What do you think this is? Another issue #11 *sigh*

[Taz_Zoee]

Denyce, should I be more concerned even though the episodes are spread apart by many months? The last one I can remember was Dec of 06. She might have had one in 07, but I honestly can't even remember.
I think I'm calling my regular vet today and talk to her about the whole situation.
I'm not sure if I mentioned that the vet thought that maybe the benedryl caused this seizure. So now she is still itching like crazy. My poor baby girl.

Thank you pitc9 and chocolatepuppy(I missed yours before).

[Denyce]

The concern is more in the severity and the length of the seizure than in the amount of time in between although that is a concern also. At any time a seizure can go to the point of brain damage. It could be their first seizure even. The body temperature rises dramatically during a seizure and this is where the danger comes in. Also noises and lights can keep a seizure going so when your dog is seizing you need to be calm and talk softly and just try to keep them from hitting their head or falling off of something.

What we did was keep phenobarbitol in a dosage that was higher which we would give her at the VERY FIRST sign of a seizure. She always alerted us to what was happening by looking right at me and whining in a different manner. I would see her eyes dilate and we would get the phenobarbitol in her before she was unable to swallow. But it takes 45 minutes to work. What that would do is keep her from seizing again and again. It was just a one time dose, not a maintenance dosage. We also kept liqued valium which would be given anally just in case the seizure was so severe we were going to lose her. We never had to use that

What are you feeding Zoee now? Because itching skin can also be caused by food allergies. I am not saying what you are feeding her isn't a good food because I don't even know what it is but it might not be working for her right now.

Also, how old is Zoee? Sequoia was about 3.5 when we started with the seizures. We had fed her the Nutros for a year before she stared seizing and for several years after until the dog food recall. It was only by chance that we changed the food.

[Taz_Zoee]

This is what we feed her and have been feeding her since she got off puppy food.

Zoee turned 3 years old back in January. Could she become allergic to things as she gets older? I guess humans can, so why not dogs too?
Any suggestions on what kind of food to switch her to? We cannot do a raw diet, it's just not possible, unfortunately.

I completely understand what you are saying about the seizures. But honestly they are not that severe. I mean the vet said they are petit mal. The only symptoms are panting, drooling, shivering and then she did get a slight head twitch. I actually took video to show the doctor. Also, she was still twitching the head a tiny bit at the vet and they took her temp and she was normal.
Ugh, I'm just so confused!! I, of course, want to do the best for her. Am I in denial thinking it's not that bad of a case?
This is just so stressful! I don't know what is right!!!

[Denyce]

We also fed Sequoia the Nutros Natural but it was the different green bag. It wasn't lamb and rice.

I do not feed raw I feed Innova's Red Meat formula. You can find it here..

http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp

It is just kind of a coincidence. Sequoia's started at about the same age and started very mild like Zoee's. Then they started becoming more severe. At first there was almost 6 months between the first and second. Then they started every 3 months and then every 2. This was for about 3 years.

This is what we fed her.

I am honestly not trying to scare you. But should you take this seriously? Yes. Should you change what you are doing? I don't know. I am just saying that the coincidences are there and our dog's seizures have decreased DRAMATICALLY since switching to a different food. One without glutens and grains. But I can't swear to you that the food has made the difference. But usually epilepsy doesn't just go away. Since she went from seizures every 2 months and the last one being 45 minutes long and with a lot of paddling, drooling and muscle contractions to one that is less severe than what you have described Zoee having 5 months later. And now it has been another 7 months and she still has not had a seizure. The only other change we made was the low thyroid meds at the 5 month mark.

Denyce

[Taz_Zoee]

Thank you so much for all your suggestions and information Denyce. I am not taking this lightly and will be researching ALL of this. I've already emailed myself a link to look at regarding K9 epilepsy. I will also discuss the food change with my vet. She is not in until tomorrow afternoon, but I will be calling her.
Changing food would be a simple solution and worth a shot in comparison to her being on drugs all the time.

I just talked to Bruce and she is doing great this morning. I almost thought she was having another attack, but she didn't...whew!

Here is another reason why I can't live without PT! Everyone cares so much for people and their pets that they've never even met. I love it!

[Denyce]

You are welcome and I KNOW you are worried about your beloved pup. I hope our experience can help somewhat. I know how grateful I am that Sequoia isn't having seizures now. But I also know they could come back so I watch her carefully still. Please keep us all updated on how your puppers is doing.