# Epilepsy



## Sole0102 (Nov 23, 2020)

Hi everyone, 

The vet is pretty certain that Skye has epilepsy. She has assured me that it can be treated and has told me not to panic. She said he is at the right age for it to start. The plan just now is to monitor him and I have some rectal valium in case he takes another seizure. If he has any more seizures, they will put him on medication. She advised me on what to do if and when they happen. 

I would like to thank everyone for their kind messages. You guys are the best ❤ x


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I am glad it is no worse, but it is still pretty devastating. The episode may be a one off, or so infrequent as to not need medication, but is inevitably a huge worry until you get used to the "new normal", especially after your experience with Cooper. But you have a vet you trust, a diagnosis, and you know what to do if it happens again - all positives.


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## Sole0102 (Nov 23, 2020)

fjm said:


> I am glad it is no worse, but it is still pretty devastating. The episode may be a one off, or so infrequent as to not need medication, but is inevitably a huge worry until you get used to the "new normal", especially after your experience with Cooper. But you have a vet you trust, a diagnosis, and you know what to do if it happens again - all positives.


I agree with you, it is not ideal. I spoke to his breeder yesterday and today and she offered to take him back. The vet has assured me that this could not have been foreseen and certainly isn't something routinely tested for. I told his breeder that I have no intention of returning him. I just wanted to let her know what was happening. She has his sister and although I know it doesn't mean that she will have it too, I thought it would benefit her to know considering they are the same age. The vet also said something about putting him on a keto diet. I don't know much about it but apparently they put children with epilepsy on this kind of diet. It was very positive at the vet and they were the ones who treated Cooper so they will understand my panic x


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

I am so sorry to read this news. Life is not fair.

Many pets for Skye, I really hope this was a one-off event.


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## Sole0102 (Nov 23, 2020)

For Want of Poodle said:


> I am so sorry to read this news. Life is not fair.
> 
> Many pets for Skye, I really hope this was a one-off event.


Thank you. He slept so much yesterday, really only got up to eat and drink and go to the toilet. The vet said that's why she thinks it's epilepsy, if it was blood sugars or something else, he probably would have bounced back quicker. He is certainly a lot livelier today. She also said the fact he was asleep when it happened ties in with epilepsy too x


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I am glad you have a diagnosis. The hardest part of it will be wondering if it will ever happen again, but live a normal happy life with Skye and hopefully it will become just a thread in his long and happy life. I have two neices who have dealt with seizures for different reasons, on is epileptic. Both of them are super smart and successful, living happy 20 something lives. Their lifestyles of normalcy are what I wish for you all.


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## Yellow (Sep 24, 2018)

I messaged you


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Well, darn. Everything sounds hopeful, but still, darn it.


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## Sole0102 (Nov 23, 2020)

Liz said:


> Well, darn. Everything sounds hopeful, but still, darn it.


I think you summed up my feelings exactly. The vet said that he might not have another seizure for a few months. I will just have to do what's been suggested and take it from there. His breeder said she would never have given him to me if she had known and she is going to inform the other people who have her puppies. I feel sorry for her, I could tell she was upset when we spoke. It's nobody's fault. We have made a commitment to Skye and we will honour that x


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

My heart just sunk when I read your other post but I have no words. Liz summed it up well. I’m sure you will have many years of love and joy with Skye, but after what you went through for Cooper, I was hoping Skye would be worry-free for you.


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## Sole0102 (Nov 23, 2020)

Starla said:


> My heart just sunk when I read your other post but I have no words. Liz summed it up well. I’m sure you will have many years of love and joy with Skye, but after what you went through for Cooper, I was hoping Skye would be worry-free for you.


Thanks Starla. I was certainly hoping it would be worry free too. That being said, I feel a little more relaxed after speaking with the vet. I know what to look for and what to do and that is always better than dealing with the unknown x


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## I_love_dogs (May 30, 2021)

I have child with seizures. The diet used for treating seizures is generally used for intractable epilepsy as it has health risks if you are doing it correctly. I don't know what it would do to a dog. 
The view of seizures has changed over the years. For infrequent seizures, the side effects of the seizure medicine likely outweigh the risks of the seizure. And those risks can be mitigated by using the emergency medicine. 
Based on humans - Things you can do to reduce seizures are making sure they get enough sleep and stay hydrated. Fever will reduce the seizure threshold.


