Saphire Just Began Having Seizures Please Help!

[Guest Anonymous]

[img]http://www.antique-central.com/users/upoads/wolflady/frostedmommy.jpg[/img]
Hi.. :cry: My Purbred Siberian Husky has just began having seizures.I am trying to learn all that I can about this . She is on anti seizure medication.She is only 2 years old.She just began having seizures approx.3 weeks ago.Anyone with any ideas as to why she would be having them I would sure like to speak with.I have asked the vet for a rhyme or reason and she can not give me one.I had also breed Saphire for the first time the earlier in that day when she had her first seizure.I was unaware of this seizure disorder in Saphire.Vet says now that if she is pregnant they will most likely end up being "fetal Monsters" were her words.Anyhow anyone with any ideas or suggestions please contact me.
Thanks very much![/img]

[Guest Anonymous]

[quote name='SaphireIsMyHusky'][img]http://www.antique-central.com/users/upoads/wolflady/frostedmommy.jpg[/img]
Hi.. :cry: My Purbred Siberian Husky has just began having seizures.I am trying to learn all that I can about this . She is on anti seizure medication.She is only 2 years old.She just began having seizures approx.3 weeks ago.Anyone with any ideas as to why she would be having them I would sure like to speak with.I have asked the vet for a rhyme or reason and she can not give me one.I had also breed Saphire for the first time the earlier in that day when she had her first seizure.I was unaware of this seizure disorder in Saphire.Vet says now that if she is pregnant they will most likely end up being "fetal Monsters" were her words.Anyhow anyone with any ideas or suggestions please contact me.
Thanks very much![/img][/quote]
I am so sorry to hear this. From all accounts epileptic siezures are inherited problems in dogs. Its likely your dog's pups will be also epileptic.
If you can track siblings and sire and dam and grandparents to see if any of them have siezures that will tell you more. Hormonal changes are one of the many known triggers for an episode and dogs don't show signs of the problem until they are 2 or so normally.
If your dog is on meds you need to look at what the meds do to fetuses in dogs - it could well be the medication has damaged the unborn pups. In any case they are quite likely to also have siezures. At any rate you should not breed your dog again nor should any of the pups if they do survice be bred and prospective owners should be warned of the potential for the problem.
from an about.com page "Idiopathic epilepsy (seizures of unknown cause) is most commonly seen in otherwise health animals, between the ages of 1 and 5 years, and may be inherited in certain breeds. Beagles, Keeshonden, Irish Setters, Belgian Tervurens, [b]Siberian Huskies[/b], Springer Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, and German Shepherds may be genetically predisposed to idiopathic epilepsy.* Idiopathic epilepsy is diagnosed when other causes of seizures have been ruled out by a physical exam, blood work, and any other necessary work up procedures."
So apparently its a known problem in the breed.
This site has great info on the subject [url]http://www.canine-epilepsy.net/[/url]
and if you look up the drug your dog is on in a search engine like [url]www.dogpile.com[/url] you may well find info on side effects in pregnancy etc.

[Guest Anonymous]

I would make sure that blood work is done to rule out other possible causes for the seizures....Thyroid, liver panel, CBC, element panel, and check glucose levels. There might be something high or low somewhere that is causing this. It is better to check and make sure. Your vet has lovely bedside manner might I add :( . Check to make sure there has not been something she got into such as chemicals, plastics, woods(treated lumber),anything of that nature to cause a reaction.

Are they at a certain time of day, before or after she eats, is she resting or active??

[deepseasnake]

wow I'm impressed just as I'm hating all guests, this guy pops up like the pope, thanks you educated me to.

I believe your husky will get better, those dogs are fighters. You've got one of the greatest breeds out there. The husky is the most awe inspiring dog that I know of.
Have faith, take the procautions and everything will be fine

:)

[Guest Anonymous]

[quote name='deepseasnake']wow I'm impressed just as I'm hating all guests, this guy pops up like the pope, thanks you educated me to.

I believe your husky will get better, those dogs are fighters. You've got one of the greatest breeds out there. The husky is the most awe inspiring dog that I know of.
Have faith, take the procautions and everything will be fine

:)[/quote]

Dog's don't' 'get better' from seizures alas :-( it really bothers me this person was breeding a dog with such an unknown health history.
I find it pretty funny that if people *like* the information they like the guest and if they don't they don't if you see what I mean...

