My dog has seizures. Should I avoid vaccines and heartworm meds?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Rusty. Have you sought a second opinion with a neurologist? That would be my first recommendation. You can also contact the manufacturer of the heartworm prevention to report your concerns. I hope this information helps!

I am not sure what shots you are talking about. If you mean vaccinations, then it is not likely that she is having seizures caused by vaccinations. Poodles as well as spaniels are more prone to epileptic seizures than other breeds. She may also have a brain condition causing the seizures. If the seizures increase in number Pebbles may need anti-seizure medication.

Hi. Unfortunately there is no "all natrual" and effective flea/tick/heartworm prevention medications. It takes an actual medication and antiparasitic medication to prevent these. The natural products you see when you look in to these are not nearly as effective or studied as those recommended by your veterinarian. This is obviously completely your decision, but from a medical standpoint I do not recommend the all all natural medications or collars for this. If your pet is having reactions to vectra and interceptor, please discontinue them and speak to your veterinarian about other options such as revolution, heart guard, simparica or Brevecto. Good luck.

I'm so sorry to hear that Lilly has developed seizures. Seizures in dogs can be fatal if not treated. There are a huge number of newer anti-convulsant drugs that are much safer than some of the older ones (and even a new diet). I always tell people that old age is not a disease. Seizures and their side effects are much more likely to kill Lilly than any of the medications that your vet might prescribe. I think it is worth having your vet examine her and discuss the treatment options. Hopefully your vet can put your parents' minds at ease about the medication and make Lilly feel better. I have included some information about seizures below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=560 I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hello there and thank you for using Pet Coach! There are multiple anti-seizure drugs available and some with less side effects than others. If Bailey is on Phenobarbital, Keppra may be a good option for him as this particular drug has fewer side effects and I find that it is less harsh on the liver. Switching to a different drug with less side effects will certainly help. You can also talk to your vet about prescription liver diets in addition to the Denmarin. Hepagen-C is a veterinary product that is over the counter, which we use at our clinic in conjunction with Denamarin or Denosyl. Your vet can also perform a Bile Acids test to determine how much function of the liver has been lost. A scan would certainly be recommended and there are sedative combinations and drugs that we can use that will not trigger seizures, as they are anti-seizure drugs that we use to control seizures. I would still recommend an ultrasound, but talk to your vet about the different drugs that can be used to prevent seizures while sedated. I hope this helps! Please do not hesitate to contact me with any other questions or concerns that you may have. I am also available via phone or text consultation if needed. Please remember to rate this post as helpful or not. Thank you!

Great question! As far as actual drug interactions, there is no concern with administering potassium bromide with any oral or topical heartworm or flea/tick preventatives. Some oral flea and tick preventatives (such as Nexgard and Comfortis/Trifexis) state to administer with caution in dogs with a history of seizures. That said, these results come from a controlled studies where several of the dogs had a history of seizures prior to the administration of these medications. On a personal side note, I give my own 10 year old dog Nexgard and Heartgard as well as potassium bromide for seizure control without hesitation. I do not feel that the studies are controlled well enough to indicate a causal relationship between Nexgard and seizure activity. That said, if you have major concerns, you can always use a topical flea/tick preventative, such as Advantix.

The oral medications for heartworms and ticks have actually been developed to be much safer and less toxic than the sprays. The heartworm pills are very safe and the medication only stays in the body for one day (but it still works for a month). There are a number of different oral tick medications on the market, but they all appear to be quite safe even when used at the same time as heartworm medications. I know Joshie is small and it seems like it would be a lot for her, but the amount of medications in the pills is quite small and I would not expect Joshie to have any problems with the medications. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.