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## Minie (Oct 4, 2021)

I am so sorry. I had hoped you would have a much easier time with Skye. Thankfully the vets are much more knowledgeable about epilepsy today and the treatment is so much better. I have a friend who's dog has epilepsy and once they got the medication right, she now has a very normal happy life. Lots of hugs from across the pond 🤗


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

I am hoping that this is a singular occurrence. I did have a miniature poodle who had a true seizure just once. BUT, that smart little dog immediately got the idea that a seizure led to being held and given a yummy treat (a gel used to treat hypoglycemic seizures). So whenever she did not get something she wanted, such as a car ride, she would fake a seizure. Once I knew she was faking, all I had to do was to tell her to stop the faking (as opposed to wrapping her in a towel and giving her the gel for hypoglycemia).

She was very fond of the family across the street. Their pre-teen boy spent lots of time at our house playing with the dogs and riding my horses. Unbeknownst to me his mother was schitzophrenic. The boy would take the mini poo over to his house for his mother to hold - the dog had a great calming effect on her. So when I moved out of state, I gave them the dog. She lived to great old age and was really a wonderful service dog before there were service dogs for mentally ill people. I did, of course, tell them about Belle's fake seizures, and they were able to follow through with my suggestion that when she did that you just had to tell her to cut it out!


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

That's a wild ride Johanna! How amazing that the dog formed such a tight connection with the boy and his mother! That relationship must have such a blessing to that family. As for the dog, I'm not sure whether I'm more shocked or amused that she learned to fake a seizure for attention.


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

I lived for over ten years with an epileptic dog. And the topic comes up in here regularly.

I'm so happy to read the above comments and I note that they've changed markedly over the years.
Rather than panic and all kinds of crazy advice, the thrust now seems to be to treat it as an ailment to be dealt with... simply lived with. 'Cos that's what it is.

There are a couple of things you might want to know...

Tonka's seizures occurred only at night... 3:00AM as a matter of fact. 
Staying in bed and ignoring them *seemed to* lengthen their duration.
Petting, caressing him, and talking to him shortened them? I think so...

But you *must, absolutely,* make sure that in the thrashing phase, he's not contacting anything that could injure him

The other danger phase is the 'stupid' phase/the post-ictal phase. Where the dog, recovering, will insist on running around the house... bouncing off of everything that's not nailed down. Mind your table lamps!!


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

I’m sorry about Skye having epilepsy. I too, had a dog who had epileptic episodes. She had them unfrequently so I never gave her any medications. She lived to be 13 and we only witnessed about 4-5 episodes. 

It’s possible Skye will never have another episode, or have them very seldom too. That is my wish for you.


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## Spottytoes (Jul 28, 2020)

Wow! I am very sorry to hear you have more worries. Things have been not easy for you. (((Hugs)))) As others have said, I hope that that there will be very few or never another episode. I am glad you were able to get Skye to the vet and diagnosed quickly.


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## TeamHellhound (Feb 5, 2021)

I'm sorry that you are having to deal with this. Seeing your pet having a grand mal seizure is pretty darned scary. Sandy was a cat, not a dog, but his seizures were thought to be a "side effect" of the fact that he was hyperthyroid. For cats, pretty much the only treatment is phenobarbital, but there are other options for dogs if he has seizures often and/or severe enough to warrant medication.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Buck has epilepsy. He had three seizures, months apart and we took him to a vet neurologist. He has not had a single seizure since he was started taking Levetiracetam, pricey since it’s human grade, pet insurance helps. I don’t worry about it anymore and we live our life. I was a wreck everyday after the first seizure. Our general vet had some metric like several seizures per month before medication. DH happened to be listening to NPR after the initial seizures and they had a vet program inviting listeners to call with questions. He was told not to wait, seizures are not benign and can be dangerous for dogs and humans depending on many factors. It’s just a bend in the road, not the end, with medication.


