Adopting a dog with epilepsy???

[#1hoosierfan]

I do not NEED another pet. We have 2 dogs, 2 cats.... Not to mention 2 little boys...

But a sweet little Yorkie's picture captured my heart on Facebook. She is about three and was rescued from a horrible puppy mill a few months ago. She lived her whole life in a cage... She never touched grass until a few months ago....

She was on phenobarbital and another med, but it was not controlling her seizures. The foster mom took her to a holistic vet, got her off all meds, and is doing a more natural med. She is now having only 1-4 seizures a month....

We have the room at our house for her and we can afford her meds, but I am curious about what the day to day is like with an epileptic dog.

The foster does crate her while gone, which I would too.... Both of my other dogs get crated while gone. The foster also said she is good with other dogs. She said she does not pay much attention to kids or cats.

Does anyone have personal experience they would like to share?

 

[KandD]

I can't be too helpful but just give a llittle bit from my experience. We have a dog who has had about five seizures or so in the last five years. He has not been diagnosed as epileptic, the vet doesn't know why it happens and he hasn't had one in at least a year. So our situation is very different than yours but what I wanted to say is that it is VERY hard to watch the seizures. The first time it happened I was absolutely hysterical. The next few times I was better but it was still hard. If you have children you will probably have to prepare them for that . Other than that I think it's great you are willing to do this. Good luck!!

 

[minkydog]

I had a Standard Poodle, Minky, who developed epilepsy around age 3. The first time it happened we didn't know what was happening--he was lunging and snapping and frothing at the mouth like he had rabies! When I took him to the vet the next morning, he knew exactly what had happened.

We tried to not medicate him but something interesting was happening--my youngest son began to have seizures too. Every time Christian would have a seizure, the dog would have a seizure within 48 hours. No kidding. And if the dog had a seizure, Christian would have a seizure even though he was on medication (he has brain damage). When I talked with his doctors, they acted like I was a complete lunatic but I knew what I was seeing. I'm not stupid. This really was happening. So I kept a calendar. They were having 4-5 seizures per month.

I finally talked to the vet about it, because I just could not get these seizures under control. She agreed it was time to try medications. So i mentioned the weird way these seizures were going. She suggested that there was probably some kind of electro-magnetic connection between the two of them. Christian has special needs and a lot of dogs are very sensitive to that. We put the dog on phenobarb and suddenly the seizures disappeared--for both of them! It was like magic.

Medication didn't totally eliminate the seizures but they got so much better. Minky still had the occasional seizure, maybe 3 times a year, and they were always upsetting to watch. We kept the kids away when he had the seizures because he would be disoriented, salivating heavily, and out of control. But after he got through the seizure, after a bit of rest, Minky was back to normal and seemed not to have any residual side effects. He lived to be 11yrs old, an elderly old gentleman for a Standard Poodle.

I wouldn't hesitate to take another dog who has seizures. It's only a little bit more difficult than the average dog. You may have to give some kind of medicine every day and you may have to learn how to help him during a seizure. The vet can help you with that (it's not hard.) Illness and stress can increase seizure activity, so you have to be mindful of that when your dog is under the weather. Good luck!

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

When I was growing up we had a toy Poodle that had epilepsy. He'd only have a seizure every couple of months and we did not medicate him. He had a multitude of other health problems mainly his heart and died at the age of 10. I wouldn't be afraid to take in a dog with epilepsy at all. The seizures are difficult to watch so be prepared for that. Otherwise our poodle was absolutely normal.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I tried to adopt a dog with a seizure disorder but the rescue group thought my children were too young and wouldn't adopt to us. Her seizures were well controlled on medication, which was inexpensive. I would have taken it on.

I am going to give you some food for thought. It sounds like you have a very full, active household, with two dogs, two cats and two young boys. It also doesn't sound like the dog's seizures are well controlled, and additionally, medically, people aren't on the same page. (Do we medicate, or don't we? Do we stick with the holistic vet, or go to traditional? Etc.) IMO it's a lot to take on under the circumstances.

Physically, medically, and emotionally (coming recently from a puppy mill) this dog is fragile, with a capital F. I don't know what your schedule is like but this dog may need a lot of TLC and supervision. (Not to offend, but) how young are your boys and do they know that a Yorkie must be handled with care, especially one like this? Yorkies are well known for sustaining broken legs and such from (even unintended) rough handling. Could "doesn't pay attention to kids" translate into "doesn't like kids" at all?

Please don't be offended, I know it's easy to get caught up in something like this but you really need to step back and take a look at everything. I don't know if this is the case, but would the dog be better off in a quieter, less active household? These dogs are very popular so I'd say it has a good chance of being adopted, especially if it's on FB. Not to burst your bubble, I have and am still asking myself some of these same questions in my situation, even lately.... it's what we have to do, really, if we're making good decisions, not ones we come to regret...

 

[kate_wdw]

My wonderful dog has epilepsy but it sounds much less severe than this dog you're considering adopting. I know someone whose dog has more severe epilepsy and it has been a considerable challenge to manage her care and the side effects of the treatments. I would consider whether you have the time to take on a special needs dependent, given that you already have 6 other kids/critters depending on you.

