Canine Epilepsy
Dealing with Lillys Battle
Darcy Erb
4/20/2012
English 101, College Composition
John Goldfine
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Table of Contents
The Summary…………………………………………………iii
Background……………………………………………………2
Why……………………………………………………………….9
What I Know and Don’t Know………………………..12
The Search…………………………………………………….16
What I Learned………………………………………………19
The Future……………………………………………………..24
Works Cited…………………………………………………..25
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The Summary
Lilly has stuck with me through thick and thin. I have decided to make her battle
with epilepsy something that I understand, instead of just going through the
motions of giving her the prescribed medication daily, not knowing how or why it
works. She has the right, and I have the responsibility to give her the best possible
life available. Before I started the research about canine epilepsy, I always had the
fear that she would die from her seizures. Although this is a possibility with any
type of epilepsy, through my research I have learned that this will probably not be
the case, and that my best friend will be around for many years to come.
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Background
I was seven years old and my mom was standing in the front door with a
chubby, wet nosed, ball of fur puppy. He was chocolate brown with a black nose
and enormously floppy ears. I couldn't believe my eyes; this was my very first
puppy. She gave me the normal mom speech: "Now you have to feed him and
water him every day, if he needs to go out, it is your responsibility. You will have
to clean up his messes until he's trained and make sure that he's hooked to his
house before you go to school." Anyone who has ever had a pet at a young age
has heard this speech before, I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about. I
never shrugged my responsibilities with "Grizz", that's what we named him,
because he looked like a little bear with all that brown fur.
Grizz grew over the next year and a half. He went from a small bundle of
cuddly fur to an oversized clumsy doofus. He was still my dog though; he would
come with me to feed the chickens, sitting patiently outside the pen until I was
finished. I no longer had to clean any messes, he had outgrown that finally. In the
mornings before school, I didn't have to drag him to his house, he would trot
along beside me, sniffing at whatever smell at that moment caught his attention.
He was a normal, happy go lucky, goofy dog with his oversized tail and a tongue
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that never stayed in his mouth very long. It usually hung out the right side with a
snot like trail of drool dripping from it.
One afternoon, as I was shutting the gate to the chicken coop: I turned and
Grizz was not sitting his normal spot. I did a quick scan of the backyard, thinking
that something had caught his attention, which happened on occasion. I saw
under the big pine tree, laying on his belly with his back legs stretched out to the
maximum length and extremely stiff. He had pulled his front legs up to a position
where he was balancing on his elbows and his feet were pounding at the ground.
He was looking straight at me. His eyes were glazed over, completely brown with
no white around the iris.
I walked toward him, calling his name softly. At first I thought he was
scratching his belly, although I had never seen him do it quite like that before. As I
got closer I could see that it wasn't the normal train of drool dripping from his
tongue. It was a white frothy, almost bubbling drool, oozing out of the corner of
his mouth. His feet began pounding harder and his neck went into a stretched
out state, that made his head weave from side to side, all the while still looking
straight at me.
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I went barreling to the house, screaming for my mother the entire way. She
met me at the corner, checking for a sign of blood or other life threatening matter
that could only make me scream in that fashion. I turned and pointed at Grizz. He
had managed to turn his body enough so that he was still looking straight at me.
My mom had never seen him, or any other dog act this way before. She told me
to stand back as she crept closer to him calling his name, trying to comfort him.
He focused on her from that point, watching and still pounding the ground with
his front feet. I remember feeling relief that he wasn't staring at me any longer,
trying to get me. Was he trying to get me, looking like a rabid dog, crazy eyed,
frothing at the mouth: or was he just trying to get to me?
I never really had another dog of my own, until one day many years later.
My daughter Devan, who was eight at the time, came home from a day out with
my mother. She walked through the front door with tears streaming down her
face. I knew there was something she was trying to tell us, but she couldn't quite
get it out. Finally, she releases in one long sentence; "Weston has a puppy mom,
it's a black lab and it's the only one left and it's there all by itself and he sold the
rest of them for a lot of money but he said that we could have this one for free
and if you let me get this dog I promise I will take care of it you won't have to do
anything, it's free and we won't have to pay any money PLEASSSSEE!!!???" My
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husband and I both initially said "NO", with the explanation that she has her
friends and she would lose interest. The tears continued even harder, which
turned into an eight year old little girls version of a full blown fit. My mother
stood there shaking her head, explaining that she had tried to tell her.
