The Shar-Pei Forums-Health Behavior Diet & Rescue Info and Discussion Group

Greetings,

A little more than two years ago we bought our second shar-pei, named Maximus. We love him, and we've spoiled him terribly, as some shar-pei owners are apt to do.

Alas, four weeks ago he had a seizure in our backyard. Fortunately I was with him at the time, but it frightened me enough to take him to a vet. His blood work came back fine, so it appears he may have canine epilepsy. He had a second episode a few days ago, and I've decided to take him to a different vet.

Both times his seizures began with vomiting, then he fell over on his side with his limbs rigid and shaking. He foams at his jaws, but he doesn't snap or bite, and I can hold on to him gently until the convulsions subside. He's very disoriented afterwards, but in about ten or fifteen minutes he's back to his feisty normal self. *He* acts like nothing happened but it shakes *my* nerves something fierce.

I checked the archives here and discovered that other folks have had dogs that have seizures. It looks as if I'll have to put Maximus on phenobarbitol. Does anyone here currently treat their dog with pheno ? Does it work to eliminate the convulsions? I'm also curious to know how it might affect him otherwise.

I'm also interested in alternative therapies and/or treatments. And of course we have a never-ending battle with his ears, but that's another message for another time.

Hoping to hear from fellow owners,

Dave Phillips

http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-ang ... oidism.htm
This is a link to a very good website with info on canine epilepsy-I myself have had seizures and it's no fun. However I would try some of these suggestions- before using pheno-barbital,or dilantin-
Sometimes the seizure meds don't work and just sedate and disorient and then your confused having seizures still(Huh, Story of the last 9 yrs for me)
As scary as seizing is unless it lasts a long time there not dangerous but they do make you miserable.

Funny I've just started a drug Mirapex for sleep problems and apparently the dopamine is helping me,
I've done pretty good the last few weeks on a very low dose.
Lot's of info to take in-so don't be overwhelmed.

http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-ang ... ycare.html
Specifically Epilepsy from that same website.

Hmmm! Well the ear problems and the epilepsy may actually be related in a sense. Since these seizures seem to have started at about 2 I would think that there is a possibility of hypothroidism. Most vets test for t4 which can come back pretty normal. The only test that is accurate for determining this is a 6 panel thyroid test. Dr. Dodds at Hemopet is the best diagnostician for determining this IMO. She has a new test that she is currently using at a cost of $71. which includes her interpretation and recommendations. You would have to have your vet draw the blood per her instructions (listed on the site below) and send it overnight. Vaccinations and flea and tick preventatives or treatments can also cause seizures so best to rule out the hypothyroidism first and go from there.

http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/HEMOPET.HTM

The ear issues as well as skin problems can be caused by hypothyroidism. I would suggest that you rule this out as a cause before putting your dog on phenobarbital.

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Jeanne & Fu

http://www.canine-epilepsy.net/
Another link for research on genetic disease and epilepsy.

sorry your peiby is having seizures my lulu started having seizures but she was in kidney failure it can be very scary to witness it happening. i've known many dogs who seizure and take phenobarbital, it seems to help them. keep us updated.

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Thank you all for your sympathy and helpful replies. I've looked at and bookmarked the Web sites, they're very informative. At least I feel better prepared to deal with a reoccurrence.

Jeanne & Fu, thanks for the tip. I'll ask the new vet about getting a blood sample for the hyperthyroid test.

Best regards,

dp

Absolutely! Hypo-t is a big cause of seizures in canines....ear and skin issues too. I would rule this out first

Additionally if you cannot find an underlying cause for the seizures (idiopathic seizure disorder) you may want to look into natural ways to manage this. Phenobarbitol is hard on the body in the long term. We have a cat with idiopathic seizure disorder and we opted to not go the phenobarb route but chose just to manage seizures (he has 1 about every 6 weeks) and try to limit potential triggers (stress, etc).

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Blessing's CSP
http://blessingssharpei.com

My Oscar has seizures. We rescued him 2 years ago. He received his vaccines right when we got him and 3 days later he started having seizures. The vet linked the seizures to the shots. He still has seizures, but they are far apart from each other. My vet tried the all natural herbal meds. He had the same amount of seizures on the all natural meds as he did not being on anything. The vet did elect to stop these meds since in 2 years it has not made a difference.

Seizures can be hard to treat, but can be managed with some techniques with some animals. Here are some things I do to help Oscar.
1. We reduce the lighting in the house.
2. We do not get him excited for this can cause a trigger in his brain and cause a seziure.
3. When he starts to look around, look spacy, or look like he is confused I devert his attention and cause him to come sit by me.
4. He receives regular feedings at the same time each day.
5. He is on a strict routine, which means he goes outside at the same time each day, goes to bed at the same time.

He really has had 1 seizure in 6 months. So overall not bad. That is why the vet took him off the meds. I don't know if any of the things we do have helped, but it seems to be a start.

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Peaches, Oscar, Pogo, and Luna
RIP Peaches 1-1998 - 3-2011

Peaches -Oscars routine is about like mine!
I have been feeling better on this new dopamine addition-(Mirapex) Dr can't understand Why?
2 weeks isn't long enough to really gauge.

I don't know much about canine epilepsy, but I know phenobarbital is a seizure med that is no longer used in the human world because it is not as safe as the newer meds. I know dogs are different than humans, but I would research other options if it were suggested for one of my dogs.

