When seizures happen I always ask what was different, because there are causes. In this case:
1) Getting a new puppy and having company were major stress factors. Stress easily causes Chancellor to have a seizure, so I try to keep him as unstressed as possible from ttouch, to music getaways, time alone and lots of walks.
2) He may have had too much mozarella cheese and hubby gave him a pizza crust in a time of weakness, lol. All these items contain salt and are NOT to be given if a dog is on Potassium Bromide. It interferes with the absorption and effects of the kBr. When seizures are less frequent we tend to sometimes forget.
3) The only other difference was about 5 days ago I added a Hip and Joint PLUS by Best Pet Health. At the time the ingredients seemed to be good and I did very little research on it. What I found was:

Glutamine (L-Glutamine), Sodium Gluconate – Manganese and Copper Gluconate – side effects – Seizures: There is some concern that glutamine might increase the likelihood of seizures in some people. Avoid use. (WebMD) Gluconate interacts poorly with kBr.

And worse, Glucosamine Hydrochloride (from shellfish) and Chondroitin Sulfate while okay in normal dogs CAN have bad side effects on dogs with neurological disorders and therefore, exacerbate seizures.REPORT HERE: http://www.thedogpress.com/DogFood/Ingredients_Liquorman.asp

From this site: (and understand when you are dealing with seizures the smallest, unknown can be causative, and stimulate seizures)

Chondroitin Sulfate
This is normally a remedy for arthritis and degenerative bone and joint problems. It is considered a nutraceutical (this name represents the blurring of lines between food and drugs), and there are no clinical studies to support the use of it in dog food and cat food.

Side effects range from nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain, bloating, and vomiting to elevated blood pressure. It is a natural blood thinner, therefore use should be suspended before surgical or dental procedures. Since this warning does not appear on pet food labels, Chondroitin Sulfate could be problematic. There are however, warnings from the nutraceutical industry for use during pregnancy and breast feeding. This ingredient should be of concern to dog or cat breeders who have experienced reproductive problems that they believe are caused by pet food.

Glucosamine Hydrochloride
While Cargill, Inc. is making glucosamine hydrochloride from corn and claiming to be the only USA producer, most such products on the market are made from the outer shells of shellfish and much of it comes from India and China. Most makers claim there are no known side effects from glucosamine hydrochloride (then why include it if it has no effect?) but many nutritionists consider it risky for people or pets that are allergic to shellfish which can cause severe reactions in humans, including anaphylactic shock. In addition, some dogs and cats could react to the version made from corn. It is used as a remedy for osteoarthritis and probably should not be used in pet food that will be fed to pets that do not need treatment.

If your pet exhibits stomach upset, indigestion, gas, bloating, diarrhea or chronic itching, you may wish to avoid corn-based ingredients and/or shellfish derivatives such as Glucosamine Hydrochloride which incidentally, does not show up on the AAFCO list of required nutrients. It is also noteworthy that glucosamine and Chondroitin are considered nutraceuticals and therefore are not strictly controlled by the FDA. Also check labels for poultry by-product meal or fish meal as listed as natural sources of glucosamine.

In addition I started seeing more itchiness and dandruff (my dogs have NEVER had dandruff and Chancellor never has) – well folks, Brewers Dried Yeast can have allergic reactions to dogs with seizures and cause…wait for it….itchiness. This one thing clued me in that something wasn’t quite right. Now I know.

There are more ingredients listed in the product, but I don’t have to go much further to understand for joint discomfort I have to look further than false claims and no warming labels. Having dogs with seizures means we need to go over each and every ingredient BEFORE it passes through the mouth or our treasured family members. Each life stage presents a different situation for our canines. Had I known these ingredients were indeed “toxic” to his system, they would not have been given.

All that said, all seizures in 2011 have seen quick recovery (what was usually 2 hours, is now 45 minutes to 1 hour. We can only try to do our best and KNOWLEDGE is important with seizures and increasing time between or doing away with them altogether.

Assume nothing.

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm246624.htm

*FDA Advises Veterinarians of Recent Recall of Human Drug, Phenobarbitol*

*/Drug is Prescribed for Animals Extralabel/*

March 10, 2011The Food and Drug Administration’ s Center for VeterinaryMedicine (CVM)has become aware of a human drug recall for Phenobarbitaltablets. Phenobarbital is prescribed by veterinarians as an extralabeluse for treating seizures in animals. On February 5, 2011, QualitestPharmaceuticals voluntarily recalled several lots of Phenobarbital 32.4 mg andHydrocodone Bitartrate and Acetaminophen Tablets 10 mg/500 mg due to a labelmix-up between the two drug products. Hydrocodone Bitartrate and AcetaminophenTablets were incorrectly labeled as Phenobarbital tablets 32.4 mg. As a resultof this mix-up, pets may unintentionally be given Hydrocodone and Acetaminophentablets instead of the intended drug, Phenobarbital.CVM has recently received 3serious adverse event reports involving dogs treated with Phenobarbital tabletsmanufactured by Qualitest Pharmaceuticals. One report cited two of the threeaffected lot numbers for the recalled product. The remaining two reports didnot provide the lot numbers.

Julie Papay, Pharm.D. GlaxoSmithKline Safety Evaluation & Risk ManagementGlobal Clinical Safety & Pharmacovigilance.

Pat Miller, CPDT-KA, CDBC;
Peaceable Paws LLC, Fairplay, MD: www.peaceablepaws.com
APDT #1238