The next day, after discussions with my husband, ( I had changed my mind
already, I just had to change his) we sat Devan down at the kitchen table,
remembering the Mom speech. I had decided that I was going to make her put
this "Contract" in writing. She wrote a two page contract in her own words why
she wanted this puppy and how she was going to care for her. After she signed
and dated the new document titled My Puppy, we got in the truck to go see if he
still had this dog. There she was, laying in the yard all by herself. She was a black
lab, about seven months old, and looked to be in perfect health. When she saw
the truck pull in, she sat up, wagging her long sleek tail, just sitting there, smiling
as if she knew what was about to happen.
Devan picked her name, "Lilly". She was her dog for the first few months.
Me making sure that she had performed Lilly's daily needs. As time passed, I
found that Lilly was spending more and more time with me, laying at my feet as
we watched TV, looking to me when she needed to go outside. I didn't mind the
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attention, or the need to be needed. My daughter was getting older and not
spending as much time at home, or needing me as much as she had in the past.
Lilly grew to be a beautiful labrador over the next year and a half. She also
grew to be my dog. She would come to bed with me at night, until my husband
had finished watching his shows. He would yell her name and she would happily
trot down the stairs, straight to her kennel, where she was content to spend the
remainder of the evening.
Life was spent in this happy little routine until Lilly reached the age of two.
One evening Jason, my husband, yelled her name as usual. She jumped from the
bed in her normal spring form action, and went down the stairs. Shortly after, I
hear Jason, in a frantic voice, "Darcy something’s wrong with Lilly!" I had just
been sound asleep with Lilly, what could be wrong? When I reached the foot of
the stairs, I see my dog, laying on her side. All four feet curled up under her belly,
resembling an arthritic elderly in their late stages of life. Her tail tucked between
her legs and her neck stretched out straight from her spine. All of her extremities
were heaving in a pattern that I couldn't understand. Her eyes were glazed over,
with no white showing, and staring straight at me. I had seen this look before,
Grizz, was this the same problem?
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Why
I chose to research about labradors with epilepsy because I still have Lilly.
She has become more than just a dog to myself and my family, she is one of us.
My mom chose to put Grizz down after his third seizure. I am not sure if her
reasoning was related to the medicine available at the time, or maybe the
expense that came with several vet trips necessary to keep the meds regulated.
Lilly still has seizures, they are certainly less frequent than in the past. When they
do occur, they are much more intense and last longer. I want to make Lillys time
here with me as comfortable and pain free as possible. Some of the questions I
would like to find answers to are:
Are dogs born with epilepsy or does something trigger it?
 Does people food bring on a seizure?
 If so, what kind of people food?
 Can the type of dog food make a difference?
At what age do most dogs develop epilepsy?
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Is epilepsy considered a heridatory disease in dogs?
 If the mother or father has it, will the puppies?
What is the best treatment for epilepsy in dogs?
 Is Phenobarbitol the only medication that is given to dogs with seizures?
 Does the weight or age of the dog effect the frequency and severity of a
seizure?
 Can I over medicate Lilly with seizure medication?
 What does the medication do to prevent seizures?
Can she sense when it's going to happen?
 Can an action, noise, or movement trigger a seizure to happen?
Does she want to be alone while it's happening?
 Does she want to be held by me during the seizure?
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How to deal with Lilly when she's having a seizure?
 Should I hold her still?
 If she tries to get up, should I let her?
How many different levels of seizures are there?
 Do the seizures get worse as she gets older?
How long is a too long seizure?
 What should I do if I think it has lasted too long?
Is it considered worse if she loses control of her bowels?
Does she remember everything or anything about the seizure?