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## Sole0102 (Nov 23, 2020)

Johanna said:


> I am hoping that this is a singular occurrence. I did have a miniature poodle who had a true seizure just once. BUT, that smart little dog immediately got the idea that a seizure led to being held and given a yummy treat (a gel used to treat hypoglycemic seizures). So whenever she did not get something she wanted, such as a car ride, she would fake a seizure. Once I knew she was faking, all I had to do was to tell her to stop the faking (as opposed to wrapping her in a towel and giving her the gel for hypoglycemia).
> 
> She was very fond of the family across the street. Their pre-teen boy spent lots of time at our house playing with the dogs and riding my horses. Unbeknownst to me his mother was schitzophrenic. The boy would take the mini poo over to his house for his mother to hold - the dog had a great calming effect on her. So when I moved out of state, I gave them the dog. She lived to great old age and was really a wonderful service dog before there were service dogs for mentally ill people. I did, of course, tell them about Belle's fake seizures, and they were able to follow through with my suggestion that when she did that you just had to tell her to cut it out!


I don't know whether to be shocked or laugh at this post 😂. That is one extremely smart poodle. It's wonderful that she brought so much joy and comfort to your neighbours ❤. Unfortunately, Skye had another seizure about 40 minutes ago. It lasted just over a minute this time and I managed to film a bit of it for the vet. Poor boy wet himself 😥 he is now lying curled up on my knee x


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## Sole0102 (Nov 23, 2020)

Mfmst said:


> Buck has epilepsy. He had three seizures, months apart and we took him to a vet neurologist. He has not had a single seizure since he was started taking Levetiracetam, pricey since it’s human grade, pet insurance helps. I don’t worry about it anymore and we live our life. I was a wreck everyday after the first seizure. Our general vet had some metric like several seizures per month before medication. DH happened to be listening to NPR after the initial seizures and they had a vet program inviting listeners to call with questions. He was told not to wait, seizures are not benign and can be dangerous for dogs and humans depending on many factors. It’s just a bend in the road, not the end, with medication.


Skye had another seizure about 40 minutes ago and I certainly didn't panic as much this time. It didn't last as long although he did wet himself. I will let the vet see the video tomorrow x


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## ivy1 (12 mo ago)

Sole0102 said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> The vet is pretty certain that Skye has epilepsy. She has assured me that it can be treated and has told me not to panic. She said he is at the right age for it to start. The plan just now is to monitor him and I have some rectal valium in case he takes another seizure. If he has any more seizures, they will put him on medication. She advised me on what to do if and when they happen.
> 
> I would like to thank everyone for their kind messages. You guys are the best ❤ x


I had a toy poodle with seizures for most of his life. I quit giving him rabies vaccines. If he was in an area with fertilizer or poison he would have a seizure. I washed his paws if we were on a public place. He was on meds. But I only gave it so him one time a day because it was a bit harsh. Vet prescribed 2x a day. He would have a seizure every month or two. Had to be careful not to leave him on furniture alone. Because he could fall. He lived to be 15. It was something we just accepted and moved on. I cooked most of his food. Wild salmon and broccoli
Kept chemicals away from him. We were already mostly organic. I am sure this helped.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I'm sorry to hear Skye has had a second seizure - does two in a few days mean medication is the way to go? But it sounds as if it was much less frightening for you - knowing what it is and what to do makes such a difference.


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## Sole0102 (Nov 23, 2020)

fjm said:


> I'm sorry to hear Skye has had a second seizure - does two in a few days mean medication is the way to go? But it sounds as if it was much less frightening for you - knowing what it is and what to do makes such a difference.


He has a social appointment with the nurse this afternoon. The vet said yesterday that if he was to have another seizure before that appointment then the vet will see him today instead to look at medication. His face and legs were twitching as he was going to sleep last night, I'm not sure if that is a warning sign but will certainly discuss with the vet today x


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Oh this is making me so sad.  I’m sorry, @Sole0102. I know Skye is in the best, most loving home, but your heart must be feeling very bruised right now.

Will the vet be doing blood work? And have all potential environmental triggers been ruled out? Gracie had a very frightening episode when she sniffed up some fertilizer someone had carelessly scattered across the sidewalk. But I know there are some other, less obvious household causes.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Oh, this is not what I was hoping to see. This is far from being the worst news, but it must be a bit of having the wind knocked out of you.

I think I'd ask the vet about potential environmental triggers, flea and tick preventatives, if this hasn't already been gone over.

Keeping you all close.


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## Sole0102 (Nov 23, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Oh this is making me so sad.  I’m sorry, @Sole0102. I know Skye is in the best, most loving home, but your heart must be feeling very bruised right now.
> 
> Will the vet be doing blood work? And have all potential environmental triggers been ruled out? Gracie had a very frightening episode when she sniffed up some fertilizer someone had carelessly scattered across the sidewalk. But I know there are some other, less obvious household causes.


