Two dogs having seizures at the same time

[ForMrSammy]

I have five dachshunds; I'm used to back problems, but not seizures. I have two dachsies (brother and sister) that I got when their former owner did not want anymore when they were two years old. They are 5 1/2 years now and are very undachshund in that they are so hyper and very needed. In the time we have had them the female has had about five or six seizures that we have witnessed and the male had one last year. I talked to my vet and he said there really isn't anything you can do until they have a pattern of a least once a month. Yesterday, the doorbell rang, and all the dogs were barking and alot of commotion was going on. After everyone calmed down, the male (Sammy Boy), began having a seizure in the foyer. My husband was holding him down to prevent him from hitting the wall; I came over to help. Just as I got in the foyer, the female (Carmey), started having one too. Sammy Boy's seizure lasted two or three minutes; Carmey's lasted about four or five. While I was still holding Carmey, Sammy Boy put his head in my lap and started to seize again. Did they sense each other having a seizure? After fifteen or twenty minutes, everything was normal again. Is it still a wait and see approach. I have not contacted my vet and they are due for their annuals in July and will discuss this with him then.

Also, I gave everyone Frontline on Saturday. One of my dogs was vomitting on Sunday and these two had seizures. Any connection?

Any information will be appreciated, Caron

[Dianne]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=398477

They say that it would be highly UNlikely that the seizures were related to Frontline use.

Edited to add: http://www.vmth.ucdavis.edu/vmth/admin/ ... 208-04.pdf

Sorry that you are having these problems.

[critters]

I wouldn't wait to call the vet, especially since Sammy had 2 in a row. The biggest typical danger with seizures, in my opinion, is status epilepticus, where the seizures keep coming and are difficult to stop. Treatment is so easy--phenobarb and/or potassium bromide are the most typical--that I'd very seriously consider it.

[Bobbie]

I have two that have seizures, not at the same time, but frequently if one has one the other has one within 24 hrs. No Frontline (or other agent) used; we haven't found a cause. Giving a valium tablet to the second keeps him from having his seizure if I do it when the first dog has one.

[ForMrSammy]

Thanks to all who replied to this post. I will be taking the dogs to the vet this weekend. My concern is the medication; the vet said that you want to wait as long as possible before starting medication because the medication shortens their life. Is this true? I don't even know what kind of medication he's talking about. What are the test that they run? I have talked to my neurologist vet about this (while I was in for the other dogs with their backs) and he said that he could do a CT scan. Is that really necessary or will a blood profile show any abnormalities?

[critters]

I know an ancient Schip who's been taking phenobarb longer than the 10 years I've known him, and he's still going strong. He's the last critter left in a family that was 4 when I first met them. Seizures can shorten life, too; my little Callie died from her first seizure because it caused additional brain damage.

I wouldn't bother with a CT.

[Bobbie]

My vet doesn't like to start medication unless seizures are more than once a month or multiple seizures in one day. The medication, if monitored, should not shorten their lives, and there are newer, safer medications (also more $$) if your dog reacts badly to the standard ones.

[ForMrSammy]

Thank you for the information. I just have not read that much on seizures. I had a 13 year old cushingnoid dachshund (Annie) that had to have eye surgery last year; when she came out of recovery, she had a siezure. The vet asked if she had ever had a seizure and I said no. She was on 24 hr watch at the vet and she did OK. Within two hours of getting home, she had a seizure and another one two hours later. I took her to the emergency vet where she seized again. She continued to have very hard and long seizures through the night; it was horrible and we ended up euthanizing her at the emergency clinic the following morning. They said more than likely she had a pituitary gland tumor due to the cushings and the surgery/anethesia was something that just triggered it. After a couple of weeks, I started realizing all the things that she had done (forgetting house training, bumping into walls (I thought she was going blind)), was not due to old age but due to a brain tumor. Anyway, after seeing what happened to her coming off anethesia, I cannot have these other two go through anything that requires anethesia, such as teeth cleaning. Also, the seizures that Sammy Boy and Carmey are having are not the classic symptoms (legs straight out and paddling, and clenched teeth) of a seizure that Annie had. Although, I have heard a seizure can be different for different animals.

Thanks, Caron