# Epilepsy Treatments



## cprcheetah

Zoey had another petite mal seizure last night, so in talking to my dad we think she probably is epileptic as well. Normally we put dogs with epilepsy on Phenobarbital and/or Potassium Bromide, both have nasty nasty side effects and can damage their liver. Where Zoey is already on so many drugs I really hesitate to add more to her mix especially where she is so tiny it's going to be hard to get the correct dosing. So I've been researching and found a website that said Magnesium (10mg/10#) & Virgin Coconut Oil helped in some dogs with seizures. Anyone ever given 'alternate' therapies a try with seizures? Also reading that interceptor is the best choice for heartworm prevention over heartguard for dogs prone to seizures.

Also read on a website that pork can cause seizures, has anyone heard of that? Pork is one of the main things Zoey eats.


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## 17428

Thank-You Heather for sharing such details of Zoey`s care.
This is all very interesting info.
Especially the part about coconut oil and pork.
I found a link you might check out.
Its input from other dog owners.
Epilepsy Remedies


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## Brodysmom

Good for you Heather for researching into whatever remedies might help little Zoey. The only studies I have seen have been on supplementing with taurine for epileptic dogs.


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## cprcheetah

Dahlia`s MaMa said:


> Thank-You Heather for sharing such details of Zoey`s care.
> This is all very interesting info.
> I found a link you might check out.
> Its input from other dog owners.
> Epilepsy Remedies


Thank-you Dahlia's mom, I actually found the info on Magnesium on that site  Lots of good information.



Brodysmom said:


> Good for you Heather for researching into whatever remedies might help little Zoey. The only studies I have seen have been on supplementing with taurine for epileptic dogs.


I remember you mentioning that about the taurine, I am planning on going to the health food store tomorrow (we were just there yesterday picking up stuff for us) to get some supplements for Zoey. My dad said we could start her off on the Potassium Bromide which isn't as hard on them as the Phenobarbital, and go from there, we might need to adjust dosing with the natural remedies. I'd like to just use natural remedies but don't want her to have to have seizures.


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## TLI

I haven't done much research on canine epilepsy, but wanted to say that I commend you for being so thorough with Zoey's care. She really is in the best hands. I do agree that with her being tiny that all those meds on a regular basis could cause further harm and damage. Tough call, but I know you will come to the very best conclusion and treatment plan for Zoey.


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## cprcheetah

TLI said:


> I haven't done much research on canine epilepsy, but wanted to say that I commend you for being so thorough with Zoey's care. She really is in the best hands. I do agree that with her being tiny that all those meds on a regular basis could cause further harm and damage. Tough call, but I know you will come to the very best conclusion and treatment plan for Zoey.


Thank-you T, I appreciate it. I know Zoey is with me for a reason. Another girl on the yahoo list I was on actually wanted Zoey first then after about 4 weeks changed her mind and took her sister Bella, so I ended up with Zoey....it was for a good reason. She would have been dead long ago if someone else had her, her vet bills would be astronomical with everything she has been through. 

We have her on the minimal amounts of drugs we can here's her daily regiment:
She is on:
1- Enalapril Maleate 1.25mg twice a day (for pressure issues with Hydrocephalus)
2- Theophylline 100mg 1/4th tablet once a day (collapsing trachea/chronic bronchitis)
3- Vetalog 0.5mg 1/4 tablet every 3 days (hydrocephalus)
4- Prilosec 1.5mg once daily (hydrocephalus)
5- Metacam liquid daily for arthritis
6- Cough Tablets (basically tablet form of Robitussin DM for Chronic Bronchitis 1/4 tablet 3x a day
7- Melatonin for CDA (Color Dilution Alopecia)
8- Phycox 1/2 chew per day for joints
9- Also have Albuterol Inhaler (rescue) as well as Flovent (twice daily) for chronic bronchitis 

Right now she is also on Panmycin Drops for a throat infection as well as Buprenex & increased Vetalog (1/4 tablet twice daily) for eosophagitis & a bruised eosophagus).
I think that is the extent of her medications. She is severely allergic to Zeniquin (hives & anaphylactic shock). 

