstore. knowing that this was a life time med i called around till i found the best price. they know me as alexs' mom there. last year i had surgery on my nose(very minor) and the doctor prescribed some mild pain pills for me; a friend went to the drugstore to pick up my pills and all the info they had under my name was for my dog. :D. in ohio vets can prescribe certain meds under/with their DEA number, all they need to do is write the/call the prescription in to the store.

[ July 28, 2001: Message edited by: joycenalex ]

[CoraNewf]

Catcrazed:

Jackie brings up a very valid point. By turning Charlie over to Rescue, you will have the peace of mind of knowing the he is in the best possible hands, and guaranteed of a home where he will be loved and taken care of. I work with Newfoundland Rescue.

When a dog comes into rescue, they are placed in foster care, given all necessary vet care (including spay/neutering), and evaluated until the best home possible is found for the dog. People who adopt Newfs from rescue have gone through a thorough screening and home check.

I'm curious--- if your room-mate can't afford pheno barb, which is really not that expensive... (Sadie had severe epilepsy and took both phenobarb and postasium bromide)... is she getting all necessary shots for Charlie, as well as testing for heartworm and heartworm preventive??? That's very very important!

Please think about encouraging her to turn Charlie over to GSD Rescue.... breeding him is a very bad idea.... :(

[Catcrazed]

No she is not getting him anything but the mandatory rabies shot. I asked her to do that. Unfortunately she won't listen to me that redilly in most cases. I'm only 17, she 40ish. What do I know? Plus legally the dog is her "property"! I will look into rescue groups, but I cannot transfer ownership, as he was not mine to begin with.