My vet has diagnosed my collie as having epilepsy....however..I was always led to believe that a dog having an rpileptic fit was unaware of what was happening.Puppy,(my dogs name even though hes 5) is always 100% aware, He knows when hes going to fit and comes straight to me he stays on his feet and if I move he follows me.The fit looks very similar to a kind of cramp,hes all hunched up and hos back leg is weak. I am concerned that he nay be started on drugs for epilepsy and may in fact not have it,Does anyone know of an epileptic dog that is so aware throughout a fit? please help..I am worried and confused

I had a mini long dachsie who had fits. She had them throughout her life. She was always aware that she was having a fit. Fortunately she only had a maximum of three a year, so there was never any question of medication.
If you are really worried i would suggest you seek a second opinion.
It is a horrible thing to witness a dog having a fit. All you can do is be there for them and try to comfort them.
Good luck to you both.

thanks snoopy :) he 1st had 3 over a long period but the last 2 were only a month apart.
I think I might take your advice and seek a second opinion.
My mum has a collie thats diagnosed epileptis as well.but his are very different he falls to the floor and doesnt know whats happening,This certainly isnt the case with puppt and thats whats confusing me :)

i have a Dachsie smooth haired gentleman not sure of his age but he is old he was a rescue. i had him for just 2 days when he started to fit. he was the same as your mums collie he is totaly unaware of what is happening but dose seem to know one is going to happen as he will come to me and slightly moan at me a few minutes before going into one. i have had his for 4 years now and although he has hardly any teeth and is quite a grumpy old man with plenty grey hair (dog not hubby) :-) he is a fantastic dog and young at heart, he has fits quite regular about 2 to 3 a week and is on medication 2 tablets every night. although it is horrible to see and just as hard to not be able to do nothing to help him threw an attack i would not be without him for all the tea in china when his day dose come it will break my heart. i would rather have him fitting every day than be without him. the vets assured me they are dew to his brain shutting down it even makes his empty his bowels and he is totaly unaware of it all so if your dog is aware it seems strange how he knows if the brain shuts off dosent it ? i would definatly get a second oppinion before starting a course of medication for the dogs sake and also your own keep us informed how you get along good luck

Hello there!

I have an epileptic Border Collie too. The first thing is DON'T PANIC! It looks horrible, but the dog doesn't actually know what's going on - he/she is out of it until the siezure is over. The times to watch out are when the fit lasts over 5 minutes, or if there is a cluster of fits in a short time (status epilepticus). You may be able to lessen the recovery period by holding your dog's head, stroking him gently and talking to him soothingly. However, KEEP YOUR FINGERS AWAY FROM HIS MOUTH!

Ask your vet about Diazepam rectubes: these are squeezy tubes of valium which can stop the fit almost instantaneously, although the administration is not fun (you whip the cap off the tube, stick the open end into the dog's bum and squeeze!). The fastes way of stopping the fit is by injection, but your usual dog owner cannot do this - hence the rectube, which is almost as quick (seconds only).

There is a very informative and helpful site (with a message board) at http://www.canine-epilepsy.net or
http://www.canine-epilepsy.com although I think the first is the better.

My BC had 4 fits in 35 minutes on 30 October 2001 (he was three then) and had to go to the vet at 4 a.m. - since then, he has been on phenobarbitone tabs twice a day, and has had NO FITS SINCE :)

Keep talking to your vet, get your pup medicated (he may be a bit woozy for a week or two, but it wears off) and stick to it faithfully, to the minute if you can (irregularity in medication can be dangerous). Ask your vet about the rectubes: they will not be cheap, but a) they could save his life and b) you may never need to use them, but it's better to be safe than sorry!

Good luck to you. You can e-mail me if you need more info or support! Remember, it's not a death sentence, as my little chap can certify!

Snorri
Twilight Zone Epi-campaigner
:D

This is exactly the way epilepsy is in a number of dogs. You could have been describing my old Bethany! The actual time of unconcousness can be as short as a few seconds only. Beth was always happy as long as she could feel me touching her but would start to panic if I left her before she had come right out of it. Often again, after the fit was finished (Which could take 20 minutes or more) we would get a mad few minutes with her rushing around in a hyperactive way. After about 5 or 10 minutes she would revert back to her normal self.

Regards, John

Is really nice to get all this feedback and helpful advice :)
Thanks a lot you guys
Im still not convinced about what puppy has but I have a lot to read and lots of help from you all