[deepseasnake]

yeah the breeding thing raised a flag for me to but I figured you people would dish out enough for all of us.

call me an optimist, I am aware a dog doesn't "get better" from a seizure but the dog can still have good health otherwise. I'm sure that the dog can be restored to full functionality with few exceptions.
I'm not a vet but I am a believer, if this was my dog I would educate myself and treat the problem medically and mentaly, if you know what I mean

[Guest Anonymous]

[quote name='newfiemom']Not true Guest...I know your style of writing. While I do find you informative, I still find you tactless and abrasive. Believe me, if you and I were to ever meet in person, no matter the amount of knowledge you had, I would still not like you.[/quote]

How little you know - people who actually know me consider me pretty nice as well as informative. I personally don't think much of judgmental people like you - so we are even.
OTOH I do avoid the newfies I meet up with at shows because I really don't like the slime! Ever notice that Newfie people all travel with a towel in their back pocket? :wink:

[deepseasnake]

even though I sense that last line was a joke

that was weak dude, what kind of dog do you have anyway I'm sure we can all go a couple rounds blasting it and its owner :wink:

[Guest Anonymous]

[quote name='deepseasnake']even though I sense that last line was a joke

that was weak dude, what kind of dog do you have anyway I'm sure we can all go a couple rounds blasting it and its owner :wink:[/quote]

if I wanted you to know what kinds of dogs I had I would have said
Apparently people here are a little short on recognizing the emoticons provided :wink:
And I do avoid the newfies at the shows because I don't like the slime - its not nice to have either your dog or your show clothes slimed by a happy stressed or hot newf! there are a couple of other breeds in the same stand clear category for the same reason. I watched the newf people clear the aisles at the recent show as the slobber approached the 'seas' parted to let them on by - it was pretty funny. The chocolate one had the most drool hanging :roll:

[Horsefeathers!]

[quote]if I wanted you to know what kinds of dogs I had I would have said
[/quote]

Dang! And I really wanted to know your preferred breed. In a sincere sense; I'm not being sarcastic at all. Ah, well, I'm just nosy, anyway... :roll:

[Guest Anonymous]

If this dog is suffering seizures because of a high or low thyroid then she needs to be on thyroid medication not seizure medication... There could be other reasons why also that could be a call for different action.

Sometimes even when you research a history you may not find trace of seizures in a background. Yes it is true. There are several different reason as to why they happen. Trama being one. I do not think this person bred with the intentions of having "fetal monsters" as the seizures started after...

Let's get back to the topic please!!

[Guest Anonymous]

NEWFS ROCK THEY'RE THE COOLEST DOGS EVER I WISH I COULD GET ON WITH MY LAB!! :D

[Guest Anonymous]

[quote name='newfiemom']FYI Guest...I am not a judgemental person. In the job I do, I can't afford to be judgmental but I am intuitive (if I weren't I wouldn't be an engineer) and I have a 90% accuracy rate when it comes to my intutition with people. I do recognize people for what they are and in your case, you come off as tactless and abrasive. By the way, the comment about newfies doesn't surprise me. You just said that to upset me but it's not going to work...to each his own. It's just ashame you can't look past the slime to see an awesome dog. The slime doesn't bother me at all and I do have 10 drool rags for every one of my dogs. Despite the slime and the shedding, I love these guys and they are the only dog for me. It's also ashame that you can't see that beauty is skin deep.[/quote]
Oh an engineer that explains a good deal :lol:
No I did not say it to upset you - now you are projecting as I know you keep repeating the rude and unpleasant comments simply to upset me for your pwn amusement. Too bad that doesn't particularly work with me as I don't live on your approval.
I don't care for Newfie slime - this is not a crime and not a statement the dogs are bad or anything else other than a statement of fact about *me* that *I* do not like newfie slime or other slimy breeds because of the drool. Its why despite their size and temperament I would never own one.
Thankfully dogs come in a wide variation of shapes and sizes and coat coverings to suit different people. For me a second problem with Newfs is their coats - they shed profusely when they blow coat. While this was said to me about another large shaggy breed I was discussing with an owner, who had a better sense of humor than you seem to have, I think it applies here - if it bothers you to have hair in your butter don't get a .... fill in any breed you find appropriate. It bothers me to have slime on my ceiling (its 20' high in the living room) :wink: so Newfs are out for my house. They fit in fine at yours it seems proving only that people like different breeds.

