Kirislin Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 how common is it? I fear Tag may have had a fit last night and I only saw the after event confusion and wobbles. Not certain, but I took him to the vet today and he thinks that's probably what it was too. He cant test for it. He said whippets are over represented as far as epilepsy goes. It was news to me but I would think he is in a position to know. Tag is brimming with health and vigour, he'd never even been to see this vet, the only time he's been to the vet in the past is for his vaccinations, neutering and microchipping. I hope if he did have a fit it's the first and last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Have his Thyroid tested if he continues to have fits. It is now known that a low Thyroid can cause fitting. Dogs have been known to take fits if they have been over vaccinated. My Whippets only receive two DHP vaccines one before 3 months and one at about 4 months and then I Titre test for antibodies. If antibodies are present no more vaccine is required as the anti bodies last for life. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neatz Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Please get your dog tested for epilepsy. If it comes back positive there is medication. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisovar Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Please get your dog tested for epilepsy. If it comes back positive there is medication. Unless I have missed something there is no definitive test for Canine Epilepsy, it is more a case of ruling out other metabolic issues. Thyroid testing would be be high on the list. Observation of "seizures" provides valuable information for your Vet, there are different kinds of seizures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 I took him to the vet and he said they cant test for epilepsy. He said Tag might never have another episode again. It's not even definite that he had a fit, I only found him afterwards looking wobbly and confused. I thought he'd had a stroke at first. The vet said to write down if he has another and any events leading up to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cockerlover Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Kirstlin ,Did the vet do blood tests ?that can show if the cause is of another reason . Very inportant that you keep records of ALL future episodes (Heres hoping there are no more) & this was a one of accurance . It is an extremly scary thing to witness & depending on the sererity of the fits ,mdication is available . I have notes on Epilepcy,if u wouldlike them please feel free to pm me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 He didn't take blood. I think from my description he is 99.9% sure Tag had a fit. He examined Tag and he is a picture of health, lean, extremely fit and strong, he listened to his heart, looked him all over and took his temp. All normal. He stressed to me not to worry, it might be a one off but said if it happens again I must record the details and if it becomes frequent then I need to consider treatment. But for now it's do nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rysup Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 There is NO test for Epilepsy in dogs. They can only rule out all other possible causes and even then, it can really only be diagnosed through autopsy. Kees breeders the world over are praying for a DNA marker in our breed. A test would be great, but it just is not there. Best of luck Kirislin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puggy_puggy Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Lets hope it was a once off. You don't by chance have one of those airfreshener things that emits a spray evey few minutes? Someone else, who's dog had a once off fit, had just installed one when the fit occured. Needless to say they chucked it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 The Canine Health Concern in the UK checked did an epidemiological study on almost 4,000 dogs and found that almost three quarters of epileptic episodes first occurred within 3 months of a booster shot, regardless of breed. How long ago was he vaccinated out of curiosity? I do know of a whippet x border collie whose vet suspected the booster as causing epilepsy - vet banned the dog from ever having another booster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hastings Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Please get your dog tested for epilepsy. If it comes back positive there is medication. definately NO test for Epilepsy, believe me I have gone through it. Vaccination does it to one of my dogs, so no more immunization Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hastings Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 The Canine Health Concern in the UK checked did an epidemiological study on almost 4,000 dogs and found that almost three quarters of epileptic episodes first occurred within 3 months of a booster shot, regardless of breed. How long ago was he vaccinated out of curiosity?I do know of a whippet x border collie whose vet suspected the booster as causing epilepsy - vet banned the dog from ever having another booster. would love to know more about that study Morgan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 No, he hasn't been immunised for a couple of years. I have an awful feeling he might have had another one yesterday. I was out for most of the day and when I came home my TV had been knocked onto the floor! It's possible that the boys were wrestling and knocked it I suppose, but since nothing like that has ever happened before I think it's very unlikely. If he did have another fit I will know soon enough if they're going to be that frequent. I hope I am wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Sure hope he doesn't have any more, it does tend to knock them around. Found a direct link to the study i mentioned http://www.bogartsdaddy.com/bouvier/health...concerns-uk.htm It was on this very useful page of info links from a whippet website http://www.awhippetslife.com/pages/resources-amp-links.