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What I know and Don't Know
I do know that there is no cure for Lillys epilepsy. Her lifestyle and state of
health is completely up to me. As far as her medication is concerned, the first
veterinarian that she had been seeing since day one did not put her on any type
of treatment. It wasn't until the age of three that I decided to switch vets, from
the advice of a new friend, who happened to be a vet tech. They immediately put
her on a twice a day dose of Phenobarbital 60 mg. She didn't have a seizure for
almost a year and the veterinarian dropped her dosage down to once a day. This
seemed to do the trick for two years until she had two seizures in a three month
time period. She has been back on the twice daily dose since then. I know that
Phenobarbital is what they give people with epilepsy and I have not taken her to
another veterinarian, so I am not sure if there is another drug that is available.
The veterinarian says that diet has nothing to do with her seizures. He has
told me that the best food for her just happens to be the kind that he sells from
his office, but unless I am willing to sacrifice putting food in our refrigerator I can't
afford that. I buy the most expensive brand at Walmart, with the first ingredient
being meat. The vet also tells me that he has never heard any conclusive evidence
that people food would cause a seizure. This is one of the questions that I would
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really like to find an answer to. Lilly is a food hound, and I can recall five of her
seizures happening the day after she has gotten on the counter and eaten a stick
of butter, or a loaf of bread. The worst seizure she ever had was the day after a
family cookout. All of the food was on a table on the porch, everyone was talking,
or in the pool, anyway, nobody was watching. The table got the full Lilly
treatment. She cleaned it dry, except for the vegetables. The next day, her
seizure had lasted for over an hour, she lost bowel control, and the vet finally told
me to bring her in. My opinion is salt, I think that salt dehydrates her, and causes
an imbalance that triggers a seizure. I will research this theory further.
I have spoken to Weston, the person we got Lilly from. He told me that
neither the father nor Lillys mother has epilepsy, and that their dog had four
litters and he had never heard from any of their owners of a problem. Did one of
their parents have epilepsy? I probably will never know the answer to this
question because of the extensive breeding of labradors these days. I will
research the question online though to see if there has been any documentation
of the such.
Was she born with the disease, well the word disease is a good clue. From
what I understand about the medical field (which is not much), a disease is
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something that you are born with. It is in your body from birth and comes out to
be seen at different stages. Why at the age of two though, for both of my dogs
that have been burdened with this affliction? I don't understand or have an
answer to that yet, maybe never will.
I know that actions or noises can trigger an epileptic seizure in Lilly. Several
of her episodes have been preceded by a startling noise, or being woken up from
a sound sleep. We have long since stopped waking her at night to put her in her
kennel. She had too many episodes that began half way down the stairs, it was
sure to end in a broken bone or worse. I also am certain that she realizes
something is going to happen before it actually occurs. Twice that I can think of I
wasn't right handy to her, maybe in the shower, or outside. My daughter found
her laying next to her bedroom door. That leads me to believe that she not only
knows that it’s coming but she doesn't want to be alone. I am certain that she
feels safer when someone is with her.
I have always sat with Lilly during her episodes, I have never asked the vet if
this is the correct way to deal with her. Maybe it is the mother instinct, or me just
being hopeful that she realizes that I am there with her. She looks straight at me if
she can during the seizures, and I know that she will try to get up if I have to leave
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her side at any time, so I sit with her and talk softly, trying to comfort her and
wishing the entire time that this will end quickly.
I don't know how many levels of seizures there are, Lilly began with short,
maybe 3 minute episodes. The time before last, (the picnic) it was over an hour
and she had lost control of her bowels. The vet said that he had only seen two
dogs walk out of his office after a seizure of that magnitude. They gave her a shot
of valium and kept spraying the bottom of her feet with cold water to bring down
her temperature. They sent me home with a needle and a dose of the miracle
drug, with the warning that it might not always work. It just calms her muscles
and lets her get her bearings is the way it was described to work to me.
I know she remembers that something has happened. She acts almost
embarrassed at times. When she was younger she would slowly get up and get a
drink, within five minutes, you would never know that anything had happened.
Now that she's eight, it really has an effect. She is lazy and tired for a couple days.
I know there will be more to come, but if I am better educated about her seizures,
maybe there is more I can do to help her.
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The Search
I actually began my search for information about labradors with epilepsy
years ago when my dog Lilly was first diagnosed, so it was a natural choice to
make this the topic of my Isearch paper. Years ago, my search mainly consisted of
talking to my veterinarian and taking suggestions from him about how to deal
with her issues. I also tried to bring up the topic with anyone who had dogs, or
seemed remotely interested in the topic. I felt that getting feed back from other
people dealing with this problem could only help me to better understand what
Lilly was going through, and possibly even help to improve her situation.
