My lovely homebred youngster Milor  had a huge fit after his walk yesterday - having lived with two other dogs with epilepsy I just know that he has developed this awful condition too. I am totally gutted - this is the third unrelated blood line that we have used in order to avoid this and I am just in despair . I have had to contact all the owners of the pups from his litter to let them know ( no others have shown any symptoms but they are only just over 2 years old which is the age that it tends to first show up).

We have decided not to continue with our beloved breed as there seems no where to go to avoid this - even lines that we have told are clear are obviously carriers and I really can't face the heart   ache. We will have all our bitches spayed and of course all the dogs will continue to be our much loved family pets but we will no longer breed and will not be getting any more Belgians.:(

Yvonne

Oh thats so very sad Yvonne :(  don`t know what else to say really, just that I`d be heartbroken :(

I'm so sorry, Yvonne :(

Margot

Oh Yvonne, I'm so very very sorry to hear this news :(

It must hit very hard as not only do you already have Belgians with epilepsy but now your youngster has it too.

I read an article by Malcolm Willis in which he suggested there was possible evidence that males were more inclined to get it than females. I'm not sure how true that is, but have  my 3rd Terv now and touch wood have had no epilepsy - although Banya does have colitis it has been easily controlled.

My first Belgian Terv, came from American lines, her sire was Starbright Dollars Invested at Belamba - Marcelle who as you may know imported him was horrified to discover there was epilepsy behind his lines, but thank god my girl never got it.

I don't know that much about epilepsy in Belgians except that they can get it and there is research being done on it. Part of the problem is that it takes a few years to show and by then more breeding may have taken place...

I just feel I want to cry at what you are going through, sending lots of {{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}} your way.

Lindsay
xxx

I'm sorry to hear that, Yvonne. :( It comes as such a blow to discover something like that, doesn't it? I was astonished to learn how common epilepsy is - no breed is unaffected, and there are several mongrels at the vet practice where I work which are on regular medication for it, so it's everywhere.

It is a fairly common problem in all dogs regardless of breed or type.  It is only considered a breed problem if the incidence in the breed is higher than in the general canine population.

So may things can cause epilepsy/fits that other than family history it is difficult to determine if it is a primary condition.

One is Thyroid dysfunction, trauma, lack of oxygen causing damage at whelping, blows to the head, poisoning etc etc.

I am so sorry Trevor.  Has some obscure environmental cause been excluded?

Someone in our breed has had nearly all their dogs die young of an uncommon cancer, some have been unrelated, and others have been direct descendants of a brother and sister both living to 16 plus, I believe the sister is still alive with them at 17.

My Mum's female Dachsie had her first seizure at the end of May and then had another 10 days later,doesn't need meds unless they become more frequent,no more to our knowledge since then.
Mum's black cocker from a few years ago was 6 before he had his first one and then had one every 12-18 months getting worse  as time went on,she had him PTS when his character became very agressive and he was constantly going for her if he didn't want to do what she wanted him to, the Vet thought he had Cocker rage and couldn't  suggest any treatment and said things were escalating,he was 12 when she had him PTS,she felt guilty for a long time.

Hi Yvonne - I'm so sorry for what you're going through :(   I've been there as you know with my first girl (Terv but from a black to black mating).  

I really hope it doesn't make you come out of the breed entirely - I of course know you'll love, cherish and keep your current dogs for the rest of their lives regardless of health issues - I just mean it would be a shame if you give up on owning or showing more.   I can understand that the thought of breeding again is too upsetting but you've done your best to avoid health problems so are blameless here.  Just very, very unlucky :(

I hope Milor is OK and doesn't need ongoing meds.  Has your vet ruled out all other possible causes?  It may be you're jumping the gun with the epilepsy diagnosis simply because you've been there before (no offence intended).

Teri x  

That's a point about the thyroid link Brainless.

I wonder, if epilepsy in some cases is due to thyroid dysfunction, if the hypothyroid is treated (presumably with Soloxine) would that then stop the epilepsy??

I know it probably seems like grasping at straws but ...

This may be of use:

<a class='url' href='http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/behaviorandthyroid.htm#Table%202.'>http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/behaviorandthyroid.htm#Table%202.</a>

I remember reading in the WBSDS Newsletter about Sue's Terv Flint being diagnosed with hypothyroid recently, so it does seem to have raised its head in the breed. Flint's sumptoms were coat and skin problems but thyroid problems can show in many different ways.

:(

Lindsay
xxx

Yvonne,
I'm so sorry to hear about Milor. 
My last SBT developed Epilepsy at 3 yrs old.  I too was devastated. She had to go on medication which did help lessen the fits.  The SBT I have now had one fit when he was just over a year old, and I too thought that history was repeating itself, but he has a strange habit of eating flowers :rolleyes: so the vet put it down to that.  He's never had another one and is now nearly 4.  Hopefully it will just be a one off.  Will keep everything crossed for you.
Please don't totally give up on the breed, there is nothing else on the planet quite so quirky.

Big hugs,
Sarah.

Oh I am SO sorry Yvonne and Trevor! :( :( That is devastating news.

Would you not consider Malinois, as far as I know (according to people who's been around for decades) we don't have a problem with epilepsy in them in the UK -yet at least.

Is your breed anywhere near DNA'ing for this yet.

I just don't know how I'd feel if I had a breed with problems like this.  I know that they all have problems in one form or another but I'm sure that this is devestating for you.

Thanks everyone for your kind thoughts - DNA testing would help ( I think) but not enough data is available at present ( and I'm not sure that they do this on the continent - most of our dogs are continental bred)

Trevor would have a Malinois I know ( Liz kept trying to persuade me to let him have one LOL ) but my heart is with the long coats - I just don't know -

Milor is fine today - bouncing around looking the picture of health - off to the vets with him tomorrow

thanks again gang

Yvonne

My message is so off-the-wall I wasn't sure it would be appropriate for a public post but here it goes. Having read research related to epilepsy in humans I always knew that if I, or any of my family were affected I would look into the ketogenic diet. I haven't heard anything that relates this diet to helping dogs but I might be tempted to try it. Probably less harmful to dogs than humans. Then again, dog metabolisms, being more suited to meaty diets may not respond the same way. In any case I thought I would pass this linkoff to you. There is loads of information about it if you google.

It cures children. Maybe it can help young dogs. I hope Milor is doing well and wish you all the best.

I believe that they've had amazing results with people in the US with this diet although it's still not widely known about! 

Yeah, I first saw an obscure TV documentary about a study done at a hospital in the US (maybe Brigham & Women's??) where people who were on the diet for 2-3 years came off of the epilepsy drugs and never had a seizure again. I kept thinking, why hasn't this made the news!