He had bloods done yesterday. He is going back to the vet today, I will speak to them about possible environmental factors. He was out at the river on Saturday, had the seizure early hours of Sunday morning then slept all day Sunday. He only had a small walk around the block yesterday x


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## Sole0102 (Nov 23, 2020)

Rose n Poos said:


> Oh, this is not what I was hoping to see. This is far from being the worst news, but it must be a bit of having the wind knocked out of you.
> 
> I think I'd ask the vet about potential environmental triggers, flea and tick preventatives, if this hasn't already been gone over.
> 
> Keeping you all close.


He was given flea and tick preventatives 10 days ago. I will discuss this with the vet x


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

For Skye and for you and your family, I am hoping that the vet is able to identify a clear cause and prescribe easily managed care.


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## kuriooo (Feb 17, 2010)

Johanna said:


> I am hoping that this is a singular occurrence. I did have a miniature poodle who had a true seizure just once. BUT, that smart little dog immediately got the idea that a seizure led to being held and given a yummy treat (a gel used to treat hypoglycemic seizures). So whenever she did not get something she wanted, such as a car ride, she would fake a seizure. Once I knew she was faking, all I had to do was to tell her to stop the faking (as opposed to wrapping her in a towel and giving her the gel for hypoglycemia).
> 
> She was very fond of the family across the street. Their pre-teen boy spent lots of time at our house playing with the dogs and riding my horses. Unbeknownst to me his mother was schitzophrenic. The boy would take the mini poo over to his house for his mother to hold - the dog had a great calming effect on her. So when I moved out of state, I gave them the dog. She lived to great old age and was really a wonderful service dog before there were service dogs for mentally ill people. I did, of course, tell them about Belle's fake seizures, and they were able to follow through with my suggestion that when she did that you just had to tell her to cut it out!


Wow, I’m both impressed and amused that your doggie learned to fake a seizure, so smart! 
As for mental health and dogs, it’s such a benefit! My house is more relaxed since adopting Kali. I think the biggest mental health benefit is for the angsty 15 yo who was the most apathetic about dog ownership in the beginning, he is struggling in school but spends time petting & cuddling her daily!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Sole0102 said:


> He had bloods done yesterday. He is going back to the vet today, I will speak to them about possible environmental factors. He was out at the river on Saturday, had the seizure early hours of Sunday morning then slept all day Sunday. He only had a small walk around the block yesterday x


Can be so tricky to connect those dots. Environmental triggers can be in the home. They can even be—like Rose mentioned—pet-specific products like flea meds.

I hope your visit today with the vet was helpful.


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## Sole0102 (Nov 23, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Can be so tricky to connect those dots. Environmental triggers can be in the home. They can even be—like Rose mentioned—pet-specific products like flea meds.
> 
> I hope your visit today with the vet was helpful.


Thank you for your message. He got on fine at the vet today. They are not going to prescribe any medication for epilepsy until his blood results are back. I think that makes sense just in case it turns out to be something else. I was given the same information as before, use the rectal valium if the seizure starts getting to the 2 minute mark and obviously keep the vet informed. Hopefully the bloods will be back in the next couple of days and we can take it from there x


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## Minie (Oct 4, 2021)

I am hoping your vet has results soon and can set a good plan. Thankfully several have experienced a good long life with epilepsy. But the gutted feeling and worry is really something I wish you did not have to go through. Praying for you all


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

Sole0102 said:


> I don't know whether to be shocked or laugh at this post 😂. That is one extremely smart poodle. It's wonderful that she brought so much joy and comfort to your neighbours ❤. Unfortunately, Skye had another seizure about 40 minutes ago. It lasted just over a minute this time and I managed to film a bit of it for the vet. Poor boy wet himself 😥 he is now lying curled up on my knee x


I'm sorry to hear that, Sole0102. I'm glad you will be taking him to the vet soon. Treatment for epilepsy is usually quite successful, although it is usually something that has to continue for years if not for the life of the dog. I hope your vet has some good ideas for treatment. Blessed be.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

I’m not quite sure what questions blood work would resolve, for a neurological problem. I confess to doing the same (magical thinking, as it turned out) of yard chemicals yada, yada. After the first seizure, which was really scary, I was on pins and needles wondering if it would happen again. When I finally stopped worrying, it happened again. Then again. Consider getting a referral to a canine neurologist, so you don’t have to worry and your dog can be seizure free going forward. Most diagnoses are idiopathic so no amount of your loving detective work solves anything. Been there. Best wishes for a medicated and seizure free future.