When I started with the research for the paper I began in the obvious spot,
the internet. Google brought up a lot of interesting sites that touched on the topic
and also some that went into great detail about the different medications that are
offered to treat her seizures. Medications and treatments are one of my biggest
concerns, because I have learned that all of the drugs offered for her illness have
side effects. I did find a couple of sites that offered a natural approach to dealing
with her epilepsy, but this route doesn't seem to the best fit for her situation.
Again, during my search on the internet I did find a lot of useful
information about how to handle her before, during, and after her seizures. This
has been another one of my major concerns, if I can't stop the seizures, what's
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the best way to make her the most comfortable. I do know that not all of the sites
that I have been to are written by approved veterinarians, and I also know that
not everything on the internet is the truth. But, everything that I have read so far
has pointed me in the same direction as to dealing with her from the onset to the
end of her seizures.
I did manage to get an interview with Lillys old veterinarian. He was very
helpful by giving me some key information to start my research, like different
drugs that are offered and some insight to the number of dogs that he actually
treated on a normal basis for the same issues. He no longer is practicing full time
unfortunately, so my access to his knowledge is very limited. I am however very
lucky to have a good friend of mine who is a Vet Tech at the same animal clinic
and I have been making phone calls to her on a regular basis to look into Lillys
files for tests that she has been given over the years.
The internet overall has proved to be the best source for information about
my Isearch paper. I have found that there is an endless amount of information
and theories about labradors with epilepsy but choosing the most credible
sources has been the issue. A lot of the sites start out sounding like a very integral
part of my paper but as I read on, I find that they are just quoting from another
source and in the end want me to buy their product. I feel confident to say that I
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have managed to find enough factual information about epilepsy in labradors
throughout my internet searches, and I also have the knowledge of my friend to
help me out too.
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What I Learned
I learned that there are many different options for treating dogs with
epilepsy, and that Lilly is definitely not alone in her battle. Epilepsy is a common
illness among our four legged friends, and can be managed easily with a
controlled diet, and proper treatment.
Beginning of Life for an Epileptic Dog
When Lilly was diagnosed with epilepsy years ago, one of my first
questions was, “Is it hereditary?” I began by asking the people that I got her from
if her parents or any of her siblings had ever had seizures, and the answer was
NO. In my research I found an answer to this nagging question: "’true’ epilepsy as
that which occurs in hereditary syndromes within certain breeds of dogs
manifests as a symptom of primary neurologic dysfunction of which the cause is
still unknown.” (Davol) “True” epilepsy is only one cause that may trigger seizures
in dogs; “Epilepsy may occur secondary to many diseases such as distemper, brain
tumors, liver or heart failure, diabetes, or as a result of exposure to toxic
substances or trauma.” (Davol) Lilly had her first seizure when she was two years
old, which leads me to believe that she has “True” epilepsy. “Seizures can occur
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at any age, however, true epilepsy does not usually present until the dog is
around 2 years or older.” (Davol)
The Seizure
There are four basic stages to a seizure: Prodome, Aura, Ictus, and Post
Ictus. (Mitchell) The Prodome may be visible to a pet owner who has been diligent
in observing their pets’ behaviors. It is the first sign that a seizure may be coming
and can last for hours or even days before the actual seizure. It can be spotted by
a change in mood or behaviors. The Aura is the step which happens just prior to
the seizure; this will be much more noticeable to the pet owner because it can
involve nervousness, trembling, drooling, or even affection. I have never noticed
Lilly acting out the Prodome phase before, but I have seen her in the Aura phase.
