Hi everyone
This is a long post, sorry.

Olli my 4 year old springer was diagnosed with Epilepsy at the start of Feb this year.
It all stater one morning at 5am when I got up for work, I had just looked in the living room at the dogs on my way to the bathroom and everyone was settled and fine.

Next minute I hear a crashing noise, run through and my boy was on his side having a grand mal seizure. I phoned the vet straight away, who confirm from my description that it has been a seizure, I was advised to keep him quiet and let him come around in his own time and to take him in the following day for bloods.

We went to the vet on the Saturday morning and had his bloods done and full check up, vet would not start him on medication as he wanted to see if it was a one off.

Bloods came back 3 days later with an all clear, however exactly 12 days later Olli suffered a second grand mal seizure, I phone the vet and was advised to take him straight in.  He was given a full check up and sugar levels done, which again all was normal.

However it was decided that he would be started on Epiphen 60mg twice daily, this seemed to keep the seizures at bay for 14 days when he suffered a further three in the same day, he had more more over the coming months.

Then in July he suffered a cluster seizure, at this point I asked my vet to refer us to a neurologist to make sure there was not something more sinister going on in his brain.

Then in August we were sent to Glasgow small animal hospital, the neurologist we saw was great, explained everything in a manner we could understand.  She offered us an MRI and Spinal Tap while we were there.

The MRI was my intention all along so we agreed to have this done.

Four hours later I got my boy back and as the neurologist suspected there was no brain tumours etc.

Olli was diagnosed with Idopathic Epilepsy, his medication was upped to 60mg in the morning and 90mg in the evening.

We had a follow up appointment with the neurologist three weeks later.

In this time we had no seizures, his phenobarbital levels were done as was a bile acid test done and all were fine.

We were to continue with this and had a follow up telephone call booked for 3 months later.

However Olli's Epilepsy has become more worrying.

He has continued to suffer seizures which are back to a space of 12 days  between seizures.

The middle of October my vet recommended keeping his Epiphen the same and introducing another medication, Keppra.

We were then to see him a month later, fro starting the keppra up until we saw the vet which was last week Olli was seizure free for 3 weeks and 5 days :) however this improvement was short lived.

12 mid night on 20-11-2012 Olli suffered a grand mal seizure, then 45 minutes later he suffered a second grand mal, which at this point I call the emergency vet, I was advised to give him an hour to see if he settled down as his post seizure state was not normal for him, he sight was away and he could not stand up unaided, he was extremely distressed, breathign and panting very hard. When I explained all this to the vet she was worried about permanate brain damage, at this point I just broke down.  The vet phone us back an hour later and Olli had suffered his third grand mal seizure, she advised that we were to take him in to have him sedated to allow him to rest. as we were getting ready to go he had his fourth grand mal seizure of the night.

We were nearly at the vets when he suffered his fifth grand mal seizure of the night, his recovery was becoming slower and slower, at this point this is the only time I have every thought I was going to lose him.

I have never been so upset, we got to the vets I packed up went and knocked on the door advised her he had just had his 5th grand mal.

We managed to get him in the vets, where he was injected with Diazapam.  However when he has the injection he started screaming, I have never heard a noise like this in my life from him, the vet did not seem concerned.

It was decided that he should receive the full amount of diazapam and be left with them for them to monitor him.

She advised she would phone us at 9.30am with an update, we got home at 6am, both shattered and headed straight to bed, at 7.30am the phone rand and it was the vet, my heart was in my mouth when I answered it, however she only wanted to update me, so that I was not sitting worrying, he was completely out for the count, he had not been kenneled  and instead was sleeping on some vet bedding beside the vet nurse at reception :)

So we got him back at 5pm that night, when he was brought through he was not sure who we were but you saw it click in his brain an he turned into to his normal bouncy self :)

We had to return on the Wednesday for a follow up with his normal vet who deals with his Epilepsy, he had a full check up and everything seemed fine, he had his keppra put up to 1.5 tables twice daily.

Since having him home I don't think I have had a full night's sleep, I am constantly aware of every little noise or movement, however he has been fine so far.

The problem I have is before he started having the seizure's he weighed 24kg, which was fine for his build and height, now he weighs in at 30kg!!! so in  10 month he has gained 6kg, I know this weight is not good for him and really need help and advice on how to shift it please :)

We do not over feed him, I only feed him the amount of food that he would require at his normal weight.
He is fed twice a day on pro plan sensitive, he has a sensitive stomach.

Can someone advise the best way to get the weight off him and maintain it??

He does not get treats, he gets a bit raw carrot now and again, he only gets his food that's it!!

He gets 4 good 30 minute walks per day minimum however if he has seizures that day we make them shorter as advised too.

Thank you for reading and thank you for any help in advance

Lesley & olli

I'm really sorry to read your post and sympathise, I had a dog with seizures due to a brain tumour and remember only too well what it was like living on a knife edge, dreading the next episode.

