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Dog Epilepsy

PorcupinePorcupine Posts: 25,245
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in Pets #1
Has anyone here had / has a dog who has suffered with fits / seizures ?

My gorgeous pooch has just been diagnosed, and I have to be honest, im very scared. I have read a lot about the drugs she has been given which are called Pexion - and the side effects sound atrocious.

I mentioned my concern to the vet and he tried to reassure me, but I wondered if anyone else had gone through a similar thing.

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  • AbsolutelyAbsolutely Posts: 1,993
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    #2
    One of my dogs started fitting 3 years ago, they don't know the cause, calling it idiopathic epilepsy. We resisted the last 3 years giving any meds because like you I was afraid of all the side effects.
    He is 8 years old, in the beginning he had a fit maybe 4 -6 weeks apart, but in the last year they got lots more frequent. When he had them every week sometimes 2 days running we went back to the Vets to discuss what to do. (having in the beginning spend all my insurance on MRI and all sorts to make sure its not a tumour)

    We now have started him on 2 tablets a day of pheno, and I am happy to say he has not had a fit (knock on wood) since, that makes 4 month now. :)
  • Vast_GirthVast_Girth Posts: 9,793
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    #3
    Sorry, but you can't have a thread with that title without a link to this..

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlCoBra6PfU
  • PorcupinePorcupine Posts: 25,245
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    #4
    Absolutely wrote: »
    One of my dogs started fitting 3 years ago, they don't know the cause, calling it idiopathic epilepsy. We resisted the last 3 years giving any meds because like you I was afraid of all the side effects.
    He is 8 years old, in the beginning he had a fit maybe 4 -6 weeks apart, but in the last year they got lots more frequent. When he had them every week sometimes 2 days running we went back to the Vets to discuss what to do. (having in the beginning spend all my insurance on MRI and all sorts to make sure its not a tumour)

    We now have started him on 2 tablets a day of pheno, and I am happy to say he has not had a fit (knock on wood) since, that makes 4 month now. :)

    Your story seems similar to mine. My dog has just turned nine, and like yours her fits are few and far between. The first 2 were five weeks apart, then the last two were a fortnight apart.

    The vet took bloods and they were analysed which showed that her kidney and liver were healthy. She is due to start on tablets in a week or so (currently she is on drugs for stomach problems which we are clearing up first). We have been told that they won't eliminate the fits, but they will make them less frequent and less severe. If the tablets don't work - then we have been told that she will need an MRI scan.

    Unfortunately I checked my insurance policy last night and they will only pay out £500 for the MRI scan, and the vet told me it will cost a minimum of £1,500.
  • AbsolutelyAbsolutely Posts: 1,993
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    Yes the MRI scan did cost over £1000 for us too, they also wanted to take a sample from the scull, but I refused, said if MRI did not show anything then we would leave it. To be honest if your dog had his fits for some time, I dont really see the need for the MRI scan. It sounds to me like just fits for unknown reasons same as my dog. We are now giving Epiphen twice a day, every 12 hours and he is doing ok on them. The first 2 weeks he was a bit unsteady with his hind legs, but that is ok now, he does his normal running and his his normal self. We thought it was worth it now to put him on the meds, if we hopefully have him a few more years at his age, that that will be a bonus. But I am also glad I did not start the meds 3 years ago, because the damage might be already showing now if we had.
  • PorcupinePorcupine Posts: 25,245
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    Absolutely wrote: »
    The first 2 weeks he was a bit unsteady with his hind legs, but that is ok now, he does his normal running and his his normal self.

    Having read everything I can about the drug Pexion (which is what mine will be given) it did say the dog might not be steady on her feet and act drunk for a week or so. Its very scary, and once you start them on the tablets - that's it .... for life. I was really scared the drugs may change her from the skanky, gorgeous, cuddly menace that she is now - to a dog I don't recognise. The vet told me that all drugs 'could' have side effects for different dogs, same as human drugs. But Pexion was only created in 2013, so I feel like she is an experiment. But, its the one the vet recommends.

    Thank you for sharing your experiences. It is appreciated.
  • AbsolutelyAbsolutely Posts: 1,993
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    #7
    I hope your dog will be ok, mine did not change from the friendly soul he is at all.
    And the unsteadiness was just in the first couple of weeks, and only when he just got up, so not all the time. But as I said, he has not had a fit since we started so its worth it, not to have him and the other dogs distressed all the time.
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