My Sheltie has seizures. Should I stop meds, limit activity?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like a seizure. I would recommend video taping an episode and showing your Vet. Causes of seizures depend on age. In dogs 1-5 epilepsy is the most common cause. In puppies: toxins, infectious or congenital problems and older than 6 years of age we worry about organ failures and brain tumors. One to 2 episodes a month may warrant starting medications. I would recommend full blood work with urine, thyroid testing if older than 6 and tick testing. If all that is normal then consider starting medications. i wish Bella the best!

Sorry to hear about Tobie. I am wondering if Potassium Bromide is the only drug he is currently using for Seizure activity. I ask because it is not typically a first line of defense sort of medication that we choose any more for these conditions, due to level of effectiveness and side effect profile. If he is not used to this type of medication, an increased dose can definitely result in some unwanted side effects. Since you gave it a while ago already, there is not much you can do for him in terms of getting it out of his system forcibly, other than letting nature run its course. However, he may benefit from supportive care in a hospital setting if you feel his symptoms are very concerning. Personally, I would not allow him to continue walking freely around the house right now in case he accidentally injures himself. Once he is out of this stupor, he can be unconfined. If this sort of behavior is continuing after another 12-24 hours, he should definitely be seen to determine if this is his disease process worsening. In terms of diarrhea, this could have been due to stress, the medication, or general GI upset from countless other reasons. One episode of diarrhea is not something of significant concern. Hope this answers you question.

I am so sorry to hear about Coco. I know how scary this can be for the dog as well as the owner. You have my sympathies. The first disease that comes to mind when you were describing her symptoms was one called idiopathic epilepsy or seizures. Unfortunately, dogs of her breed can start to have seizures at an early age. Another disease of small small breed dogs is a condition called hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. This disease can also cause the same symptoms as seizures. I strongly encourage you to make an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible even if she is acting completely normal. In fact, that would be the best time to do a physical exam as well as diagnostic testing like bloodwork so that you can have medications on board or at home to give if she exhibits the symptoms again. Not to mention, with something as serious as this could be, you need to have a correct diagnosis performed by your local veterinarian so that they can help you treat any problems you may have in the future. I hope this helps.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bailey. I am assuming the has a seizure disorder based on the medications that he is taking. When a new medication is added, the dog can go through an adjustment period. The biggest signs I will see is the patient being sedate or wobbly on their legs. These side effects are typically transient. His body likely just needs time to adjust to the recently added medication. In my experience, these signs do not usually last longer than a few days or up to one week. In the meantime, do your best to support him he walks. I would not give any over-the-counter medications as there is not something that will help. If his signs are not decreasing, talk with your veterinarian and see if he needs s dose change. I hope this information helps!

Some people do notice lethargy and difficulty walking with levetiracetam, but in general these side effects improve after a few days to weeks. If Milo's seizures started recently I would also worry that the lethargy and trouble with balance could be signs of neurologic disease. Seizures in an older dog are most commonly related to a lesion in the brain such as a tumor. I would recommend rechecking with your veterinarian to have Milo examined - you may want to discuss additional tests like an MRI to determine a cause for the seizures or discuss alternative anti convulsants.

The good response to phenobarb makes a tumour less likely - these tend to respond very poorly and continue to have increasing seizures despite medication. His age also makes epilepsy likely so I would continue with the treatment as prescribed for 3-6months and possibly taper down carefully after this if no seizures occurring, or maintain as is if stable and limited side effects

If the episodes occur in close proximity to administration of one of these products (24-48 hours) then it could be related to the medication. In these cases the product should be stopped and the pet should be transitioned to a different one. Another potential cause could be a type of seizure. You did not mention an age for Max, but seizures in dogs can be due to epilepsy (typically diagnosed at a young age but can be diagnosed later in life), metabolic cause (hypoglycemia, Addison's disease), central nervous system infections/inflammation, or an intracranial mass (typically more of a concern in older patients). If he has not had a full physical exam performed recently by his veterinarian I would recommend having it done, along with routine wellness blood work (serum chemistry, complete blood count) to rule-out organ dysfunction/metabolic cause.