The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Dietary Changes, Avoid Tap Water
Posted by Lara (Springfield, MO) on 10/22/2008
★★★★☆
Dog Epilepsy
I found out from my vet that any kind of pork product can induce seizures, even in dogs that aren't epileptic. I stopped giving my dog ham bones (he used to get a lot) and pork and he has not had near as many seizures. Also, I only give him spring water because tap water has chlorine, which is another seizure trigger.
Another trigger that some people may not think of is exposure to fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. Even if you do not use these products in your own yard, your neighbors could be spraying them.
As far as the vaccination issue goes, my dog also had his first seizure about one week after his rabies booster.
Vaccines and Seizures in Dogs
Posted by Cristina (Bucharest, Romania) on 08/16/2008
I have an eight year old French Bulldog. Last year I took him to the vet for his annual rabies shot and DHPP booster. Over the years I noticed he didn't feel too well the first few days after his shots, but it always passed. Last year, the day of the shot he was completely lethargic, and that night he had his first seizure. I told the vet, and since it started out with my dog crying, and it lasted for one minute at most, the vet said he must have had a nightmare. He kept having a seizure every night for the following month. I knew they were seizures when he couldn't control his bladder during these brief moments. Since he only had a minute long seizure a night, we didn't put him on any medication. After a month the seizures started coming further apart, every 2, 3 nights, and not every single night. After a year they were down to one every 2 months or so. Since his last shot his hind legs have also grown weaker. He used to be able to jump all over and run. He can't even climb stairs any more. And this doesn't seem to be getting any better. I only hope that by not giving him any more shots it won't get any worse. Vets in Romania still insist on giving shots every year. Some even advise pet owners to come in earlier, so the shot's effect does not expire and leave the dog unprotected. Since no laws are being issued to protect pets, I only hope that more dog owners start doing research on their own and start acting in the best interest of their furry friends.
Avoid Heartworm Meds and Seizures
Posted by Deb (Dallas, TX) on 08/10/2008
Just writing a comment about my Chihuahua-Terrier dog, Julio. Heartworm meds are toxic to our animals. My beloved pet would have periodic seizures. When I stopped the heartworm medication, the seizures stopped. One Vet had him on them, another said why are you giving them to him? Does he have heartworms? He said he would not give them to him. I was grateful that it wasn't about $$$$, but about my pet. If an animal gets heartworms (most indoor door pets are not exposed to mesquito larvae,) which causes heartworms. A small amount of VCO in their diet will provide essential fatty acids, and is a natural cure for parasitic host. During hot summer months, I use 1/2 tsp. of Cloud Nine herbal dip in 16 ounces of water in a sprayer bottle to repel fleas, or mesquitos that would otherwise zoom in on my pet. You have to be diligent. Shake the bottle each time, and apply before taking your pet out.(be sure to apply to their undercoats, and paws too) A good brushing each day, and using the spray will help too. I hope this is a helpful tip for all pet lovers.
Thanks, and God Bless!
Deb
Heartworm Meds and Seizures
Posted by Cathy (Wyckoff, NJ, USA) on 07/15/2008
My Pug, Peanut, developed grand mal seizures after taking Interceptor heartworm medication. I took her off the medication immediately. She had one small seizure 2 months after coming off Interceptor. She is completely seizure free after being off the medication for the last 3 years. I do not give my dogs any heartworm medication as they are mostly indoor dogs. They have all tested heartworm negative even though I do not use heartworm medications.
In addition, after the seizure scare, I do not update my dogs' vaccinations. The dosages are too toxic. However, my dogs are mostly indoor dogs.
Dietary Changes
Posted by Anja (Nashville, TN) on 06/25/2008
My beagle started seizures in summer of 2007. He was a stray, so I do not know his background. We had a titer done for rabies and he tested negative, so he got ONE rabies shot and that's all he will have. No other booster shots, so that could not have been the trigger for his seizures. Seizures started two years after we brought him home. I cook my own dogfood (brown rice, greens, chicken). Sometimes they get raw, so I don't think food is the trigger. We had an expensive medical blood test done and no underlying medical issue to trigger seizures. His seizures were not severe enough to put him on Phenobarbitol and I would not have wanted it anyway. He had a seizure about once a month. His first two seizures were severe enough. He would fall over the day after. I searched alternative remedies and found Native Remedies Co on the internet. I give him EaseSure. He had two mild seizures after I started him on that and in September his seizures stopped. He had NO seizures for 9 months and he had a mild one again last week. Only a few seconds and shook it righ off. Went to play right after! Ingredients in EaseSure is Passionflower, Skullcap, Hyoscyamus (30C), Belladonna (30C), Cuprum metallicum. He gets 8 drops in the morning and evening. I am happy using the product. Also, when he goes into seizure I give him Rescue Remedy. I also have him on enzymes, vitamins and minerals.
Dietary Changes
Posted by Veronica (San Antonio, Texas) on 06/08/2008
Specifically, BHA, short for Butylated Hydroxyanisole, and BHT, Butylated Hydroxytoluene, are both artificial preservatives added to oils to slow down deterioration. BHA and BHT (as well as ethoxyquin) are used in numerous pet food brands, including both "premium-grade" brands like Science Diet (even their prescription diet product line) and lower-grade brands like Alpo and Pedigree, to replace vitamin E, which is removed during oil processing. Studies have shown that BHA and BHT promote liver disease and other medical problems.
