May and June 2011 brought 2 more seizure, each 2 minutes in length and each happening so quick Chancellor didn’t even know they were coming. Normally, he will come to get me but the breakthroughs have been quick and merciless. Both times loss of urine, full grand mal, and lots of saliva. First was quick recovery – 1 hour. Second – longest recovery in 3.5 years – 3 hours. In between 6 weeks.
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July 15, 2011 at 5:07 pm
I came across your blog today and have appreciated the information you provide. About a month ago, our golden retriever (full breed) had his first set of grand mal cluster seizures. I had no idea what was going on while he was having the second seizure in his first cluster experience (the first of the cluster is always less severe – second and subsequent are typically extremely violent). I am convinced I missed his first seizure because he doesn’t normally make noise with the first and I was sleeping (he was next to the bed) and later realized he soiled the carpet. It was the second that woke me up with his howling/thrashing and was extremely frightening. It hit me about an hour after that what happened was likely a seizure. Our vet wanted to see if it was an isolated incident, so she didn’t prescribe any meds after that first episode (first episode was on June 11th). Then 15 days later (June 26th) he had another cluster of 3 – same pattern of increased intensity with each seizure in the cluster. After the second cluster of seizures the vet started him on Potassium Bromine (kBr) and sent us with Phenobarb for the days he has seizures until he’s up to therapeutic levels. He started the kBr on June 30th after his thyroid levels were tested and came back normal. He then had another cluster 12 days later (July 8th) and then another today (July 14th) – only 7 days apart. The vet is partnering the daily kBr with Phenobarb twice daily. I’m really concerned about the increase in frequency since he’s been on the medication and am questioning whether it is actually a hereditary epilepsy issue or some more serious like a tumor, etc.
July 16, 2011 at 10:48 am
Hi Beth:
So sorry to hear about your Golden clustering. Please do a lot of research on your own, changing diet, and exploring other medications etc. Veterinarians usually wait to apply meds to see if it is an isolated incident, and they always prescribe either phenobarbitol (which you will need liver support, like Milk Thistle or other as it often affects the liver and is why I chose NOT to go with it) and kBr (which I chose first as it is flushed through the kidneys). We’ve had a pretty quiet year with 10.5 months between seizures and then three in the spring, several weeks apart. Diet tweaking, and checking med levels which were all good. I have to say in the beginning my vet did not want to use Keppra – as there were and are very few studies (it is a human epileptic medicine)….but I persisted and I’m glad I did. Chancellor’s ARE genetic and he is hypothyroid (which is enough to cause seizures in Belgian Tervurens). Goldens can be prone to seizures also and with clustering I would look into it deeper and ask your vet for valium (oral and rectally) – have them show you how to administer it and keep it on had for really bad seizure activity.
It is never easy, or pleasant but log every seizure, when it starts and ends, and keep ice bag on hand to place on back spine area (seizures cause body to heat up and so cooling it down sometimes avoids a cluster or even shortens the seizure – of course that isn’t always the case either). Make sure your Golden’s stress level is minimal as just simple stress can cause seizures. BUT if you have any inkling it might be a tumor or anything else….look into it.
Ever with you in thought.
Diane Garrod and Chancellor
July 18, 2011 at 5:34 pm
Thanks Diane. We are on day 3 of the phenobarb partnered with the KBr and he is pretty out of it today. His coordination is really bad and it’s as if he’s in slow motion. It breaks my heart wondering what kind of life this is for him.
July 19, 2011 at 6:14 pm
Phenobarb WILL have side effects at first as the body gets used to the drug. AND so will kBr so with your veterinarian wait it out, it will eventually diminish and go away entirely. My own Chancellor started vomiting blood, was listless, stumbling etc. When he could play Frisbee again with eagerness and enthusiasm, that was a great day indeed. For stomach issues make sure you have “Marshmallow Root” on hand. There are other stomach aids. AND I can’t stress enough, get regular levels on all meds!!!!!! This is what helps the veterinarian get the right amounts to give to Kodie. Hope this helps and realize this is normal.
Diane