Seizures

[sjloback]

Our three year cockapoo has had 4 seizures over the last 4 months. It's a scary thing to watch especially if you don't know what is happening. He has been to a neurologist and is on medication now but it's still hard not knowing if he will have another seizure. The medication only limits the seizures - it does not prevent them.
I'm wondering if anyone else has a dog that has had seizures. I have researched a lot online and have talked to our trainer and our vets but I thought it might be helpful to hear thoughts from other cockapoo owners.

[Dave]

Hi there. Benny has never had seizures, but I can imagine how awful that must be. I'm sure the medication will help keep them under control.

Perhaps you can find a pattern to help determine a possible cause of the seizures. Are they random, or do they occur at specific times (when he's playing, sleeping, etc.)?

[sjloback]

The neurologist has diagnosed him with idiopathic epilepsy. Which means Unknown (idio) cause (pathic). The first one he had was when he was quite anxious/stressed about not being allowed in a room with us but the second one was when he was just wandering around the house. It's certainly hard but we have a good vet and now a good neurologist that has helped us through it all.

[Dave]

It's good to know you have the vet's support. I hope for the best for him. :)

[niccolina17]

Hi,
My dog Otis is 3.5, and he started having seizures about 1.5 years ago. They come every 2 months or so, and last from 5-25 minutes. During them, his legs are stiff and straight out, his eyes are bugged wide open, his neck is kinked. They vary in intensity, and he drools and pants heavily in between. It's so terrible, I just hold him and try to keep his body unkinked. I've talked to our vet about it, she says that if it gets to once a month, we should put him on medication, so i think you did the right thing. i've spoken with other cockapoo owners, and no one else is having this problem. I don't think it's breed specific, I just think that, unfortunately, our little guys have epilepsy. I worry that it happens when I'm not with him, but there's just no way for me to track that. At least in my mind, things have seemed to lessen in frequency and intensity since I switched him to science diet, but who knows. I wish he didn't have to suffer, but I just think about the fact that the rest of his life is very charmed :-) he is the happiest, cutest, friendliest dog ever, he's a ball of love.
Good luck with your puppy. I'm impressed that you took him to a neurologist, but that is not in my budget!! Just give him lots of love and pets when the seizures roll around, I think that's all you can do. Please let me know if you hear of anything else, or if your vet finds a solution.

Thanks,
nicole

[kendal]

epilapsy is a comon trait in both cockers and poodle. my mums cocker had problems towards the end but i think that might have been strokes(i was only 8 at the time she died)


have you informed the breeders incase this is something the other pups are suffering from, were the parents tested for any health problems.

what food are the fed on.

what coulor are your dogs.

[niccolina17]

Hiya! That's good information... I'll need to look into epilepsy in poodles and cockers more. One thing my vet did say was that the golden doodle wasn't such a great genetic mix... I don't know the reason, but she said that particular mix isn't awesome genetically.

Unfortunately, I do not know Otis's breeder. For all I know, he's from a puppy mill, which may well be part of the problem. I got him from the local pound when he was 3.5 months old. He was so adorable, he had long long hair, he was just a little mop. I remembered that I had been to a dinner party years earlier and they had a cockapoo. I thought she was just the most charming dog. When I saw "cockapoo" on the description card on his kennel I fell in love.

His name was Rascal. I took him out to the play yard and said "Rascal! Rascal!" No response. Then I said "Otis!" and he ran right over to me, squatted, and peed on my foot. Love. His previous owners had kept him crated all day long while they were at work. They complained that he peed when he got excited. He was only 3 months old!! Assholes. Anyhow, he is the most perfect, friendly dog. Everyone I meet says "I don't like small dogs," but then they meet him and fall in love, and make an exception. He's a lover.

As for his color: on his description card, is said "buff," so I thought he was blond. He looked blond. When I picked him up from the pound, he really stank. He had just been abandoned, neutered, and placed in an orphanage, all in a week. Yuck, he was gross. I took him to the local Muddy Paw Wash, and tipped extra. He looked like such a rat when he was wet, with his long hair pooling around his wet feet. But- lo- he was white in the end! White and a little wiry, like santa's beard. The "blond" was just a lot of dirt :-)

So I have a white cockapoo, with a cropped tail (he came that way) from the pound. He is the best dog ever, I have no complaints. Some days he comes to work with me, but most days he goes to work with my husband and our other dog, Hailey (chesapeake bay retriever). I've had him for 3 years in July and i couldn't be luckier. But still, I worry about these damn seizures!!

If anyone has any advice, i'd love to hear it!!

Best,
nicole

[omoore02]

My puppy is only 9 weeks old and had a seizure the first night he came home with us. At first, I thought that I may have been blindsided by the breeder and gotten a puppy with a bad genetic mix. but the woman couldn't beleive that it had happened and let me know that there were no issues with seizures in any of the pups in the same litter. So then I thought maybe it was stress... it was a pretty stressfull day especially for an 8 week old pup.
The weird thing was when I gave him a teaspoon of vanilla icecream, (recommended by many different websites for epileptic dogs, to help get their blood sugar levels back to normal) After he ate it, it was like nothing had ever happened except that he was a little confused and timid acting.
So I don't know what the cause of the seizure was but the vanilla icecream really seemed to speed up the recovery process like it was supposed to. I am taking him to his vet this comming up week to get an overall idea on his health and condition. Hopefully, this was a one time kinda thing and it wont happen again, but I can't help to think about how terrifying it was and be afraid that it could happen again. :(
Any more advice on this topic would be amazing to know. So far everything on this site has been very helpfull. Thanks! :)

[kendal]

Hey guys did you every get your dogs conditions sorted, or atleast controled so it doent affect them as much.

