Hi all. My pekingese just had a seizure. It’s the third one in about two months. He’s had them a few times over the years. He’s 10 years old. Anyone have any experience with this? Thanks.
Hello Sheri - I am sorry to read that your Pekinese has had seizures. What does your vet say and when did the seizures first start, were they soon after the dental treatment he had and/or his skin problems, or were they before, and has he at any time suffered from any trauma to his head [apart from the trauma of the tooth extractions]? You say he has had three seizures in the last two months, are they increasing in frequency now or are they fairly regular, also exactly how do the seizures manifest themselves and how long do they last? I would suggest that you keep an online diary, noting dates/times/duration of seizures and whether anything different has happened such as changes in food, any cleaning products in the home, new plants in the yard or where you take him for walks etc. See if there is any pattern that might trigger a sz. If your vet has suggested taking him to a neurologist - and if either a neuro or your vet suggests anti-epileptic medication, please be aware that it will be for life. I do hope he will be OK.
Thank you for your reply and sorry for the late response. He has always had the occasional seizure but maybe once or twice a year. Now they occur daily or every other day. He has been put on anti seizure medication and it doesn’t seem to be working. The next test is an ultrasound on his heart as they are suspecting pulmonary hypertension. He has been diagnosed with a heart murmur so this is where their suspicions originate. I will update after the test. We recently moved to a new home four months ago. No change in food or exercise. All seizures happen at night when we are going to bed and he has to get up and come to the bedroom with us. Doc says when he’s sleeping he has a very low heart rate so when he wakes and exerts himself quickly, he seizes.
Most of Pereg's seizures happened during the night when she was asleep, the ones she had during the day were when she was dozing. But unlike your Mookie her seizures started when she was just over two years old and they were major GMs. She had idiopathic epilepsy of unknown origin. If Mookie's seizures are caused by pulmonary hypertension and he is treated for that, hopefully his sz's will lessen in frequency. Please keep us informed Sheri.
What kind of food are you feeding your pup? We had this problem with our male peke for a few years,and was told by vets that dogs don't have seizures, so I did research and found that the food you feed your dogs from the stores (not all) have euthanized animals in them and the drugs cause this. We changed his diet to making his own food and what a drastic change. The seizures diminished over the years to nothing before he passed from old age (16).
That information is incorrect. No vet would ever say that dogs do not have seizures because canine epilepsy is far more common than you might think. Dogs DO have seizures and dogs DO have epilepsy. Regarding dog food that contains euthanized animals, the following gives some information https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-industry-exposed/euthanized-pets-dog-food/ but it is highly unlikely that euthanasia drugs could cause seizures. Making your own dog food cannot cure epilepsy. Nothing can cure epilepsy, only medication can help control seizures, and even with medication it is virtually impossible to control all seizures. Reduce the frequency - yes. Fully control - no.
My vet at the time said what he did, what I did, worked and worked well without spending money unnecessarily on a vet or anyone else. Our dog lived a long life.
Let me get this straight. You say you were told by vets that dogs do not have seizures but you say that your dog did have seizures. You have contradicted yourself there. Your "research" found that drugs used to euthanize animals, the bodies of which were then were used in dog food, causes the seizures you say your vets told you that dogs cannot have, but making your own food caused the seizures your dog had [which you say vets told you that dogs cannot have] to diminish to nothing. Now, if what the vets said to you is true, which it is not, then there cannot be any such thing as canine epilepsy. So all the university researchers that have been trying for years to find a cure for canine epilepsy are just playing with a non-existent disease, which vets told you does not exist because they said dogs do not have seizures. Perhaps, seeing as you know so much about the subject and since the food you made for your dog caused the seizures he had [which you say vets told you that dogs cannot have] to diminish to nothing, you would like to share this magical food with the rest of the world who have epileptic dogs, so that they, too, can be magically cured of this incurable disease. And before you comment any further, let me say one thing more. You have come onto the wrong forum to inform us of your ignorance, because there are more than a few of us, both on Breedia and its sister site Dogsey, including the administrator of both forums, who have personal and devastating experience with our beloved dogs suffering from canine epilepsy, This is just one of our beloved epileptic dogs.
Malka, don't give me this shit I am not right. My way worked! Don't give a rat's ass what you think! My way could help some one, but you think you have all the answers. What qualifies you? I don't see you owning any Pekingese, so shut you pie hole!
If a vet told me that there was no such thing as seizures, I would be finding another vet quickly. Epilepsy is very real and at least one form, Lafora, is now identifiable and preventable through dna testing. Ideopathic epilepsy remains a more complex problem. What does not happen is that a dog suddenly becomes epileptic in later life. I had a Cavalier bitch who had a single fit at six years of age. Both my own vets and the leading geneticist at that time - the well respected Malcolm Willis - assured me that this was not epilepsy. The reason for her fit turned out to be a deficiency of fat-soluble vitamins caused by an inability to digest animal fats. Vitamin and coconut oil supplementation enabled her to live for a further eight years. You are right in saying that there has been evidence of traces of euthanasia medication being found in certain branded pet foods. I would like to think that production is subject to greater control these days, but it does serve to illustrate why it is important to only feed products from firms that you trust. Far too many brands are vague in their description of ingredients, and are bulked up with cereal fillers. There is no substitute for quality, and that never comes cheaply.