Another thing I'd consider is how your kids and other pets might react to the seizures. When my dog first started having seizures, I did a fair amount of reading and came across some articles that discussed the fact that other dogs sometimes attack dogs that are having seizures, which horrified me and freaked me out.

 

[tennisfan]

My mum has a 3 year old beagle who started fitting last year when he was nearly 2, he was in the kennels and they told what had happened and so he was monitored at home for months and was fine, went back to the kennels and had another fit.

The vet thinks it may have been some chemicals they use to treat there paddock but ran bloods and says he is epileptic, however until recently he would only fit if he has taken any meds such as wormer etc orally and the vet thinks this was a trigger so now everything has to be liquid or drop form on his neck. The past couple of weeks though he has had a couple more fits so if this continues then he will likely be medicated by the vet as they have been reluctant to do so as the fits were so far apart.

Its manageble with my mums dog, i'm still not convinced it is epilepsy though as it started at the kennels where he was stressed and now they appear to happen early hours of the morning so could be low blood sugars which I have read can cause fits.

 

[barkley]

keep in mind that it's not unusual for an animal (or person) having a seizure to lose control of their bladder/bowels. when you introduce a new pet into the household there's always a period of time when the other pets are adapting and part of that is determining dominance and territory. if the pet you bring in has a medical issue that can cause it to soil on inappropriate places, despite your best efforts to clean the other pets can still smell it and may react by soiling the area as well (marking their territory). yorkies are notoriously territorial and not nesc. tolerant of other pets, and it can be compounded by having been puppy mill caged (was for db's, and that dog was 'only' cage raised for the first few months). if the other dogs/cats react to soiling with their own, the yorkie can start doing it sans seizure to establish THEIR territory (it can become a messy cycle).

our cat had seizures near the end of it's life. it was disturbing to see, and frightened my kids (who are teens).

db's yorkie is very territorial, and while she doesn't pay attention to their cats or grandkids, if the cats or grandkids come around her (or what she perceives to be her area of the house) she is prone to barking, snarling, baring her teeth-and occasionally nipping. it took a good amount of time, patience and perseverance on dsil's part to get theirs used to being handled such that they could take care of the dog's physical requirements (meds when needed but more so grooming-which yorkies require on a very regular basis).

with 2 dogs, 2 cats and 2 little boys-the kindest thing for everyone may be for this dog to go to a home where it can be the center of attention.

 

[kacaju]

keep in mind that it's not unusual for an animal (or person) having a seizure to lose control of their bladder/bowels. when you introduce a new pet into the household there's always a period of time when the other pets are adapting and part of that is determining dominance and territory. if the pet you bring in has a medical issue that can cause it to soil on inappropriate places, despite your best efforts to clean the other pets can still smell it and may react by soiling the area as well (marking their territory). yorkies are notoriously territorial and not nesc. tolerant of other pets, and it can be compounded by having been puppy mill caged (was for db's, and that dog was 'only' cage raised for the first few months). if the other dogs/cats react to soiling with their own, the yorkie can start doing it sans seizure to establish THEIR territory (it can become a messy cycle).

our cat had seizures near the end of it's life. it was disturbing to see, and frightened my kids (who are teens).

db's yorkie is very territorial, and while she doesn't pay attention to their cats or grandkids, if the cats or grandkids come around her (or what she perceives to be her area of the house) she is prone to barking, snarling, baring her teeth-and occasionally nipping. it took a good amount of time, patience and perseverance on dsil's part to get theirs used to being handled such that they could take care of the dog's physical requirements (meds when needed but more so grooming-which yorkies require on a very regular basis).

with 2 dogs, 2 cats and 2 little boys-the kindest thing for everyone may be for this dog to go to a home where it can be the center of attention.

This.. plus the fact you don't know how your other dogs will react to the new dog and seizures. If the new dog has a seizure while you are home...but in a different room and your other dogs are also loose...what happens worse case...you have a dog that is having a seizure, 2 kids and 2 dogs you would have to keep under control. As noble as it sounds to take this poor dog, I think it maybe better in a home that is not as active.
Your kids are still young..if it was one of your current dogs.. of course you would learn to deal with it...but you really need to think of how your current home life is and just how much work a dog with seizures will be..not only for now...but in the future. Your kids are still small...but soon you may find yourself running in 5 different directions, between school, sports etc...

 

[NFLDERS]

When I was growing up we had a toy Poodle that had epilepsy. He'd only have a seizure every couple of months and we did not medicate him. He had a multitude of other health problems mainly his heart and died at the age of 10. I wouldn't be afraid to take in a dog with epilepsy at all. The seizures are difficult to watch so be prepared for that. Otherwise our poodle was absolutely normal.

While it's difficult to watch the first time it does become easier as time goes on. Our first family dog lived a long and happy life.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I do not NEED another pet. We have 2 dogs, 2 cats.... Not to mention 2 little boys...

But a sweet little Yorkie's picture captured my heart on Facebook. She is about three and was rescued from a horrible puppy mill a few months ago. She lived her whole life in a cage... She never touched grass until a few months ago....