So you can see why I don't want to add even more to that, especially where she's going through a more difficult 'pilling' stage, although found ground turkey is really soft and REALLY easy to hide pills in lol. She loves it too. We have her blood tested every 3-4 months to make sure she's not having any adverse affects from the drugs.


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## 17428

OMG what a daily regimen for her!
You are a special person Heather
to do so much for her.Yes God
did place her in the right hands.
You are giving her the best gift 
possible....quality of life now.


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## TLI

Yes, I do firmly believe that things happen for a reason. And you are very right. Anyone else would have probably had to put her down due to not being able to afford her continued care and meds. She deserves a full life as you are giving her. It makes me happy to hear stories like Zoey's. 

Wow, that is a lot of meds for such a tiny girl. Your dedication is amazing. That is wonderful that you guys do the regular blood testing to keep track of her levels to know if the meds are causing any type of damage. 

I enjoy following Zoey's story. She is an amazing little fighter. I also love to see that there are pet owners that are in it for the long haul. Many aren't as lucky as little Zoey.


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## woodard2009

I know that my vet has always told me "NO PIG for Dogs" for many reasons. Their digestive system can't handle all the grease. I don't do heartworm pills. I know I'm taking a chance, but I strongly believe that we are putting too many chemicals in our little guys bodies. I don't do rabies. 
I did just order 2 bottles of virgin coconut oil because I heard it's great for dogs who suffer with allergies & other illnesses, but I have yet to use any. I'm not sure how to use it yet. I think it's wonderful that you're trying to find alternative treatments for Zoey. I feel so bad for her, but I know she is in the best hands she could possibly be in.


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## TLI

Yesterday when I was reading about chewies, I came across something interesting. They say that Pigs Ears are a major no no. They can cause severe gastrointestinal issues. Something about introducing bad bacteria’s in the gut. I now wonder if that isn't what caused my pups to get HGE. Pigs Ears were one of their all time faves. I kept them out most all the time. I also know that rich meats as in pork can cause pancreatitis, so I think staying away from Pork all together is a good choice.


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## woodard2009

TLI said:


> Yesterday when I was reading about chewies, I came across something interesting. They say that Pigs Ears are a major no no. They can cause severe gastrointestinal issues. Something about introducing bad bacteria’s in the gut. I now wonder if that isn't what caused my pups to get HGE. Pigs Ears were one of their all time faves. I kept them out most all the time. I also know that rich meats as in pork can cause pancreatitis, so I think staying away from Pork all together is a good choice.


Yea, I hate depriving Midgie of pork but there's just too many consquences associated with pork that it's just not worth the risk. Besides, there's so many meat choices we can give our chis that it's not that big of deal not to do pork. I almost fell off the chair the 1st time my vet told me "NO PIG." I always gave my dogs a taste of pork now & then. I wasn't sure what to believe for the longest time, but I did what she said & low-and-behold more & more is being read about issues with pork.


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## woodard2009

I don't know if you've seen this, but I found this for your research:
Natural Remedies for Epilepsy in Dogs | eHow.com


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## 17428

Are they talking about raw or cooked pork??
A lot of people give raw pork ribs as chews here.


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## woodard2009

Not really sure! All I know is my vet swears by no pig, not at all.

A Note About Feeding Pork to Dogs. Recently in my monthly newsletter I stated that Pork should never be fed raw to dogs. The United States is NOT free from a swine disease known as Aujeszky's Disease or pseudorabies. This disease is incurable in and fatal to dogs. If you feed pork, be sure it is well cooked. Well, Sharon, a reader of Kat’s Journal, was kind enough to provide me with additional information that should make feeders of raw pork rest easier.

“I run a raw feeding buying co-op and as we've seen tremendous price increases in beef and now in poultry, pork has become more popular among our members. The virus that causes pseudorabies is rather fragile and can be killed by freezing, which is not common for viruses. Typically they can only be killed by high heat. I freeze my pork for a minimum of three weeks and make sure my freezer temp is cold enough. I saved a bunch of my research information, some of which appears below. Just thought you might be interested.” Sharon

www.aahc.com.au/ausvetplan/aujfinal.pdf "Meat from abattoir-slaughtered pigs is very unlikely to present a risk of spread of infection to pigs or other susceptible animals, as infected pigs are viraemic for a short time, the amount of virus is reduced by the pH changes postmortem, and freezing inactivates AD virus."