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Sorry to hear that may think that he could have taken another fit. Don't forget That hounds can suffer from thyroid deficiencies and many have recovered from taking fits by the addition of Thyroxine. A simple blood test at the vets is all that's required to determine the Thyroids activity.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neatz Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 He didn't take blood. I think from my description he is 99.9% sure Tag had a fit. He examined Tag and he is a picture of health, lean, extremely fit and strong, he listened to his heart, looked him all over and took his temp. All normal. He stressed to me not to worry, it might be a one off but said if it happens again I must record the details and if it becomes frequent then I need to consider treatment. But for now it's do nothing. Although there is no specific test for epilepsy there are many tests to rule out other causes which could lead to the diagnosis of Idiopathic epilepsy (seizures of unknown cause). "How is the cause diagnosed? The initial workup of a patient with seizures includes a thorough physical examination, a meticulous medical history, screening blood work and a urinalysis. A complete blood count can reveal signs of infection or inflammation. A chemistry profile helps to investigate metabolic causes of seizures by testing for biochemical markers of liver, kidney, glucose, and electrolyte disturbances. Changes in the urine can also reflect kidney, liver or other metabolic abnormalities. In addition, if there is any possibility of exposure, a blood sample may reveal toxic levels of lead. If an obvious cause isn't discovered with the initial testing, further tests can prove useful. An important element in the clinical evaluation of just about any patient with a central nervous system disorder is the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Changes in CSF protein concentration, blood cell population and pressure indicate specific diseases of the CNS. CSF is collected while dogs are under general anesthesia. They are positioned on their side and an area at the base of the skull and upper neck is clipped and surgically scrubbed. Once the head is positioned just so, a needle is carefully placed into the space between the base of the skull and the first cervical vertebra. The fluid is then collected through the needle and submitted to a laboratory for analysis. To measure CSF pressure, a manometer can be attached to the needle; pressure is often elevated in the case of brain tumors, for example. While the patient is anesthetized, an electroencephalogram (EEG) also can be performed. Although EEG equipment is usually found only at teaching hospitals or large referral centers, the test can yield useful information. To perform an EEG, small wire electrodes are placed in the skin at various points overlying the brain, and electrical activity of the brain is observed. The pins penetrate the skin, but they are very small and non-traumatic. In fact, EEGs can usually be performed in awake dogs. This test is simple and risk-free to perform (it's similar to an EKG of the heart), but interpretation usually requires the services of a specialist in neurology. The last diagnostic option available to investigate seizures is a brain scan. Computerized tomography (CT scan) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are just becoming available in veterinary medicine. These diagnostic imaging techniques yield a wealth of information and can be very sensitive indicators of structural CNS diseases. However, as with all other tests, these scans are negative in cases of idiopathic epilepsy. Brain scans also require the use of general anesthesia." Kirislin my brothers GSD lived with epilepsy for many years and I know how frightening it can be when they have fits. At one point my dog began sensing that he was about to fit and began warning us when it was going to happen. Hope your dog is ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted July 30, 2009 Author Share Posted July 30, 2009 Oh dear, I think it's happened again. I was just starting to relax and forget about it, well, at least push it to the back of my mind and then last night I woke to the sounds of him throwing up. I leapt out of bed, too late of course to avert disaster, but ushered him outside and noticed he was all wobbly again just like last time. I am wondering if vomiting is common after a seizure, because he was so unsteady on his feet, I wondered if it was like motion sickness. My poor boy. I put him to bed and he slept very deeply for the rest of the night. I got up to check him a couple of hours later and he was so deeply sleeping he didn't even stir when I touched him. He seemed a bit subdued this morning but perked up when we went to the park and he seems perfectly normal now. I haven't taken him to the vet but I've noted it down and if it happens again within a short space of time I will take him to the vet. He was my healthiest dog, no injuries, lovely conformation, super, super fit, and now this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 How old is he Kirislin? There are other causes of fitting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted July 30, 2009 Author Share Posted July 30, 2009 he will be 5 in Sept Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 he will be 5 in Sept Still a youngster then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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