Have had a basset die at 2 1/2 year of age from a status siezure and diagnosed with idopathic epilepsy at 1 1/2 year of age that was never controled she averaged 1 siezure every 2 weeks.
Some thing I have Learned.
1. Potassium Bromide s hould be the First drug used to attempt siezure control. It is as effective in most dogs as phenobarbitol without the nasty side effect. The only draw back is it takes time to build up to cinical levels in the blood stream.
2. Any Dog on Phenobarbital Need frequent liver tests and Testing level of Phenobarbitol in the blood steam. and a bile acid test. Just month before She died her liver was almost completely destroyed by Phenobarbitol. and was hospitilize for nearly 2 weeks.
REDUCING THE RISK OF DRUG INDUCED LIVER DISEASE
URINE BILE ACID TESTING
"We all know how important pre- and post- bile acid testing is for dogs on phenobarbital. Since about 20% of the dogs on Pb develop liver disease, bile acid testing should be done every 3 to 4 months to make sure that your dog is not developing liver dysfunction."
REDUCING PHENOBARBITAL DOSAGES
Potassium Bromide Used Alone and as an Adjunct to Phenobarbital
"potassium bromide is becoming more popular today to treat canine epilepsy and has been shown to be effective especially in dogs with seizures that are resistant to standard therapies including phenobarbital (Pb).
...Here is what Lauren Trepanier, DVM, Ph.D. of Cornell University has to say about this:
“The relative efficacy of bromide alone compared to phenobarbital alone is still not clear. In the handful of epileptic dogs that we have treated with bromide from the time of initial diagnosis, bromide appears to be quite
effective as a single agent. Because of the risk of hepatotoxicity with phenobarbital, bromide may be preferable as a first line agent, with smaller doses of phenobarbital added later if additional seizure control is needed.
Only further experience with clarify this issue.”"
3. Was a full Thyroid panel done on the dog. Low thyroid can cause siezures even if there are no other clinical signs of hypothyrodism and just notice in your post FWIW Aggression is another side effect of hypothyrodism. In younger dogs this cause is often over looked.
COMMENTS ON THYROID DISEASE
". Thyroid testing should be considered in any dog with recurrent seizures. Although the relationship between hypothyroidism and recurrent seizures is unclear, thyroid testing is relatively inexpensive and carries little risk to the patient.
Only one symptom may be present to suspect low thyroid function. Seizures can be a symptom of thyroid imbalance, which warrants performing a full thyroid panel. "
BEHAVIORAL CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH THYROID DYSFUNCTION IN DOGS
"*Thyroid dysfunction was found in 62% of the aggressive dogs, 77% of seizuring dogs, 47% of fearful dogs, and 31% of hyperactive dogs.
*Outcomes of treatment intervention with standard twice daily doses of thyroid replacement were evaluated in 95 cases. Of these, 58 dogs had greater than 50% improvement in their behavior as judged by a predefined 6-point subjective scale (34 were improved >75%), and another 23 dogs had >25 but <50% improvement. Only 10 dogs experienced no appreciable change, and 2 dogs had a worsening of their behavior. When compared to 20 cases of dominance aggression treated with conventional behavioral or other habit modification over the same time period, only 11 dogs improved >25% and of the remaining 9 cases, 3 failed to improve and 3 were euthanized or placed in another home. These initial results are so promising that complete thyroid diagnostic profiling and treatment with thyroid supplement, where indicated, is warranted for all cases presenting with aberrant behavior."
4. Considering the life threatening situation Cluster seizure can be You need a prescription for Liquid Valium and a syringe to administer it rectally to the dog.
See:
TREATING CLUSTER SEIZURES WITH THE RECTAL AND ORAL VALIUM PROTOCOL"
HOME TREATMENT WITH RECTAL DIAZEPAM FOR CLUSTER SEIZURES IN DOGSBy W.B. Thomas DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM (Neurology)
"While a single seizure of short duration is rarely life-threatening, status epilepticus is a medical emergency requiring prompt treatment. Continuous seizure activity lasting 30 to 60 minutes can lead to profound, life-threatening abnormalities and brain damage. 2 Although cluster seizures do not fulfill the definition of continuous seizure activity, they nevertheless represent a serious condition that can progress to status epilepticus. The goal of treatment is to quickly stop the seizure and provide support for the patient. Typically, this involves urgent veterinary care, including administering anti-seizure medication by vein. The financial and emotional distress of repeated emergency treatment is a common reason for a client to have an epileptic pet euthanized.
...This treatment uses commercially available diazepam injectable solution. Although this solution is intended for injection by vein, studies have shown that this product is absorbed well when given rectally. The syringe is filled with the appropriate dose of diazepam and then attached to a 1-inch teat cannula or similar device. This is inserted approximately one inch (2 cm) into the dog's rectum and the syringe's plunger is pushed, delivering the diazepam. The first treatment is given as soon as possible after the onset of a seizure. The same dose can be repeated for a total of 3 times within a 24-hour period.
...Each patient is different, so specific recommendations can only be made by the attending veterinarian. A dose of 2 mg per kg of body weight is usually recommended for dogs taking Phenobarbital (Phenobarbital is known to increase the dose requirement for diazepam).5 In dogs not taking Phenobarbital, the dose is usually 0.5 to 1 mg per kg.
The rectal dose is higher than the intravenous dose in order to obtain adequate blood levels. Also, as mentioned above, long-term treatment of Phenobarbital increases the dose requirement as well. These doses have been found to be quite safe in experimental studies in dogs.5"
[ February 03, 2006, 08:40 PM: Message edited by: Mikey T ]