On watch for epilepsy

Honestly, Denise, research will be your best bet, along with working with a vet who is knowledgeable about canine epilepsy.  There are many theories, but no one has found a set reason why some dogs have seizures.  It can be due to environmental stimulants, physiological (vaccines), or imbalance in the body (organs) due to diet.  It can be linked to phases of the moon that govern internal systems, or overall stress.  Like my TCVM vet said to me, sometimes they cannot find and repair the problem.   It's a tough disorder, one I hope you won't have to experience.

Thanks everyone. This is great information, and exactly the kind of stuff I was looking for to direct my next steps --  learning more and being prepared. (Hope for the best but to be ready for the worst.)

Jetty, everything you've written is SUPERB.   

jetty

Rosemary seems to be a popular trigger.

Rosemary is somehow related to pine -- those little tiny trees they sell at Target and other places at Christmas?  Usually they are *rosemary* (it's an herb) -- but "pine" stuff sorta sneaks in here all over the place (and it's so darned common).

jetty

 Second, get regular bloodwork - its nice to have so you know what things looked like when everything was "normal" and in Dodger's case it alerted us to thyroid problems, prior to his first seizure.

Wow -- you have said SO much here.  And honestly?  my husband and I are getting to the point where we just plain go have bloodwork done on any new dog *JUST* so we have that "gee, I wonder what normal IS for this dog" question answered.  But for a dog with the potential for a condition that may require frequent bloodwork?  This is golden advice.

jetty

Also - try and mentally prepare yourself for a seizure (although I hope it never happens!): If your dog ever seizes, do not panic (this is easier said than done)... It is crucial that you time the seizure and immediately write down what could have triggered it and what happened during the seizure.  In houses with multiple dogs, you also need to isolate the seizing dog because healthy dogs have been known to attack... Not to mention, when your dog comes out of a seizure (depending on severity) they are usually confused, hyper and HUNGRY... Its important to raise their blood sugar after a seizure so have some honey on hand (do not overfeed, I made that mistake and nearly landed my dog at the vet for bloat!).  Ice packs are your friend as your dog's temperature will skyrocket. Do not handle your dog while he/she is a seizing and when they are coming out, use your voice before you touch as some are blind for a while after. 

You know, no dog owner (shoot, no *human* for that matter) ever wants to consider the possibility of having to deal with a seizure.  But this is so important.

So often when confronted with the first seizure, **so many** owners simply go screaming to the vet and say ***make it STOP*** and then the dog gets slapped on a huge dose of phenobarbitol, which can then create all sorts of problems.  They never seem to counsel people how to go thru a seizure with a dog -- how important it is to keep your head and *not* upset the animal with hand-wringing and fear.

The hunger and the blood sugar aspects -- again, those are things I'd think a vet would tell people and they don't seem to.  But they are really important.

jetty

 Third, you can never do enough research.  Vit e, b, c selenium, magnesium, melatonin, liver support, velarian root, skullcap, rescue remedy and ice packs before, during and after seizures etc... These are just a few things that many people with epileptic dogs supplement with - it helps to know in advance the dosages, which are most effective and whether you want something like rescue remedy on hand.  Also you need to think about things like: what if my dog loses bladder control during a seizure?  If she's crated she will sit in it until you are home, if she's out and about its everywhere (whether you are home or not).

Awesome stuff -- and honestly, it's the "thinking about" stuff that is awesome here.  Wrapping your arms around stuff like this so you can make decisions and have stuff on hand is some of the things that can make handling this do-able.