CDFA > AHFSS > Animal Health Home "The virus is very susceptible to pH levels below 4 and above 9 and temperatures slightly below freezing."

From Veterinary Extension and Outreach — Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences — Penn State University "In 1989 a national control and eradication program was instituted in the Untied States. As of May 2002, only five states had not reached Stage V (free status). The five remaining states are in eradication programs and it was anticipated that all states would be at Stage V within a matter of 1 to 2 years."


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## cprcheetah

Zoey has been eating Pork as a main staple in her diet since switching her to raw, it's one of the main foods she eats. She hasn't had pancreatitis or anything like that, the main concern with pancreatitis is the fat, we had a client who's friend thought it would be good to let her dog eat the remains of a cooked pork feast, the dog got severe pancreatitis from all the grease/fat and now has to be on a specialized diet for the rest of her life. I cut most fat off the meats I feed my dogs, just allowing a small amount. The grease on pig ears can cause issues, I've seen it in a few dogs, and especially where the chis are so tiny it could have been the culprit of their tummy troubles. 

I called my dad and he said not to worry about it, he hasn't heard of pork causing seizures in dogs, and doesn't see why it would. Zoey has hydrocephalus which weakens her brain and each seizure makes her more prone to the next, so since she has had 2 more seizures since Georgie's attack and her 'Grand Mal Seizure' we are pretty confident that is the culprit. Each seizure creates damage in their brains :-(


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## woodard2009

I also found this:
Can dogs eat pork? - Yahoo! Answers


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## cprcheetah

Actually this is what I found --both of those diseases are pretty much gone in the USA & other similar countries, in wild boar or bear the diseases are still present as well as in 3rd world countries.
Raw Feeding Myths | Facebook
Raw pork, which can be a source of trichinosis and Aujeszky’s Disease (pseudorabies), often causes particular anxiety. Both of these diseases, however, have been just about completely eradicated from USDA-inspected products in this country, though they may still be a concern elsewhere, or if you obtain meat from a local farm that has not been inspected. Freezing for three weeks should make the meat safe. Note that trichinosis is also found in carnivorous wild game, including bear and wild boar, and in that case, freezing will not kill it.

Freezing will also kill certain other parasites, such as tapeworms and toxoplasma, but it does not kill bacteria.

Here is a map of the pseudorabies status in the US if you notice all states are FREE of it









Since 1996 there has not been a positive case of tested pigs for trich:
Trichinae Herd Certification Pilot


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## 17428

Would the coconut oil counteract the effects
of pork triggering seizure issues??


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## TLI

If your Dad said not to worry, I'd go with his recommendation. He seems to be very up to date, and def. very thorough in Zoey's care. I forget exactly what the article said about the pigs ears, I'll find it in a bit and post it.  We quit using the pigs ears long ago after the HGE. Those things were very greasy! They couldn’t really “chew” them, as in eat them, but they would get them all gummy, and would lick the grease off. Too much for their systems, I guess. I can’t say for sure what caused the HGE, just speculation. We went over every chewie, every food, tested water sources, tested foods, you name it. I’ll never know for sure what caused it. It was just so odd. Perfectly healthy pups, then wham. All 4 so sick. It was the craziest thing, and I still try to figure it out.


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## QUIGLEY'S MOM

Oh sweet Zoey. Bless your tiny heart. I hope you feel better and your mama finds what works best for you! Feel better sweet baby!


