http://www.canineepilepsy.co.uk/owners/Owners_owner_views.htm

For those that want to take part, scroll down. The survey has been extended until the end of may 2011.

I will watch results with interest.  I have a 5 year old bitch that had her first seizure 29/10/2010 and it was so mild that the vet said we should just monitor it.

After a really bad one a week ago, my girl has started on phenobarb.  As it's far too early in the treatment, I can't take part.  I have to have her on the drug for 3 weeks before we take bloods.

I could handle a dog for you that was fitting, and had not been prepared for just how awful and helpless you feel when the dog is yours.  It seemed to last forever, and the amount of spittle was heart wrenching.

I am hoping to control things enough that, any further fits will be short and mild like her first one.  It's a horrible thing to watch.

JeanSW
so sorry to hear about your bitch. My Olive has had seizures, but not full blown fits for 5 years now. They are not regular so she is not on meds, but it's the uncertainty of when she may have another that is a worry and limits what you do. I can never kennel her if we go away through fear of her having one on her own. We can tell 24hrs before that she may be leading up to one because she becomes very very clingy. When she has them i just hug her, take her outside in the cool air and continuously talk to her. By telling her key words like "chew chew" and "walkies" it actually brings her round and prevents her from slipping back into it. Her added complication of laryngeal collapse grade 3 I am always terrified she will not recover.

I would have taken part had this been a while ago. Our Louis had seizures. He had them infrequently ( every few months or so ) and were advised to hold off the medication unless they became frequent or prolonged, but he once had a cluster  in a space of a couple of hours! I came to recognise when he was going to fit as he would always come to find me - he would retch and bring up bile, collapse and paddle. I would hold him as he was retching, then lay him on his side as his legs gave way, talking and stroking him all the while. We were lucky he would never lose conciousness or pee or poo. He would always want to go out to poo as soon as he could stand again and would be sleepy for a few hours after.

We will never know if he had a final seizure that day at the vet, or whether he had tracheal collapse or if the wrong drugs/no tubing had been given - at the time we thought he may have had a heart attack -  the vet said they found him dead in the cage.  :(

I have filled it in. Had rough c who was epileptic from 7 until he died at 15 and half.He was on epiphen,pred and vivitonin for the rest of his life. He died from old age.
I could read him like a book his ears and the stare always give it away..I was obsessive with making sure he had his meds at the same time everyday  and never stressed him out ...even my old vet at the time would call him straight into the surgery when we arrived for an appointment for check ups.. so that he wouldnt become worked up... as he loved greeting people... she would call him in through the back door... (think she had a soft spot for my well mannered sweet old gentlman) she also came to the house at the most unsociable hours in the early days .We did have an MRI scan done which I think helped immensely with his treatment.

feel quite weepy talking about him ...loved him ..still love him to bits know he will be waiting for me ....