She was on phenobarbital and another med, but it was not controlling her seizures. The foster mom took her to a holistic vet, got her off all meds, and is doing a more natural med. She is now having only 1-4 seizures a month....

We have the room at our house for her and we can afford her meds, but I am curious about what the day to day is like with an epileptic dog.

The foster does crate her while gone, which I would too.... Both of my other dogs get crated while gone. The foster also said she is good with other dogs. She said she does not pay much attention to kids or cats.

Does anyone have personal experience they would like to share?

If your boys are 6 & 3, I would probably would not do it.

My fear would be with the other 2 dogs attacking the the seizure dog and then your kiddos get hurt in the process unintentionally.

I would think your established dogs might feel the need to protect your kids. The dynamics of having a "sick dog" can get weird for the heirarchy in your house.

Just something to think about.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Good thoughts from everyone.

I think that the medical needs of this particular dog are going to be time-consuming and expensive, trying to get a handle on proper treatment, whatever that may be. Off of meds, if and when seizures occur, or worse, possibly increase, you will find yourself running to your vet in desperation, and bills will easily begin to pile up. (And being from a puppy mill, sadly, seizures might also not be the only medical problem you encounter. )

I also agree with how the addition of a dog like this to the "pack" may alter the balance in ways you can't imagine right now.

I'd feel better about the situation if the seizures were well controlled.

 

[bettymae1121]

I had a dog that developed seizures when she was about 5 years old. The vet ran a blood panel and discovered that she had hypothyroidism. I had to give her a pill 2x a day for that and it reduced her seizures to only one every few months, so I never bothered with the anti-seizure meds (which my vet agreed with). Not sure if the holistic vet checked for something like that but if not, that might be one area to look into.

My vet said that when seizures do happen, to try to make the room the dog is in as dark and quiet as possible, as bright light/loud noise can make the seizure worse or last longer. Also be aware that seizures can make a dog lose control of their bladder and/or bowels either during or just after a seizure, I always had to walk my dog outside right away to avoid accidents in the house (and didn't always make it in time!).

Only you can decide is this is something you want to deal with. Good luck with your choice!

 

[ilovepcot]

We tried to not medicate him but something interesting was happening--my youngest son began to have seizures too. Every time Christian would have a seizure, the dog would have a seizure within 48 hours. No kidding. And if the dog had a seizure, Christian would have a seizure even though he was on medication (he has brain damage). When I talked with his doctors, they acted like I was a complete lunatic but I knew what I was seeing. I'm not stupid. This really was happening. So I kept a calendar. They were having 4-5 seizures per month.

I finally talked to the vet about it, because I just could not get these seizures under control. She agreed it was time to try medications. So i mentioned the weird way these seizures were going. She suggested that there was probably some kind of electro-magnetic connection between the two of them. Christian has special needs and a lot of dogs are very sensitive to that. We put the dog on phenobarb and suddenly the seizures disappeared--for both of them! It was like magic. pixiedust

Wow! This gave me cold chills but doesn't really surprise me. Amazing!

 

[wiigirl]

While it's difficult to watch the first time it does become easier as time goes on. Our first family dog lived a long and happy life.

My cousin has a dog with epilepsy and the first time I saw an episode I freaked out, but over time it became easier.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I hope you don't mind, I had another thought.

If you still want to go forward, I would have a discussion with the holistic vet about it and why he or she thinks the dog should not be on medication, and what their idea is for managing current and future seizures, if they continue or increase. There needs to be a workable plan in place. Then I would take that information and discuss it with my own vet, whom you'll presumably be seeing for regular and follow up care. (Unless you continue with the holistic vet.) Your regular vet will likely be the one dealing with this long term, and he or she may have a completely different approach to this, so it's worthwhile to hear what each one has to say so you can get some idea of what you're looking at.

You should spend some time learning about seizures in dogs before you meet with them so that you have a good understanding of what the issues are, what they're talking about, and what questions you should ask.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

Wow, thank you so much for all of your honest feedback. I really appreciate it.

I did go ahead and fill out the preliminary adoption papers on her. While she has gotten hundreds of "likes" in FB and over 80 comments of, "Oh, she is so cute. I would love to have her." Only I and one other person have filled out the paperwork.

I did indicate on the application that my concerns are how she will react to my other dogs (and vice versa) and if she will be good with my boys.

Thru some early research, I would also be concerned about what several of you brought up.... That a pack mentality might take place while the dog has a seizure.

I told the agency that if they feel the other potential adopter is a better fit, I want them to take her.

At this point, if I "pass" the paperwork phase, then we will meet her, and I will have a lot more questions to ask.

I will keep you updated, and THANKS again!!!!

 

[ols386]

We had a yellow lab who had epilepsy.

For a few years he was not treated with meds, but reached a point when the vet started him on phenobarbitol, which did help to control the seizures. He was on the pheno until he passed away last year.

Pheno used to be really inexpensive, but the last few months he was alive, the cost of pheno increased to be about 3 times more expensive than it was before.

 

[buckeyecinderella]

We too had a dog with epilepsy and he was wonderful! We lost him about a year ago after a natural long life. It was controlled very well with phenobarbital. I would not hesitate having a dog with epilepsy again.