How to prevent paddling in a dog with brain injury and seizures?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would need to ask a bunch more questions and would be happy to do a consultation if you’d like but let me give you a few ideas. 1) be sure it’s not heart- Fainting spells can look a lot like seizures. Consider a cardiology consult to make sure it’s not that. They’ll do an EKG and ultrasound of the heart to make sure nothing is amiss. 2) weird fungal diseases- I’m from Arizona, land of valley fever - a fungal disease that can - and often does- cause seizures. Other fungi like Blastomycosis and Histoplasmosis can do similar things. If Bella has traveled out of Texas- even for just a day or two- these are considerations. 3) Bella is simply an atypical epileptic and needs more/different medication. Just like in people, it can sometimes take some time to find the right combination of drugs to get the seizures controlled. 4) weird drug interactions- double check especially about any anti-anxiety or behavior modification medications and pain medications. 5) hypothyroidism, tick fever, other weird stuff. If you’ve done an MRI, you may have already consulted with a neurologist. If not? That would be the next step along with the cardiologist visit. Best of luck to you and Bella!

Hi. Poor Tia. I am.concerned thag she had a seizure and still has neurolgic signs. I would recommend the ER and a referral to a neurology specialist for an MRI. Unfortunately, since she is older, it is possible there is a primary brain lesion, tumor, and is very unlikely just epilepsy. If a neurologist isnt an option, symptomatic treatment with your regular veterinarian is the only option. If quality of life is poor, definitely speak to your veterinarian about that as well.

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

Oh no, poor Lou Lou! You will need to seek emergency veterinary care if her seizure lasts five minutes or longer. This is the point at which brain damage can occur, and she will need treatment right away to prevent that. I hope this helps!

Based on the history, a toxicity seems less likely and a primary disease of the brain more likely. If the seizures are not well controlled on phenobarbital it may be that she needs a higher dose. You should discuss phenobarbital levels with your veterinarian. If the levels are in therapeutic range, a second anticonvulsant such as levetiracitam should be considered. Furthermore, you may consider following up with a veterinary neurologist to discuss diagnostics including an MRI of the brain.

Hello, and I'm so sorry to hear about Bud. His condition sounds very serious and he needs to be seen by a vet as soon as possible. Seizures that go untreated can result in permanent brain damage, while not eating or drinking are a sign he is in pain, and will result in weakness and dehydration. It sounds like he sustained some head trauma, possibly a concussion. Is there an emergency clinic that you can go to? They are typically open 24-7. Because Bud's condition is serious, the vet may recommend hospitalization along with diagnostic tests such as x-rays and blood work. At minimum he needs medication for pain and antibiotics to help heal his injuries. The vet may also recommend referral to a neurologist. You may want to look into a company called Care Credit, which helps provide financing for veterinary bills: https://www.carecredit.com/vetmed/#. I hope this helps, and that Bud gets the help he needs soon.