[Guest Anonymous]

[quote name='sashagirl']I find it interesting that someone would come to a dog forum and not want to tell what kind of dogs they have... :-? I don't understand the point... Unless of course it is just to annoy all of us... I am sure the reason is that if they told the breed of dog it would be easier to single them out... And they have to remain absolutley anonymous, even though that is never the excuse they use. Personally I am sick of this. :x[/quote]

And I don't understand the point of needing to know information someone does not want to give - how rude can you get? oh wait I know pretty rude whenever you feel like it.
I remain anonymous because I prefer to - I do not need pretend friends nor do I need accolades from pretend friends - I'm not hanging around to brag but to talk dogs - something you seem less than willing to do preferring to rag on people instead.

[Guest Anonymous]

[quote name='K'][quote name='Anonymous'].
OTOH I do avoid the newfies I meet up with at shows because I really don't like the slime! Ever notice that Newfie people all travel with a towel in their back pocket? :wink:[/quote]

I too travel everywhere with my blue "drool towels" and there is one in every room of the house and two by the feed/drinking bowls!!!
IMO my Saints drool more than my mates Newfs and I love it when people move out of the way for us!!!!!

(p.s. I would NEVER intentionally let my dogs drool on any unsuspecting person as it is not polite!)[/quote]

well you know how drool is :wink: seems to have a mind of its own sometimes :wink:
I care less about my clothes than the dogs - for some reason that stuff just does very different things to coats than water does :wink:
Anyway I agree it can be quite convenient to have a narrow crowded aisle cleared to get big dogs and crates through! Slime seems to work wonderfully for that at shows :wink:

[Guest Anonymous]

[quote name='Jacsmom']If this dog is suffering seizures because of a high or low thyroid then she needs to be on thyroid medication not seizure medication... There could be other reasons why also that could be a call for different action.

Sometimes even when you research a history you may not find trace of seizures in a background. Yes it is true. There are several different reason as to why they happen. Trama being one. I do not think this person bred with the intentions of having "fetal monsters" as the seizures started after...

Let's get back to the topic please!![/quote]

No I don't think she bred planning a problem litter but I suspect she did not research health at all in the breed or the dog she chose to breed from either.
I think the 'monster' part may well come from the drugs the dog is on not the epilepsy which is why I suggested the owner research the results of them - after all she could just as easily have the dog spayed early in pregnancy instead of whelping out the pups.

[deepseasnake]

I need to know what kind of dog you have to credit you.
I really dont care what you have to say no matter how profound it is if you own a jack russel. However if you own say, a bullmastif I'm going to be very interested and maybe I will put up with your painfully flambouant social retardation, and no it's [b]not[/b] a [b]bad[/b] thing. Some of us communicate with with words, others use farts, burps and numerous other vulgarities. It just so happens my best friend is like you, Guest, in this way and it very rarely offends me to hear people excreet in this fashion.

It is a very valid question, what kind of dog you have, and I am quite amazed you do not see why. because as I see it now, you have no dog only a quick typing hand to enable you to obtain half ass knowledge around our already half ass internet. So please for my sake and the others who really do want to hear what you have to say, validate yourself and make me feel foolish about doubting your profound wisdom.

by the way all our genius' are [b]all [/b] socialy "challenged"

[bk_blue]

Guest, I'd like to know what sort of dog(s) you have because it's always interesting to see what breeds are around the board. You may not need the *approval* of other forum users but seem quite eager to pick on any slights against guests, sometimes justified and sometimes not.
S'pose you wouldn't have Bassets either if you don't like drool! :D

[Horsefeathers!]

POODLES! I'll bet you're a Poodle person! Standards? Actually, I'm only dreaming. Fat chance of me running across another Poodle fan here (or Lhasas would be great, but I've got the Lhasa thing down... not much creativity required there :-? ). Besides, if it turned out that the chosen breed were Poodles and with any experience in showing/breeding them (any kind), Guest would never get a moment's rest from me asking a gazillion questions regarding grooming secrets (favorite dryer, slicker vs pin brush, etc., etc., etc.). I REALLY, in the most pitiful way, want a quality Standard Poodle *dreamy sigh*. Some people don't like slime... some people don't like fluff 'n stuff. Ah well, to each his own.