Three times over the years, I have noticed that she was directly beside me when
she started her seizure; actually touching me. The one time that she couldn’t
reach me, because I was in the shower, she had lain directly in front of my the
actual seizure itself and may last 45 seconds to 3 minutes. (Mitchell) During the
seizure the dog might experience loss of consciousness, thrashing, drooling,
vocalization, feet paddling, and uncontrolled urination or bowels. Most of Lillys’
seizures have lasted from two thru eight minutes with the exception of one. This
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particular seizure lasted almost two hours and is the only time she has lost control
of her bowels. Since doing research on this topic I have learned that she had a
Status Epilepticus seizure. Status Epilepticus: Status can occur as one continuous
seizure lasting 10 minutes or more, or a series of multiple seizures in a short time
with no period of normal consciousness, this may be life threatening. (Mitchell)
The final stage to a seizure is called the Post Ictus; this stage occurs immediately
after the seizure and sometimes includes pacing, and the dog may appear blind or
deaf and eat or drink to the excess.
How to Deal With a Seizure
My personal experiences with Lilly and her seizures have always led to me
laying on the floor with her; holding her head and comforting her until the end. I
always talk to her and let her know that I am there with her, whether she realizes
it or not. I know it makes a difference; as I have learned: “Remain by your pet's
side; stroke and comfort your animal so when he comes out of the seizure you are
there to calm him.” (http://www.justlabradors.com) A very important fact to
remember is that if the seizure lasts too long, “more than 10 to 15 minutes, you
should call your veterinarian” (Miller) I have only had to do this the one time Lilly
had a Status epilepticus seizure, which ended with a hurried trip to the vets, a
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shot of valium, and them spraying the bottoms of her feet with cold water to
bring down her temperature.
Treatment
There are several anticonvulsant drugs available for treatment of seizures
in dogs, some of which are Dilantin, Phenobarbital, Primidone, and Valium. Lilly
has been on Phenobarbital since she first started treatment for her seizures and it
has been very effective. There has been lapses in between her seizures that have
lasted for months and her doctor has lowered her dosage in hopes that the new
dosage would be sufficient; only to lead to a future seizure. Lilly is on
Phenobarbital because it has the highest efficiency rate and the lowest
disadvantages:
Phenobarbital
indication uses: generalized major motor seizures
advantages: high efficacy, rapid action, can be administered by several routes,
most effective drug in status epilepsy
disadvantages: long-term sedation, restricted drug, increased thirst and urination,
irritability and restlessness (Davol)
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Although Phenobarbital inhibits seizures by decreasing the activity of neurons.
(http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com), it also has some long term
side effects sedation, lethargy, excessive urination, excessive thirst and
excessive hunger, hyperexcitability, ataxia (loss of coordination or hind end
weakness) and restlessness. (http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com)
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The Future
The most important thing that I have learned through my
research is that I have been giving Lilly the best possible care that is
available. Sure there has been a few mistakes made along the way, but
epilepsy and seizures are still being explored to this day. My hopes for
the future are that she lives a long, happy, and comfortable life with as
few seizures as possible. “Epilepsy may be self-limiting and many
animals achieve remission (freedom from seizures) with appropriate
treatment.” (http://www.canineepilepsy.co.uk)
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Works Cited
Davol, Pamela A. "Understanding Canine Epilepsy." Wing-N-Wave
Labradors Epilepsy. Web. 18 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.labbies.com/epilepsy.htm>.
This site was very informative. It goes in to great detail about
epilepsy and its causes and treatment.
"Canine Epilepsy Website." Canine Epilepsy Website. Web. 18 Apr.
2012.
<http://www.canineepilepsy.co.uk/VetRecource/Clinical_info.htm>.
I learned a lot about the different steps of a seizure from this site.
"If Your Dog Has Seizures Check the Thyroid for Low Thyroid Function
Orhypothyroidism."Canine Epilepsy and Diseases That Cause Seizures in
Dogs. Web. 18 Apr. 2012. <http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardianangels.com/InterviewDrDoddsAndJoanneCarson.htm>.
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This site explains different effects, negative and positive about the
use of Phenobarbital in canines.
Miller, Dr. "About Lillys Epilepsy." Personal interview. 08 Feb. 2012.
Dr. Miller was very helpful at getting me started on my search by
providing me with names of different treatments to look up.
Mitchell, Marion. "Just Labradors." Canine Epilepsy. 15 Mar. 2012.
Web. 18 Apr. 2012. <http://www.justlabradors.com/health-andnutrition/canine-epilepsy>.
Here I learned a lot about how to deal with a seizure, what and
what not to do.
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