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## Miki (Dec 25, 2021)

Mfmst said:


> I’m not quite sure what questions blood work would resolve, for a neurological problem. I confess to doing the same (magical thinking, as it turned out) of yard chemicals yada, yada. After the first seizure, which was really scary, I was on pins and needles wondering if it would happen again. When I finally stopped worrying, it happened again. Then again. Consider getting a referral to a canine neurologist, so you don’t have to worry and your dog can be seizure free going forward. Most diagnoses are idiopathic so no amount of your loving detective work solves anything. Been there. Best wishes for a medicated and seizure free future.


My BFF has a pap with idiopathic epilepsy, first seizures when about 4. The challenge is finding the right meds for the particular dog. And with learning the seizures aren't as terrifying as they appear. 

Sending big globs of love and hugs and kisses and support to you and your special poo.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

A dog having a seizure can harm itself and its owner. Buck was like a snapping turtle with wild legs. It’s a brainstorm that can be effectively managed with medication. Please investigate that route and don’t worry on the daily. Hugs!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Mfmst said:


> I’m not quite sure what questions blood work would resolve, for a neurological problem.


I think it’s just to rule out underlying issues unrelated to the nervous system. Some examples from Testing For Seizures | VCA Animal Hospitals:


Metabolic diseases caused by disorders of the liver or kidney.
Very low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia).
Very low levels of calcium (hypocalcemia).
Toxins, trauma, and systemic infections.


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## Sole0102 (Nov 23, 2020)

Mfmst said:


> I’m not quite sure what questions blood work would resolve, for a neurological problem. I confess to doing the same (magical thinking, as it turned out) of yard chemicals yada, yada. After the first seizure, which was really scary, I was on pins and needles wondering if it would happen again. When I finally stopped worrying, it happened again. Then again. Consider getting a referral to a canine neurologist, so you don’t have to worry and your dog can be seizure free going forward. Most diagnoses are idiopathic so no amount of your loving detective work solves anything. Been there. Best wishes for a medicated and seizure free future.


From what I have been told, there can be metabolic disorders that can cause seizures. Kidneys, liver or things like low blood sugar. The vet has said that if they all come back clear, they then can go ahead and put Skye onto anti epileptic medication. I thought that they would just put him straight onto medication but was told otherwise. We are fortunate that this only started in the early hours of Sunday morning so we can get on top of it pretty quickly x


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

It’s great your general vet is so thorough. We didn’t like the fact that ours was o.k. with 3-4 seizures a month and never mentioned any kind of testing. One of the reasons we went to a specialist. The major takeaway is if your dog has epilepsy it can managed


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## TuttoBene (Apr 23, 2021)

Having successfully treated a Greyhound for epilepsy I can tell you that it will be fine. Tiger was treated with the old fashion, inexpensive barbiturate, phenobarbital. Tiger was sluggish while his body accommodated to the drug. Then once that happened (about a month) he was normal and had no other seizures.


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## Looniesense (Jul 10, 2021)

A man I met at the dog park mentioned his little terrier started having seizures and it was due to heartworm/flea/tick meds. He said the vets didn’t make the association and he spent lots of money on tests only to read the package insert that seizures could be a side effect. He stopped/switched those meds and the dog hasn’t had a seizure since. I would suggest you contact the breeder and ask what heartworm meds he was on before and switch if you are currently giving him something else. At least that will rule out the possibility that the seizures are related to the heartworm meds.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Heartworm is not endemic in the UK, so medication for it is unlikely to be an issue. Flea/tick meds are a possibility, of course.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

How is Skye doing? And how are all of you?


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## Sole0102 (Nov 23, 2020)

fjm said:


> How is Skye doing? And how are all of you?


We are all doing well thanks. So far Skye has had no more seizures which is great. I got a new bed today and he has claimed it. He also had his first training session, he is a little nervous when he sees people in the street because he lived in such a rural area. We took him on a short walk today and were teaching him to look at a person then look at us instead of his low bark. He picked it up very quickly x


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## Sole0102 (Nov 23, 2020)

fjm said:


> How is Skye doing? And how are all of you?


This is him on his (my) new bed x


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