Hiya i hv a ridgeback who is 1year six months hes been havin fits now for abt 6months now, they go in clusters abt 3 at a time when he does fit, hes under the vets at the mo. they hv asked me to keep records everytime he has the fits in which i hv done, so they know wot kind of medication to give him, but jst this morn. he had a mini fit lasting 1min or so he got up then was all over the place as usual when he does but this time he keept bowin n shuttin his eyes keepin on frettin to collapse he was doing this for a gd hour does this mean hes gettin worse???? hes ok now as sleepin right now :) but is very distressin to watch sam go throu this n for all of the family to c him go throu this distressin time, wld be grateful if anyone cld help me. :)

Has the vet said what they think is causing the fits, if it is epilepsy the vet will usually be able to get it under control without too much problem but the adjusting of the medication does take a while. You should tell the breeder as soon as you can because they will need to know so they can avoid breeding from the parents again.

Hiya Nova

Yes it is epilipsy but dont know wot kind of epilipsy it is, i hv kept a record of his fits for abt 4 months now, am thinkin of takin the records up to the vets or is it to soon, shld i jst keep monitorin his fits for a little longer or get him on the meds now! thku sooo much  for replyin :)

I would have thought that you'd gathered information for long enough. But why don't you give the vet a buzz on Monday and see what they say?

Have you contacted his breeder to let him/her know about your poor boy? To the best of my knowledge, epilepsy is rare in Ridgebacks.

> hv kept a record of his fits for abt 4 months now,

Most definitely long enough, and about time they started him on medication .  I have my bitch blood checked every 6 months now, just to be sure that the dose is correct, but it is well under control.  I couldn't wait to get mine started on meds, it is so distresssing to watch them, and feel so damn helpless!

I certainly wouldn't be waiting "a little longer" as I would be insisting on starting meds now.  I knew when my girl started having them too close together that I wasn't going to leave it any more.  I didn't ask, I just said I would like her started on medication now please.  And I have no regrets at all.

Some families of ridgebacks have had some cases of epilepsy cropping up so I would really recommend getting in touch with your pup's breeder and even going back a generation to the grandparent's breeders as you may get some clues to your pup's condition if you can investigate the pedigree. Best of luck

"Has the vet said what they think is causing the fits, if it is epilepsy the vet will usually be able to get it under control without too much problem" - not necessarily true. Have heard of too many young dogs in various breeds lately who have been pts because of Epilepsy (incl my own 5 year old), it all depends on the individual dog. Agree that this boy need to go on meds straight away.

Its very common in Ridgebacks over a year to hv Epilipsy not all hv them sam is the unlucky one :(

Thku all for the advise, i will ring the vets Monday n tell them wot has been happening n to get him on meds straight away! they dont know wot form of epilipsy it is they hv an idea as they go in clusters with sam they jst want to make sure, but i will now bring him in, he has had all bloods tested nothing wrong anywhere else so thts gd, so wot il do is give in the records n they can work frm there..... thks again guys ;)

Quote JENNIFER 43 "Its very common in Ridgebacks over a year to hv Epilipsy not all hv them sam is the unlucky one"

I'm sorry, Jennifer, but I find your posts very difficult to understand. Are you saying that you think that epilepsy in RRs over a year old is very common? I would have to disagree with you there. I've had RRs for over 25 years and have never had one with epilepsy and have heard of very few that are affected by this awful condition.

Has he had a full panel thyroid check?

Yes thyroid dysfuction is one of the most common reasons for fits, accordign to teh expert Dr Jean Dodds.

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

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

Other things to consider: http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/overview.html
The Cause: anything that disrupts normal brain circuitry:

Idiopathic Epilepsy: meaning no known cause and possibly inherited. This is also referred to as Primary Epilepsy. Check history of pedigree and make sure your veterinarian has looked for possible underlying factors.
Seizures caused by underlying factors are referred to as Secondary Epilepsy. The following tests are advised before a diagnosis of idiopathic/inherited epilepsy is made.
Glucose tolerance test, to check for hypoglycemia.
Thyroid panel, 6 tests, to check for low thyroid function/hypothyroidism.
EEG, to see if there are findings suggestive of a lesion (an abnormal EEG is standard with epilepsy, but a vet or a physician will also be able to tell if there is a lesion.
Cerebrospinal fluid analysis, to look for encephalitis, distemper and other infection.
Blood test to check for lead poisoning;
CT scan or MRI, again to look for a brain lesion

I have an RR with hypothyroidism and the amount of symptoms were so varied the mind boggles... and the wallet weeps...
I would recommend a thyroid panel for virtually any persistent condition, it is simple cheap blood test, well worth it - plus the improvements after simple low cost medication make it worthwhile too.