I would reduce the amount of food you give overall but add veg or tinned green beans (assuming that wouldnt upset his tum) and feed more meals per day to keep his blood sugar levels up.

Good luck.

Hi there
Thank you for taking the time to read the post and for your advice it's most appreciated :)

I agree with Wolfie.  My girl has piled on the pounds, and each time they need to up her meds, it is more difficult.  I know she is never going to get her old figure back, but also know that I am not going to have her for a normal life span.  So I do the best I can.  She gets 4 very, very small meals a day, and I bulk out with veg.  I do try to make sure she gets variety.  In the last week she's had swede, peas, cabbage, broad beans, sliced beans, carrots etc.  I just like to ring the changes for her.  I know she's not keen on veg, but epiphen makes her so hungry!

Thank you for that.
I will start Olli on 4 small meals a day, is raw veg ok, or should i cook it?
Olli is the same with Epiphen, this is why my vet did not want to increase It and added in the keppra instead.
How much should i reduce his pro plan by, he gets 336 grams per day the now.
Thank you.
Lesley

I think you will find that raw is not going to be digested as easily.  I always cook the veg for my bitch.  I think you need to experiment a bit.  Say 4 meals a day on 70gm dry food with wet veg mixed in.  Just suck it and see I'm afraid.  I feel awful cutting Gemma's food bless her.

Regarding veg, remember that everything has a calorific value and choose accordingly - green veg is generally lower than root vegetables but can cause gas so it really is a balancing act.  Either lightly steam the veg or blitz it in a food processor to ensure that your dog gets the benefit from it, raw chunks of veg simply pass straight through.  Either way you can do this in bulk and freeze the veg in small amounts.  Try using a silicone muffin tray for handy portion sizes

Another option is to boil a piece of chicken or fish in water with a few vegetables to make a stock, discard the bone and freeze in small amounts.  Add it warm to his kibble and allow the biscuit to soak before feeding.  You might need to experiment to see how soggy he'll tolerate it or how much crunch to retain BUT this is a good way of making his small portion sizes appear much bigger.  Kibble can absorb loads of liquid :)

It's so difficult when their meds make them hungry but you do need to try and cut down as best you can.  Making the food last longer is another trick you can try.  Soak kibble in stock as above until it's a porridge type consistency and use this to stuff a Kong before freezing.  Soaking makes the meal go further and freezing makes it last much longer whilst keeping him busy - another good option if his hunger leads him to beg whilst you are eating or you need to distract him whilst you are cooking.

I hope this helps and I'm sorry to hear he's been so poorly.  Poor chap xxx

So sorry to read about the distressing time your dog is having. Can the vet not give you rectal Diazepam to keep in the fridge for when he has episodes of one fit after the other, it works just as well as IV. Keep him very cool as the body temp goes sky high during repeated seizures, a wet towel laid over the top of him and keeping the room quiet and dark reduces any stimuli that will trigger repeated episodes.

When I use veg to bulk up food I use frozen green beans, they have already been partially cooked and the dogs enjoy the crunch.

Have you looked at diet and epilepsy, certain meats are suppose to make dogs prone to the condition worse, beef being one.

My Mums dachsie has epilepsy following the toxic effects of having a liver shunt as a pup, she gets 1/2 a75mg Aspirin once per day and her seizures have got alot less frequent and milder when they do happen, with her already compromised liver meds for epilepsy have been withheld, she was 9yrs old in may and had her first seizure at 8 months old whilst waiting for surgery.

I hope the right combination of meds has been found, not always easy as what suits one doesn't suit all.

>Can the vet not give you rectal Diazepam to keep in the fridge

Although I haven't used it, I was given a tube of Diazepam for exactly this sort of scenario when my bitch first went on medication for epilepsy.
 

Jean i have used it many times on humans and the speed that it works at is fantastic.

Hi and thank you for all the information, I really can not thank you enough.

We do have rectal diazapam, last week when he head the 4th seizure we gave him the one we had, as we were heading to the vet anyway.

The vet did not want me to give him it to early incase he had a cluster and I had nothing to give him, as we were only give one tube.

I have since ask to have two tubes at home, so that if the seizures happen again and the amount that he had I can give him one straight away and the second as a back up.

Can I asked does the rectal tube have to be kept it a fridge?  My vet never advised me of this and I just keep it in an air tight box with the rest of his meds!!

I never new about the temp going up and to keep him cool, so I will certainly make sure this is done from now on, thank you.

This morning I gave Olli 90 grams of pro plan and the rest was made up with canned carrot and peas, I had no problem with him eating his breakfast as he love's veg :)  The veg was tinned with water, but I washed it all off before I gave him it.

I will certainly make a stock pile of veg and freeze it for him.

