Just met up with friend who has a six year old male Lab. Eighteen months ago he started having fits although not very frequently about once every two months or so. The fits don't seem to follow any pattern as far as I can see, happening at any time during the day or night. The vet is reluctant to prescribe meds as the side effects outweigh the need as the fits are so infrequent. Do you think this is the right thing to do? Is there anything non prescription item that may help him? Understandably the owner finds it distressing as does another friend who looks after him when the owners go away.

My Labrador started fitting last year, aged 9. His fits were about once a month and after keeping a diary of when it was happening blood tests and neurological testing we decided to go ahead and medicate. He was on epiphen and despite the warnings of how it might affect him, I wasn't prepared for how doped up and lethargic he was. He went from being a happy energetic dog to one that couldn't walk because the medicine made him weak on his back end, he was grumpy and had no interest in anything. After perservering for a couple of months and with the vets agreement, we weaned him off the medication, deciding that fitting wasn't as bad as having no quality of life! I know lots of dogs who are doing very well on medication but I think the vet is right in this case....I assume they would medicate if they become more frequent. I have changed my boy onto a no grain food as someone suggested it would help and his fits are less frequent...8/9 weeks apart (may be coincidence but fingers crossed it stays like that!) Hope this helps, its a horrible condition but one that upsets the owner more than the dog!!! :)

There should be no need for medication unless the fits happen on a weekly basis or less. We put my Golden on medication when the fits came every 6 days. To start with yes they spaced him out and the amount needed adjusting several times, but after about a year he was absolutely fine, like a normal dog again. After a few years my new vet took some blood tests and found the medication no longer did him any good, so suggested he came off it, gradually. He's now been off medication for about a year and has not had a single fit. He's now 10. The trouble is that epilepsy medication often causes liver damage in the long run, so the longer it can be left, the better.

Thank you both. I will pass on the info about grain free food, anything is worth a try.

I would also check that she has had extensive blood tests done as I was told by my vet that loads of conditions/ imbalances can cause fitting. Might be worth her speaking to her vet if he has already had blood tests and see exactly what he has been checked for?

Thanks apechearrow

You're welcome :) there are a couple of good sites on the internet that your friend might want to look at....not good with computers so hope this works lol :)

http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/

http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/Resources.html

and this woman runs a support group  http://www.canineepilepsysupport.co.uk/

You're better with a computer then you think, all the links worked!
I will pass them onto her, I'm sure she will be pleased to have something to read and understand a bit more.
More thanks.

Have a look at melatonin - there will be some info on the epilpesy guardian angels link above I think :-)  I use it in my collie for stress but I found out that it can be used for epilepsy while I was researching it.

Ok will pass that on, thanks Nikita.