My dog has very long seizures. What can I do if I can't afford a vet?

I'm very sorry to hear that your dog has epilepsy! If he has severe or frequent seizures, then he definitely does need to be on prescription medication to help control them. Legally, we cannot prescribe medication for any pet without first doing an in-person exam, so this is not something that can be done over the internet. So I'm afraid there's really no alternative except to take him to a veterinarian in your area to be seen, so he can be started on medication to help control the seizures. There is no reason that this should need to be a particularly expensive visit - most vets are very willing to work within the budget you have, as long as you let them know that you have financial constraints. If you don't think you can afford even the cost of the office visit +/- some basic lab work (which may be recommended prior to starting on meds), you could try calling your local shelter or humane society to see if they have any resources available to help pet owners in your position.

The only way to stop them at this point are intravenous anti-seizure drugs. Luna will need to be seen by your veterinarian or at the nearest veterinary ER. Discuss payment plans or alternative financing options, such as CareCredit ( www.carecredit.com ), with the veterinarian or office manager. You can also ask family or friends to assist you financially. I am sorry you are in this situation and hope for the best for you and Luna.

I'm so sorry about your dog. I know this is a very scary time. There are multiple causes of seizures. I'm not sure how old your dog is, but in dogs under 5 years old who are completely normal in between seizure episodes, epilepsy is the primary cause of seizures. In older dogs it could be inflammation, a brain tumor, and infection or problems with the organs (particularly the liver). I always recommend blood work first to look for any problems there. If the blood work is normal, the next step is to evaluate the brain by doing an MRI. If blood work has not been done, I would highly recommend it. If problems are found in the blood work, then you should treat that. If everything is normal in the blood work, I would recommend starting seizure medication. Some dogs will have seizures very infrequently like your dog started out. Those dogs don't usually need medication. But when they become more frequent and are clustering (multiple in a 24 hours period) then I would definitely recommend medication at this point. There are multiple different seizure medications to choose from, so talk to your veterinarian about that. Many times the seizures will be manageable with medications, but it takes consistent medication multiple times per day and blood rechecks for the drug levels. Honestly, some dogs will be very difficult or impossible to control and will continue to have seizures despite being on multiple medications. So to answer your question, yes, there is something you can do to help your pet and based on the number of seizures he is now having, he needs to be put on medication. I hope this helps!

Poor Beignet and poor you! Having multiple seizures every day is extremely serious, and she needs veterinary treatment now for it. In a senior dog like her, it could be due to a tumor in the brain, liver disease, kidney failure, or low blood sugar among other causes. I can give you some resources that may help you afford a vet. You c an see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ God's Creatures Ministry helps pay for veterinarian bills for those who need help.
 The Onyx & Breezy Foundation has many programs including helping people with medical bills. They are a good resource for information.
 Brown Dog Foundation provides funding to families with a sick pet that would likely respond to treatment, but due to circumstances, there is not enough money immediately available to pay. IMOM is dedicated to insure that no companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker is financially challenged.
 I hope one of these resources helps you afford a vet, please take Beignet into one immediately. If she seizures again before you can seek vet care: - Don't put your hands near her mouth - Keep some rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle to spray on the pads of the feet for cooling - Monitor her at all times during the seizure to ensure that she cannot hurt herself by crashing into furniture, etc

If Lady has been having a continual seizure for four hours, this is a medical emergency and she has to see a vet now. This is extremely serious, and she could suffer permanent brain damage from seizing for so long. She has to see a vet right away, please take her into one now. I cannot stress enough how much of an emergency her situation is right now.

This is a large number of seizures in a short period of time, and Lucky absolutely has to see a vet now. I would see if you can borrow money from family and friends, and I can give you some resources that may help you. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans or you can apply for Carefree Credit online. http://www.carefreecredit.co.uk http://www.easipetcare.com Please take him into an ER vet clinic, he needs veterinary attention now as this is a medical emergency. I hope my resources help!

Young dogs sometimes suffer from what we call idiopathic seizures (cause unknown) and older dogs that have never had a seizure before, can suffer from a brain tumor causing seizures. You should keep a diary of the seizures: situation that triggers it, time start, time ends, what the seizure looks like. If the seizure lasts more than 4-5 minutes your dog needs to see a vet right away, as this can cause hyperthermia and damage the brain. If you can you should take a little video of one such seizure to take with you to the vet and show him. Please make an appointment with your vet for an exam. He may want to put her on anti-seizure medication such as phenobarbital.