I'm really intrigued (read nosy)... :oops:

[Guest Anonymous]

To the Siberian Husky owner whose bitch had seizures - Is your dog on Heartworm and or Flea/Tick Preventative and if so, when was the last application or dose. Sometimes, in certain dogs, these medications have been known to cause seizures, even certain vaccines.

For anyone who is interested, I'm a slime person. It's no big deal, a wet cloth will take it away.

[Guest Anonymous]

[quote name='Horsefeathers!']POODLES! I'll bet you're a Poodle person! Standards? Actually, I'm only dreaming. Fat chance of me running across another Poodle fan here (or Lhasas would be great, but I've got the Lhasa thing down... not much creativity required there :-? ). Besides, if it turned out that the chosen breed were Poodles and with any experience in showing/breeding them (any kind), Guest would never get a moment's rest from me asking a gazillion questions regarding grooming secrets (favorite dryer, slicker vs pin brush, etc., etc., etc.). I REALLY, in the most pitiful way, want a quality Standard Poodle *dreamy sigh*. Some people don't like slime... some people don't like fluff 'n stuff. Ah well, to each his own.

I'm really intrigued (read nosy)... :oops:[/quote]

Horsefeathers!, my hubby like poodles! He grew up with Saints, Pits, and Poodles! Not all at once, though :wink: !

I wouldn't mind one, but I don't like the cuts...I would just keep it short. I would either want a standard, or a tea cup....which raises another question. Are tea cups valid? I'll post a new topic for that one.

My old boss (from high school) had a standard that was brown...his name was raisin. I only met him once, but I was SOO astounded that he was SOO tall!

Personally, I like ALL breeds....but as I've said before, I would not be an appropriate guardian for a dominant breed.... :( I'm too much of a schmooze...

[Guest Anonymous]

SaphireIsMyHusky, my dog started having seizures when she was about 6 months old. At one point, we were ready to have her put down--she was medicated to the "max," making her "spacey" and "drunken" acting; she couldn't control her bodily functions, etc. Life was no good for her OR for us. As a last-ditch effort, we attempted to enroll her in a seizure study at a nearby vet med college and she was accepted. The first 6 months, she was supposed to be on a commercially canned dog food (we weren't to know the brand) and then would be given the "test" food after the 6-month mark.

Well, the study was ended before we could get to the test food. However, almost immediately when we put her on the canned food, her seizures stopped. I mean STOPPED--from having the cluster seizures several times a week, to having not one seizure from February to June.

The vet conducting the study provided us with the brand of dog food. (I'll tell you in a minute, but I have some cautions for you if you want to try this!!!) Caution 1: We tried to switch her from dry food to the canned food in one week's time. For our little girl, that was too quick; after putting her back on dry food for 2 weeks (and yes, the seizures returned), we switched her back to the canned food over a 2-week period. This one was successful.

Caution 2: She is still on 2 meds--we backed her off the "overdose" dosage she'd been on to where she is now back to her "old self." But we plan to continue her on them forever, I guess. [b]But be aware of this:[/b] When we switched her to canned food, she stopped drinking water, totally. This meant that her body wasn't being effectively "flushed" and the meds built up to toxic levels. We've "fixed" this problem by adding water to her canned food each time she eats. It's a mess, but she laps up every last drop so we KNOW she's getting enough water.

Caution 3: Seizures can have lasting health effects on your pet; our vet said in severe cases they can cause blindness, or even put your pet into a coma. Our dog is now 2, and seizures did have some physical effects on her--she "wets" when she's asleep, and she's a little paranoid of the "unknown;" she become very frightened when strangers are around.

However, for the most part, we have our sweetheart back. She has had 2 very minor seizures since we started her on this food, but they were not the sever cluster seizures as before and she "snapped out of them" MUCH quicker--it used to take a full day for her to "come around" again.

The canned dog food used in the study is Hill's Science Diet Adult Chicken Maintenance Formula. (Long name!!) Just so you know, we DID try to put her on a cheaper canned food--gave her that food one Sunday. Monday morning at 6:00 a.m. I heard her drop & start to seizure. We will not be switching brands again! We have not tried any other "flavors" of the Hill's; she loves that food, so why take the risk???

Good luck to you--I can't say this is the solution for everyone, I cannot say why it works for our Dixie, but I'm VERY happy it DOES work!!!!