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## svdreamer

cprcheetah said:


> Thank-you T, I appreciate it. I know Zoey is with me for a reason. Another girl on the yahoo list I was on actually wanted Zoey first then after about 4 weeks changed her mind and took her sister Bella, so I ended up with Zoey....it was for a good reason. She would have been dead long ago if someone else had her, her vet bills would be astronomical with everything she has been through.
> 
> We have her on the minimal amounts of drugs we can here's her daily regiment:
> She is on:
> 1- Enalapril Maleate 1.25mg twice a day (for pressure issues with Hydrocephalus)
> 2- Theophylline 100mg 1/4th tablet once a day (collapsing trachea/chronic bronchitis)
> 3- Vetalog 0.5mg 1/4 tablet every 3 days (hydrocephalus)
> 4- Prilosec 1.5mg once daily (hydrocephalus)
> 5- Metacam liquid daily for arthritis
> 6- Cough Tablets (basically tablet form of Robitussin DM for Chronic Bronchitis 1/4 tablet 3x a day
> 7- Melatonin for CDA (Color Dilution Alopecia)
> 8- Phycox 1/2 chew per day for joints
> 9- Also have Albuterol Inhaler (rescue) as well as Flovent (twice daily) for chronic bronchitis
> 
> Right now she is also on Panmycin Drops for a throat infection as well as Buprenex & increased Vetalog (1/4 tablet twice daily) for eosophagitis & a bruised eosophagus).
> I think that is the extent of her medications. She is severely allergic to Zeniquin (hives & anaphylactic shock).
> 
> So you can see why I don't want to add even more to that, especially where she's going through a more difficult 'pilling' stage, although found ground turkey is really soft and REALLY easy to hide pills in lol. She loves it too. We have her blood tested every 3-4 months to make sure she's not having any adverse affects from the drugs.


Wow, that is a lot of meds. As a nurse, I am always learning. I have a couple of questions, hope you don't mind, in case I every have a dog with this medical diagnosis. Prilosec is used for gastric ulcers, how does it help in hydrocephalis? And why treat the CDA? Does it help? Billy has it a little, being a blue, but I never treated it. 

Smoke is on phenobarb for seizures, but he was having up to 10 a day. Petit mal seizures are absence seizures, usually not that harmful and mostly not medicated. I had petit mal seizures when I was a kid, but outgrew them. My mom's dog had gran mal seizures about 3-4 times a years and was not put on any medication because the side effects weren't worth it in the long run. 

You are doing so great with Zoey, you are her lifesaver.


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## cprcheetah

svdreamer said:


> Wow, that is a lot of meds. As a nurse, I am always learning. I have a couple of questions, hope you don't mind, in case I every have a dog with this medical diagnosis. Prilosec is used for gastric ulcers, how does it help in hydrocephalis? And why treat the CDA? Does it help? Billy has it a little, being a blue, but I never treated it.
> 
> Smoke is on phenobarb for seizures, but he was having up to 10 a day. Petit mal seizures are absence seizures, usually not that harmful and mostly not medicated. I had petit mal seizures when I was a kid, but outgrew them. My mom's dog had gran mal seizures about 3-4 times a years and was not put on any medication because the side effects weren't worth it in the long run.
> 
> You are doing so great with Zoey, you are her lifesaver.


Prilosec reduces the CSF Fluid by about 26% they don't know why but it does. Which in turn reduces the pressure on the brain.
The Melatonin has shown to regrow hair in some dogs with Alopecia, I've used it since Zoey was young and I think it's helped her not be as severe as other I have seen. Every seizure does damage to the brain and where she's had 4 in 2 weeks even though some were petite mal, we need to do something to control them.


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## svdreamer

cprcheetah said:


> Prilosec reduces the CSF Fluid by about 26% they don't know why but it does. Which in turn reduces the pressure on the brain.
> The Melatonin has shown to regrow hair in some dogs with Alopecia, I've used it since Zoey was young and I think it's helped her not be as severe as other I have seen. Every seizure does damage to the brain and where she's had 4 in 2 weeks even though some were petite mal, we need to do something to control them.


Thank you, I did not know that about the Prilosec. Since Billy's CDA is not severe, I think I will leave him be. And your right about the seizures, she is compromised already. I was just throwing out different scenarios, but of course, you know your dog better than me. I pray you find the right balance for her, wish I had more to offer. We are just starting on Smoke journey with seizures and have only just tried the phenobarb.


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