I do hope your vet is able to offer a better way forward with medication, it sounds very stressful for both Sam and you :(

> Its very common in Ridgebacks over a year to hv Epilipsy not all hv them sam is the unlucky one

I'm puzzled by this comment, as Ridgielover has already said it's not common at all... "To the best of my knowledge, epilepsy is rare in Ridgebacks."

I was confused by the OP's remark, too. It's contradictory in itself!

And, like I said, to the best of my knowledge - and I've known a lot of Ridgies over the years - it is rare to find one affected by epilepsy.

> I was confused by the OP's remark, too.

Yes, and it's a condition that seems to be swept under the carpet in some breeds so I'm wondering where the source of her information came from.

hiya jean

is yr dog a ridgeback, n is yr dog ok now since the meds tht they gave her, or does she still hv them still??

hiya termeraire

My local vets sed she worked with ridgebacks in S.Africa n she sed tht ridgebacks r known to hv Epilipsy so am confused myself now....:( n this thyroid thing is tht common in Ridgebacks is it very expensive to get checked out?? as sam has cost me a small fortune as it is :\

Sam had all his bloods checked the vet said all organs n everything else clear so doses tht mean the throid was checked also??

Sam is going tomorrow to the vets to discuss the meds am i doing the right thing by puttin him on these meds????

>am i doing the right thing by puttin him on these meds????

My reply to that would be a resounding YES!  I know it is more expense, but what is money when the welfare of your pet is the subject?

My dog is not the same breed.  My personal experience.  Bitch had a seizure at 5 years old.  No known history of epilepsy, but was not bred by me.  She continued to have one about every 6 weeks, they were short (vet told me to contact him immediately if they lasted too long, or became more frequent.)

This lasted for around 6 months, until she had one very long seizure, followed by another the following day.  I rushed to the vet and asked for her to be put on epiphen (phenobarbitone) right away.  I was asked to go back for a blood test after she had been on the meds for 6 weeks, which I did.

The vet phoned me while I was on holiday (he knew she would be with me), and asked me to double her dose immediately.  She was fine on that for many months, until she had one very bad long lasting seizure.  She had put on a lot of weight, so the dose wasn't enough, and, after a further blood test, the dose was increased again.  She still has a blood test every 6 months, but now remains stable.  As long as that remains the case, I am happy that she is happy, and she still races round with a smile on her face.  I know, in my heart of hearts, that, should she have regular long lasting fits, then I would hold her while I helped her to rainbow bridge.

For the moment I am so pleased that everything is under control.

all sounds very very expensive brainless :(

Thyroid testing is not particulary expensive it involves testing a sample of blood.

If it is this then it is one of the easier options for treatment involving supplementaion fo teh missign hormone.

I know jean, ive had sam now a year n half now n has cost me over £300 pounds already he is my world :) i wld do anything for my sam (my lion) :) but is very expensive i love him dearly as hate seein him go throu it, i do hold him with difficulty as he is large, one time he bruised all my legs n arms cos of a fit n cldnt get him moved as was like a rock so had to hold him frm the front ouch! lol but hes my baby n also talk to him gently to bring him round, its the bowin n shuttin of the eyes after the fits tht worries me also n frettin to collapse but then he pulls throu after abt an hour
going to the vets tomorrow so will hv a very long chat with her in wot the nxt step shld be... thks Jean :)

Thku brainless ;) much appreciated i will discuss tht issue with the vet tomorrow sounds great n cheap n painless :)

Brainless wot u said abt the thyroid n the links u put there for me, i read them all n some of the symptoms sam does hv actually, so it cld very well b the thyroid init brainless? if it is the thyroid brainless is it dangerous if he does hv tht? hes such a lovely dog very playful n a great personality n soo carin, i also hv a another dog border collie cross with a bearded collie hes such a lovely dog also very healthy n helps sam in many ways, if he sees sam fittin he sits right nxt to him n licks him :) n when sam sleeps n makes an unusal noise of somesort hes over there sniffin him to c if hes ok bless him they r great buddies its funny seein them playin as sam is twice the size as max lol :) wld hate it if anything happens to my baby (sam) like dyin i hope he dosent as it wld break my heart :'(( pls tell me he wont die?

In the US, RR are in the top 25 breeds most affected by hypothyroidism.

Treatment is simple, ongoing like being a diabetic, and the dog functions as normal, ie it can compete etc etc.

I really would explore this issue with your vet.