[kayce]

Hey everyone, I too have a seizure puppy, and I mean puppy.... 10 weeks old! I went to the vet and they ran every test they could and nothing. I can sleep right because I worry about her. I really think she has a brain tumor! I have another cockapoo from the same mother and father as the sick one and he is healthy.

[wilfiboy]

Hey everyone, I too have a seizure puppy, and I mean puppy.... 10 weeks old! I went to the vet and they ran every test they could and nothing. I can sleep right because I worry about her. I really think she has a brain tumor! I have another cockapoo from the same mother and father as the sick one and he is healthy.

Oh Kayce how worrying for you I cant imagine I find it hard to sleep just incase they wake up and need the loo never mind cos there is somethinng wrong. Has she had more than 1? What did the breeder say? All the best of luck to you all x x

[kendal]

what is the vets next plan of action or are they still waiting for results from the tests back.

[j maree]

Nicole you sound like a real angel. Otis in my opinion has a great mom. You are doing the best you can for now. I had a chinese crested that had seizures also. She was about 10 so it was a little eaiser to accept. I wish you and Otis the best of luck. He sure is loved.


Sjloback it sounds like you are doing the right thing by taking your pup to the Vet. I would have been heartbroken if it happened to my pup. I can't imagine what you are going through. In the end it will be what it is meant to be. Be strong, love your pup and it will work out. You must think like this. I know because I have had 15 dogs in my life. Never gave one away but some became sick. Follow your heart and your vet and all will work out.

Olivia bless you and your pup. What ever works!!!:)

[kayce]

Well the vet put her on phenobarbital and she is doing great! She whimpered a little for the first couple of days..but she is doing great! Thanks everyone for all of the support.

[wilfiboy]

Great news x x

[parapluie]

So glad to hear it!

[niccolina17]

Update on Otis--

In March, 2010, I had the vet run blood tests on Otis. The conclusion was that he has seizures from unknown causes. There's a scientific term, but I forget. The vet perscribed phenobarbitol, which I give to him twice a day, with each meal.

Since he started on the medicine, he has still had a few seizures, but they are much less frequent, much less severe, and much shorter than those that he was experiencing. Under 5 minutes as opposed to over 20, and the side effects aren't as severe (no drooling, peeing, vomitting, etc.).

Overall, it seems to be a pretty good 90% solution. The phenobarbitol is perscribed by weight, so it's about $16 a month for 90 pills for my 19.5 pound little guy. The initial blood work was a few hundred dollars, but well worth it.

I also switched him to no grain food. He had been on Science Diet for small dogs, but now he's eating buffalo and salmon, no grain, all natural dog food. It's not very expensive, considering he doesn't eat much. In my mind, at least, the new food is helping, and he likes it much more than the Science Diet! He gets carrots, brussel sprouts, and green beans as treats, but I try to stay away from too many dog food treats. Who knows if that does anything!

Anyhow, Otis turns 5 on March 4th and he is still an angel. I am so lucky to have this little guy in my life. My parents watched him for 10 days over New Year. My father had been having trouble with his legs, with numbness, stiffness, and pain. Because he started walking Otis daily, his leg pain went away in only a few days. They loved having him around so much that they are now looking for a cockapoo of their own :)

All my best to everyone. It is definitely beneficial to put the dogs on medicine. The vet told me that the more they have seizures, the more their brain synopses are "fried." It's best to minimize the amount of seizures, it's not good for them.

Best,
Nicole (& Otis)

[kendal]

Update on Otis--

In March, 2010, I had the vet run blood tests on Otis. The conclusion was that he has seizures from unknown causes. There's a scientific term, but I forget. The vet perscribed phenobarbitol, which I give to him twice a day, with each meal.

Since he started on the medicine, he has still had a few seizures, but they are much less frequent, much less severe, and much shorter than those that he was experiencing. Under 5 minutes as opposed to over 20, and the side effects aren't as severe (no drooling, peeing, vomitting, etc.).

Overall, it seems to be a pretty good 90% solution. The phenobarbitol is perscribed by weight, so it's about $16 a month for 90 pills for my 19.5 pound little guy. The initial blood work was a few hundred dollars, but well worth it.

I also switched him to no grain food. He had been on Science Diet for small dogs, but now he's eating buffalo and salmon, no grain, all natural dog food. It's not very expensive, considering he doesn't eat much. In my mind, at least, the new food is helping, and he likes it much more than the Science Diet! He gets carrots, brussel sprouts, and green beans as treats, but I try to stay away from too many dog food treats. Who knows if that does anything!

