Hello,

My St. Bernard started fitting around 6-7 months ago. I took her down the vets, and they prescribed her 120mg of Epiphen twice a day. Today she has attacked a little Jack Russell 13 year old dog. She has been around this dog, a couple of times before, and normallly plays around with other dogs off the lead with no problem. The Jack Russell was shuck up poor little thing, and it had a small tooth hole in its back.

She will go for other dogs but only when they go for her first, I'm very wary of letting her sniff other dogs now. But this jack russell wasn't sniffing her or anything. I have been reading this forum about Epiphen and read how it can change a dogs mood/behaviour if the dosage isnt right?

I know dogs can get aggressive over dominance, but this jack russell wasn't near her. Does anyone know a reason why, do you think it could be the medication and that it needs reviewing?

thanks for reading this

and it had a small tooth hole in its back.

Do you know if the owners took it to their dog to vets for a jab & some penicillin or anti biotics? best check with them they to do that 'cause of infection.
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I had a bitch on epiphen for many years.  She stayed the sweet darling that she had always been.  So I wouldn't blame the drug for the reaction.  However, once on epiphen your vet should be blood testing every 6 weeks at the start, while the correct dosage is established.  Although not quite as frequently, any dog on epiphen should be tested for life.  Even a tiny dose change can be prescribed.  I've actually been in a position that needed me to cut tablets into quarters. 

Surely the follow up testing was explained to you when epiphen was prescribed???

I'm not sure whether it is the Epiphen or the epilepsy itself that can at times cause aggression. When my Golden Retriever started having frequent fits and was put onto medication he was at first not normal at all. He would sit and stare at walls and yes he would be aggressive, mainly towards other dogs, but when he was neutered and started fitting he also bit the vet and two nurses.  It took 2 years on medication (tweaked several times) before his behaviour was back to normal, and his brain never worked quite the same again -he'd forgotten a lot of the commands he knew for instance. But after those two years he was pretty much normal again, certainly his normal sweet temper. He still is -almost 12 now and he started with fits when he was 3.

> She will go for other dogs but only when they go for her first, I'm very wary of letting her sniff other dogs now

I have no experience of epilepsy or epiphen but just want to say that you really should be muzzling her when outside just to be on the safe side so no other dog gets hurt. You can get really big baskerville, basket type muzzles that are comfy and all the dog to pant.

I've seen dogs becoming aggressive because of both - either the epiphen or the epilepsy itself.  I home boarded a dog who was severely epileptic once, the owners told me that without the epi he would fit daily and was odd but not unpleasant, but on the epi, he was randomly very aggressive and would literally attack air.  That I witnessed myself, while he was here.  He was miserable frankly, but hadn't been on it long.

If there is any possibility that it is the epi then perhaps pexxion might be a better option - as I understand it it reduces stress as a side effect and is considerably kinder to the dog than epi.  My friend's collie is on it for stress-induced epilepsy - when he is heading for a seizure he becomes very snappy with other dogs (considerably more than usual, anyway) but the pexxion helps him a lot.  His owner is looking at a dose increase after a bad week of build-up this week.

ETA also, an online friend's sprollie has fits and meds weren't that effective, but her vet put him on a big dose of coconut oil (2tbsps a day, I think) and it really helps him.  if she forgets to give it to him she notices the change in him almost immediately.

She will go for other dogs but only when they go for her first,

you really should be muzzling her when outside just to be on the safe side so no other dog gets hurt


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gg