But as the tests and the results depend on the knowledge and expertise of the vet/lab ie they need to know that breed, age, weight, etc are factors in interpreting the results, if you can get it sent of to Hemopet, the turnaround is often faster than in the UK

Hiya tohme

Wot treatment is it, is it a jab? n how often do they hv this? will it stop the fits? by the way he only has the fits when in a deep sleep he wakes then has them :( n go in clusters at a time... so if he is a sufferer frm hypothyroidism will he  b on meds for the rest of his life, n do they hv a long life??? but most of all does it stop the seizures for gd?????? thku for replyin ;)

Hiya Frogs

Does yr dog suffer frm seizures since being diagnoised with Hypothroidism? has it worked? :)

Hi Jennifer

My girl never had fits but she definitely had absent moments, standing still staring, shivers, temperament disturbances, lumps (pilomatricoma, hystiocytoma) as well as allergic skin conditions... as well as ear margin vasculitis, long frequent seasons (last 9 weeks having one every 5 months)

Hence my saying anything I reckon can be caused by hypothyroidism, nothing would surprise me
one small tablet of Soloxine once a day, cheap compared to what I was spending treating all the above conditions each month... (£4k to date)

and she has had no further issues aside from high cholesterol causing fatty deposits in her eye - remedied by low fat diet...

Looking back it seems like magic in many ways

and yes it is meds for life BUT their life expectancy is not usually compromised :) And the meds are relatively cheap

A friend had two Doberman bitches on lifelong syloxine and they have been her longest lived of the breed, both making 14 years of age.

Thks Brainless

Took my Sam to the vets they checked sams heart again cos i sed last time he fitted his heart was missin heartbeats everynow and again so she checked n sed yes there is a defect there so sam is going to hv an ECG on Thursday n then think abt puttin him on meds for the fits, she sed tht the main problem cld b the heart hence the fits bad cirrulation etc... so c the outcome of the ECG then if not fine then meds for sam it is :) so the balls rollin now thks guys for the advice ;)

The vet sed tht she is gonna do the ECG first as it will cost me £68 n the panel 6 test will cost me £168 :O tht is alot of money for me :( im gonna struggle findin this £68 as it is :\ lets hope the ECG will tell us something then he can b put on meds hope ive made sense :)

hiya Brainless the vet did mention tht drug Syloxine, she said tht when the ECG is done n comes bk abnormal she is gonna put Sam on tht Syloxine, so it works then??? :)  how does tht come? in tabs or jabs? thks for the advice ;) i feel so much better comin on here n gettin all this advice frm ordinary people tht know info regarding wot their pets hv been throu personally, soo much better way to recieve info. frm people who really know wot they r talkin abt, so thks guys once again :)

Syloxine is thyroid hormone replacment and is given as tablets for life.

They will need to do bloodowrk to ascertain if he is hypothyroid and then work out what dose level will stabliise him. 

So will he hv to hv the panel 6 test anyway?

so wot do u think of wot the vet sed brainless abt his heart?? do u think i hv a very sick dog :\

Jennifer, I don't know if you realise many posters here are not used to text speak (probably an age thing? :)) and if you keep leaving out vowels etc we will be finding it very hard to read.  I know I am :)

He will certainly need a full thyroid blood test, and after that blood tests to check if the right level of medication is being given and after that probably every 6 months or so to ensure they stay stable.

As for the heart i couldn't say as have never had a dog with heart issues, other than heart failure (natural causes) in an old dog as cause of death.

So every time he has blood tests they will cost £168 each time brainless?

Well all i can say stooge is tht its an age thing lol :D everyone else here seems to understand my texts, im sure u will too ;)

As you wish.  You just might get more responses if it was more reader friendly.

>everyone else here seems to understand my texts,

I don't, which is why I haven't responded.

Negative people here :( n wot is not friendly then? i thought i was being friendly, if u dont hv any positive things to say on here dont bother in replying! thku :)

> Well all i can say stooge is tht its an age thing lol :D everyone else here seems to understand my texts, im sure u will too ;-)

No its not an age thing im afraid, im finding it takes longer to read and therefore longer understand. It would be much easier if you typed the full word but thats up to you.

>i thought i was being friendly

If you make things easy to read then busy people will have more time to answer and help you. At work we have a dog on soloxine, and several on medication to prevent fitting, so I have experience of the treatments, but I'm not sure what it is you're asking.

I would not expect the check up tests to cost so much, but it really depends on your vets charges and where you are. 

I woudln't have expected it to cost more than about £60 around here for the levels to be checked, its the full diagnostic initial test that is more expensive.

Sorry Jen, but I find it difficult to read your posts too.  I rarely text anyway.

also remember the posts come up on Google search, so posts in normal English are much easier to come up correctly in searches when others are trying to find answers to the same problems.

This is an information exchange and the posts are not just chit chat but stay on for pretty much forever so they can help others out.

Well im sorry if YOU dont understand, then dont reply simplessssss! and Brainless you have been reading my texts without difficulty like everyone else who have responded to my posts and im new to this so no need to be rude is there, god why dont u shoot me that im not writing the proper english text for u, i am more concerned about my poor dog Sam not my english ok!! if u dont like it dont reply to my posts simple as that simple as 123! :(