Anyhow, Otis turns 5 on March 4th and he is still an angel. I am so lucky to have this little guy in my life. My parents watched him for 10 days over New Year. My father had been having trouble with his legs, with numbness, stiffness, and pain. Because he started walking Otis daily, his leg pain went away in only a few days. They loved having him around so much that they are now looking for a cockapoo of their own :)

All my best to everyone. It is definitely beneficial to put the dogs on medicine. The vet told me that the more they have seizures, the more their brain synopses are "fried." It's best to minimize the amount of seizures, it's not good for them.

Best,
Nicole (& Otis)



so glad things are looking up, do you have any photos of Otis

please keep us updated, you never know who may be helped by your exsperience.

[wilfiboy]

Yeh Nicole thanks for sharing .. we never know whats round the corner. Glad Otis' seizures are more managable. Great news about your dad and who knows a playmate for Otis x

[j maree]

:)Nicole your story has brought tears to my eyes ! I just don't have the words or praise due to you and how you handled your situation. Sometimes we get lost in a situation when it is close to our own. You are a great pet owner. Your family has benefited also! Let us know if they get a dog.

What a great story! We all learned and I also benifited from your experience.

Thanks

[parapluie]

I agree with j maree, that is such a wonderful story... and so happy about your dad! It's amazing what small changes can do to help your life and sometimes you just need a little motivation. I know Rufus has definitely helped me to get more active! There's such a difference when it's for you or when it's for someone else. Hope everything keeps getting even better with lovely Otis.

[eekjcs]

I have a 3 yr old cockapoo, he had another siezure last night. It lasted about 10 minutes and than he came out of it and got sick and than had another one that wasnt as bad. My vet said to put him on all natural food and just monitor him. I have not done that yet. He said it is common at the age of 2 which makes him think it is epilapsy. He can be playing or sleeping and it just happens. It is so sad to watch him having one when he is helpless all you can do is hold them. I just worry about when will the next one happen. Im glad I have been home for them. When he come out of the seizure he is right next to me.

[kendal]

Hey everyone, I too have a seizure puppy, and I mean puppy.... 10 weeks old! I went to the vet and they ran every test they could and nothing. I can sleep right because I worry about her. I really think she has a brain tumor! I have another cockapoo from the same mother and father as the sick one and he is healthy.

hey welcome, so sorry to hear about your pup, have you informed the breeder. is her insurance covering the tests. what is the vets next plan of actionv?

[Amy]

Hello!

I have a beautiful, kindhearted, and of course SMART cockapoo named Walter that unfortunately has seizures also. He is 5 1/2 years old and I got him from a no kill shelter when he was 1. We went there a few times and all the dogs we interacted with acted totally uninterested. Then we met Walt. He ran out and literally through his arms around my neck and licked me to death. Of course he was mine instantly!

He has never had health problems up until this last year and now he has had 4 seizures that I know of but the frequency and length are coming sooner and longer. It breaks my heart!!! He had one in the middle of the night last night and it lasted a few minutes (I don't think I could bear it any longer) and he stiffened like a board. The others have lasted less than a minute or so and he typically recovers quickly. I too changed his food a few years ago due to allergies to a ground turkey and all natural dehydrated veggie and fruit diet called SOJOS and his treats consist of frozen vegetables (which he loves). I now have an appointment with the vet to do blood work and start him on medication. I have put off meds due to the fact it will eventually cause liver damage. Now that he has had 2 in a month (that I have witnessed) I think it is time. Have any of your vets commented on damage to their livers? Along with the seizures we just found out he has went blind in one eye due to cataracts and will probably go blind in the other.

I have had many non dog lovers over and they all leave saying they love my dog...so you can imagine how much I love him being with him daily! This is a hard time in my decision making process as to how to deal with these issues, ie. are the seizures frequent and long enough to warrant medication yet? He is one happy boy and I want him to have the best life possible!

[kendal]

hey welcome, sorry, moved your post before reading it properly. will move it back to the seasurs thread.

sorry to hear about walters problemems, let us know what the vets say and what the blood tests reveal.

[jenmow]

I know how all you owners of epileptic Cockapoos feel- its scary and me, having anxiety issues myself makes it even worse. I wrote an earlier post- our 2 yr old Cockapoo, Buster is on 3 seizure meds and yes it may impact his liver, but you know what in the time he's with us, we want him to be happy. And like another person said, everyone loves Buster and we just take things day by day.

Buster had an MRI AND a spinal tap to rule out a tumor or cancer. And for us, these tests helped because it ruled out possible causes and helped us to take the next step. He is also on a very good/natural diet and spoiled rotten! :)

[Jeepster04]

Our 3 year old has been having seizures off and on for the last year. They were every six weeks or so. They got more frequent and we put him on phenobarbitol with vet. Started w/5 mg twice per day and didn't improve. Upped it to 3 per day after blood work ...still no improvement. Now uppped to four per day and blood work scheduled in two weeks to see level in his system. Anyone else have experience in this area. Seizures last up to 2 minutes sometimes. Tensed up his whole body. Legs out and rigid. We just try to comfort him and keep him from bumping into something and hurting himself.