Epilepsy

Was it tough to get up this morning or what? We slept in and it's already nearly 7:30, whoa. I had a not so great sleep lastnight; funny how dogs can wake up and then be asleep in less than a minute as we lay there trying our hardest to obtain the unobtainable. So at 3:21 this morning both my husband and I were bolted out of bed. Luke has taken to sleeping on our bed for longer periods of time now. We both felt the bed shaking and heard the heavy breathing. "Is he having a seizure?" came out of both our mouths at the sametime. And just in time for Luke to move on in his dreaming; he was dreaming, not seizuring. Geesh; okay now that I'm a wake.

Luke is epileptic; and I hate to actually say this but I shall knock on some wood. He hasn't had a seizure for sometime now thankfully. He started seizuring at the age of 3.5; the normal onset age is between 3 and 5 years of age. We have been able to pinpoint his seizures to stress or chemicals pretty much. Stress can play a large role in many dogs that have seizures. That said; stress is dealt with differently by each dog, so how much stress is too much stress is very individual. Luke is a stress monkey so it doesn't take too much to push him over the edge.

Toxins also can play a big part in seizures and epilepsy. We keep all lawn fertilizer, weed killer type things off of our lawn. And I do not use harsh chemicals in our home; I opt for Baking soda and Vinegar or micro fiber cloths. All dogs with epilepsy are different so it is up to us and with the help of our vet to figure out the best approach as far as treatment. We have opted to go the natural way; with feeding real food and using management in the stress department. Luke has Grand Mal seizures (they are very bad) which are difficult to experience with him but they are luckily far apart. He may go as long as 6 months or more before having another.

Drugs used for epilepsy have side effects just like any other chemical drug. So do your research, know what you are giving your dog and make the best choice that you feel is right for your dog.

Dog breeds that are more prone to epilepsy are the Keeshond, Tervueren, Cocker Spaniel, Poodle, Collie, German Shepherd, Irish Setter, Golden Retriever, Dachshund, Labrador Retriever, Saint Bernard, Miniature Schnauzer, Siberian Husky, and Wire-haired Terrier.

Canine epilepsy network

Canine epilepsy resource

EPI Guardian Angels