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Mandy, Tugg and Circe

Miles "Forever Loved" 9/24/07-01/31/11

It doesn't matter whether it's new or old noting seems to work when it comes to meds 100%.
Right now i am the best I have been (other than driving) in 9 yrs -and no one can tell me why adding Dopamine has made a calming difference in my daily dilemma's.I have mostly simple and partials been a while since I've had a documented grand mal.
Don't know whether Dopamine increase would help pups either , currently doing research for myself some anecedotal on line nothing concrete yet.

We took our pei to see a new vet today. It turned out that I knew the vet from long ago. He's owned three shar-peis, he knows what to expect, and he seems to be realistic about treatments. He suggested that I continue to monitor Maximus for further seizures and that I should consider treatment if they occur regularly. He wasn't too concerned about putting him on phenobarbitol if necessary, but he's not pushing it either. So, I continue to watch Maximus. I've taken some tips from some of the messages on these forums. I watch his exertion and activity levels to keep his temperament level. Not too hard a task, he's a good-natured fellow.

I also want to thank someone for the recommendation to try Vet's Best ear wash and ear dry. Maximus has been far more relaxed about his ears, and I'm very happy to have found something that he's not afraid to see at treatment time.

Thanks again to everyone here. I'll keep watch on my buddy and will post here as things happen (or don't, hopefully).

Best,

dp

Thanks for the update Dave. Glad you've made postitive progress with the ear issue.

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Prayers it was a one time weird thing, (flea meds are known seizure triggers sometimes) but keep us posted and do your research , your vet sounds like a caring one.

Well, Maximus had a third episode two nights ago. Same intensity as before, though at least now we're aware and prepared for the occurrence. Our vet doesn't think hypothyroidism is the problem, so it looks like Maximus is going on phenobarbitol. The vet is confident that our dog will be okay, and the cost is bearable.

Btw, we've been feeding him Iams minichunks, the green bag. I'm thinking about changing his food and am interested in recommendations particularly relevant to his condition.

My thanks again to everyone for the sympathy and advice. And btw to Sassy: You also have my deepest sympathy. When I consider what my dog goes through when he convulses I can imagine what it must be like for you. I hope you have a concerned and loving caregiver around, and I wish you the best of fortune as you deal with the problem.

Best,

Dave Phillips

If I were you, I would not buy IAMS.

http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/Prefs.asp?video=iams

Even if they pretended that they did some changes, I would be still suspicious about this company...

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Hey there,

I know it is just another added expense, but it may be worth having your dogs thyroid tested anyways, preferably through hemopet. Hypothyroid is OFTEN missed, even by great vets, because it is a sneaky disorder. Some dogs, and it seems like Peis in particular, are sensitive to even minor changes in thyroid levels, far smaller changes than those that make dogs present with the "typical" thyroid issues.

If you do decide to have your vet do it, MAKE SURE that it is a T6 panel, a full panel. Because Shar Pei are so sensitive to minor changes in the thyroid, we need to use the more sensitive test to determine if there is a problem. Doing it through hemopet is even better, because the results are interpreted by an expert (and really, vets AREN'T thyroid experts).

As far as foods, I would suggest Taste of the Wild, Timberwolf Organics fish based, grain free formulas. I would also suggest adding kelp powder to the food. If your dog is having minor changes in the thyroid, the kelp may help.

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What she said!

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Blessing's CSP
http://blessingssharpei.com

For sure I would change the food whether it changed the seizures or not.
Be aware pheno may not make any difference.
I 've been on 3 diiferent meds they just changed the nature of the seizures and I got no warning (UGH)
I hate being embarrassed and unprepared.I actually have good control with Valium,Xanax -the benzodiazepans they were originally for seizures and are still used to stop seizures.Because of the habit forming nature and the DEA they won't give them out much.
I would make sure I have an emergency back up in case of prolonged seizure or clusters.
You can get a suppository or an injection.

A quick update. Maximus is now on 1/2 tablet of phenobarbitol per day. The vet advised two halves per day, but I thought we'd start out with a smaller dose. It appears to be effective, he's had no seizures since starting him on the drug a few weeks ago, and he's still the ornery fellow he's always been. I'm still looking for a best food for him. Alas, the Timberwolf and Taste Of The Wild brands are not available locally, I'll have to order them.

I also want to mention that our struggle with Maximus's ear problems got considerably eased when we discovered that he likes us to clean his ears with the soft cloths meant for washing babies. Now he'll actually come to us when he's ready for ear cleaning ! Amazing, and the cloths are very effective at removing the junk he can't get out. He'll even lay on his side while I swab around in his ear with the cloth. We're fortunate that he has such a good temperament.

Anyway, just a quick update on his condition. Again, thank you to everyone for their advice. This site has been a huge help to us (and Maximus too!).

Best,

dp

good to hear Maximus is doing well other good foods are WELLNESS, CANIDAE, SOLID GOLD, NATURAL BALANCE. keep us updated

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I am so glad the seizures are controlled,I am sure Max is happier too.

Lulu, thank you for the recommendations, we need them. I've found a couple places in town where I can shop for better food, I'll look for those brands.

Best,

dp

Dave, I used to feed my piggies Solid Gold-Barking at the Moon. It is grain free and fish-based. Now I feed them Natural Balance-Sweet Potato and Fish Formula. It is also grain free but about $10 cheaper per (large) bag than the Solid Gold.

Good luck with Maximus' seizures. (Poor baby) You sound like a great pei-dad!!
Keep up the great work.

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Rocky, Lulu, & Sasha