I just feel guilty when I look at him, I feel guilty as I can not help him with his epilepsy and I feel guilty because the weight he has put on :(

Hopefully with all the help and advice from you guys I will get my boy back on track as far as the weight goes and hopefully get the seizures under control.

Thank you again for all your help, you really do not know how much we appreciate it :)

Lesley & Olli

We kept the rectal Diazepam in the fridge at the hospital which is why I mentioned it, the pharmacists stock up on the routine meds and store them in the appropriate place, we only have to check patient specific stuff especially if it is something we haven't seen before. Hope the vet lets you have more than one tube of the Diazepam so at least he is getting treatment whilst on the way to the vets if he has more than one seizure.

Be careful as some veg are naturally sweet and won't help with weight loss, tinned veg may have preservatives,salts etc. that may not help his epilepsy so fresh or frozen is better.

Keep us posted on his progress

>Can I asked does the rectal tube have to be kept it a fridge?  My vet never advised me of this and I just keep it in an air tight box with the rest of his meds!!

No, it doesn't need to be refrigerated. Just in a safe place - your meds box sounds ideal. :-)

The vet did not want me to give him it to early incase he had a cluster and I had nothing to give him, as we were only give one tube.

Hhhmm, forgive me if this post may sound a little negative towards vets :-(

Firstly when it comes to rectal Diazepam, what did Glasgow advise? As I understand it, it's 1 10ml tube per 10kg bodyweight! Is he on the keppra daily or is this your 'cluster buster' drug to be given for 5 days following a seizure? How much of what you're being advised by your vet is coming from Glasgow?

You've been to see the neurologists at Glasgow, your dog is now a patient there. That gives you an incredible foothold into expertise, as opposed to some 'experience'. As a patient you are eligible for support from them as is your vet. Personally, I'd be making a call to Glasgow (if they are not the one advising your vet) and seeing what they would be advising, specially if it's a little while since you went to see them (sorry, can't recall from your earlier post when you went ... am looking at a later one in the thread whilst I'm typing this).

You may well have a very good vet who may well see a number of dogs with epilepsy, but you'll have paid a vast amount of money (or insurance will) to Glasgow for their EXPERTISE, use it. They can always tell you to clear off if you ask too many questions, but I doubt they will.

The phenobarbitone (Epiphen) will not have helped with weight gain. As others have said, reduce food and try veggies to pad him out. Splitting into 2 meals a day is good, can you do 3?

> I just feel guilty when I look at him, I feel guilty as I can not help him with his epilepsy and I feel guilty because the weight he has put on

Lesley I feel exactly the same about my Gemma, so do get where you're coming from.  I give her extra special kisses and call her my little podge.

I keep my tube of diazepam in with my doggie medical box too.  (A large Tupperware container!)  I was never told to put it in the fridge, so it never crossed my mind. 

I'm glad that Ollie liked his veg.  :-)  :-)

Thank you for your message.

*Firstly when it comes to rectal Diazepam, what did Glasgow advise?*  We were advised to use the one tube if he has a cluster seizure or if he has a seizure that he is taking a while to come out of.

*Is he on the keppra daily or is this your 'cluster buster' drug to be given for 5 days following a seizure?*
Olli receives Keppra daily in the form of 3 tablets per day, this is give as 1.5 tablets after his breakfast and 1.5 tablets after his dinner.  The reason he was started on Keppra was due to him have a number of seizures in a three week and 5 day period, my vet was concerned about increasing his Epiphen as we were having problems controlling his appitite and his scavenger behaviour when out on walks.
My own vet sought advise from Glasgow on the best course of action with regards to either increasing his Epiphen or to start him on Keppra, the advice from Glasgow was to start him on Keppra, we started off on 1 tablet twice daily this was increased lasted Tuesday to 3 tablets daily after he had the multiple seizures.

I have emailed our Neurologist and she is happy to keep his medication at what has been agreed with my own vet and herself, we go back in the new year for a follow up with Olli.  At our first consultation she was very concerned that he was not going to respond to any medication as we were seeing no improvement with the Epiphen at all and the most seizure free we have ever been is 3 weeks and 5 days!!

I have changed his feeds to three meals of 90g plus added veg, which he is really enjoying.

My own vet has been brilliant as have Glasgow which we are able to call anytime for advice and we do take advantage of this, if I am not happy with something my vet suggests I speak to the Neurologist.

Thank you for that, I am glad someone else understands how I feel, the amount of people that state its only a dog, they just dont understand :(

Ive never had any problems with Olli eating fruit and veg he loves it and so far the three meals per day are going down well :)

He was actually springing last night, which he has not for a while :)

Sorry to read your dog has been so poorly.

With regard to weight, have you tried chappie?  That is very low fat and very digestible.

Hi,
thank you for the message.

He was on Chappie with a mixer certified for epileptic's but the food did nothing for him, he appeared to be even more hungry when on chappie than he was with just the pro plan food.

We really struggled to maintain a good coat condition also :(