Vaccines and Seizures in Dogs
Posted by Deb (Watertown, MN) on 02/21/2007
There is some evidence that epilepsy in dogs can be caused by all the unnecessary booster vaccinations. Dogs usually start having seizures at 2 years old after their booster shots are given. Most vaccinations given puppies should last their lifetime. Check the internet for more detailed information on this subject.This I know is not a remedy but possibly a preventative.
Vaccines and Seizures in Dogs
Posted by Lorie (Charlotte, NC) on 03/08/2007
I definitely believe that the booster shots cause seizures in dogs. I had a Samoyed who received a rabies shot. She had gotten loose and was picked up by the dog warden. When I went to pick her up, they asked me if she had had her rabies vaccination. I said it had just expired about a month prior. They would not let me get her out unless she got her rabies shot, so I said ok. I had not gotten them their shots, because I had heard of the controversy of vaccinations and so I had held off so that I could do some research. But instead I had to let them administer it to her in order to get her out of the dog pound. About 2-3 weeks later she had her first seizure. I was scared to death because I had never seen anything like it. I started trying to figure out what could have caused it, and thinking over the recent events to try and come up with a reason for her to have had a seizure. The only thing I could figure is that she had just had the rabies shot. Since I am in the medical field, I went into work and looked up the rabies vaccination in the Physicians Desk Reference. Low and behold, right there in the "side effects" it states that it CAN CAUSE SEIZURES. After doing some research on the internet, I found other cases where dogs had had rabies shots and had started having seizures as well. Now, I know that in the US, dog owners are required by law to have rabies shots every year or two. So for those of you who don't know this, you can have what is called a "titer" drawn. It is a blood test to determine if your pet is still immune or not. If they are, they do not need the shot and you can use that for proof, if you ever have the authorities question you. When an animal is already immune to rabies, and they are given another shot, it overloads their nervous system, and that is what causes the seizures. I unfortunately had to learn this the hard way. My Samoyed has been dead now for 3 years. I still cry to this day over her. She was like one of my children and she should still be alive today. So I hope this helps others to prevent this from happening to their dearly loved pets.
Vaccines and Seizures in Dogs
Posted by chris (Escondido, California) on 04/12/2007
I have a five month old puppy. Her name is Starbuck. She is now having seizures. Funny but when we first got her she was a jewel, smart, calm and everyday we were amazed at how wonderful a dog she was. As good dog owners we took her to get her shots. Everything started happening AFTER she started her shot series. First she was vaccinated against Parvo. One week after getting the shot, she contracted Parvo, we almost lost her not to mention the 2000,00 we paid to put her in the hospital. She was house bound to decrease the chances of getting Parvo. How she contracted is debatable i suspect it was the vaccines. She survived and of course we were thrilled. We bonded, trained her to do amazing tricks and welcomed her as a part of our family. She was house bound still at this point. All was well and to continue being the responsible dog owners we are, continued with her shots.. one week after receiving her third set of vaccinations, she began having seizures.
Now our sweet dog is having seizures on a weekly basis. I will not elaborate on how stressful and heart breaking as well as expensive this is but I completely understand all the emotions other dog owners are having when their pet goes through this.
We are now on the usual drugs which are not really working. She cant go out to play or anything that causes excitement. If she has too much fun she suffers from seizures when she goes to sleep. The seizures have become clusters mainly on the weekends.
They have not told us that because they happen in her sleep, that may be "significant". Translation: Now we have to go to a specialist. We cannot afford this and if the is what the vet tells us, we will have to make the decision to either give her away or have her put to sleep. THis is heart breaking to say the least.
I believe that these problems are caused by vaccinations. I am not a veterinarian, i am just looking at cause and effect.
Another reason I believe that vaccinations are the culprit is the experience i had with my ferret Duke. Duke was a healthy, fun loving house bound ferret, and being the responsible pet owners we are we took Duke to the vet to get his first series of shots. He had an immediate reaction to the shot and suffered an allergic reaction. One to two weeks after receiving his shots he began to get sick, no one could tell us why. I tried to save him, staying up nights, forcing food and everything else I could do to help him, but he just wasted away and after losing so much weight and suffering a seizure we had him put to sleep. They never determined the cause and we spent 3,000 on tests.
Shots are a necessary evil I understand but I also believe that they kill our animals, cause family members all sorts of heartbreak and drain our bank accounts. My only hope is that if we ever decide to bring another animal into our house we pray that they will survive the vaccinations.
Vaccines and Seizures in Dogs
Posted by Veronica (Greer, SC) on 06/17/2007
It's me again.The one with the husky/lab mix pups.They just turned 18 mo on Sat.We lost our male this past Mon.He hadn't had any seizures since April 23.Sun.he was having cluster seizures;about every 2-3 hrs.He was howling,barking,and whining after coming out of each one.That is the worst thing my family has ever gone through. My female will NEVER get another booster shot.When I took our male to the vet he said-ironically-this is the age when "epilepsy" shows its ugly head. Duh, this is when people give their dogs their boosters, because you tell us to.I've let everyone I know not to give boosters to their dogs.There is no sense that this wonderful young dog should have died or had to go through this.I truly feel for everyone who has lost a dog so soon after booster vaccinations.It's time to get mad and take action!
Vaccines and Seizures in Dogs
Posted by Sonia (US) on 08/20/2007
Hi my name is Sonia i have a Rat Terrier and Minature Pincher Mix. He is 3months old and i just took him to the vet for his distemper, parovovirus, rabies, and bordetella shots on friday. and he has already had two seizures in the past two days im scared and am taking him back to the vet today. its was the saddest think to see my puppy go thru and know that was nothing i could of done. i will NEVER give my dog another shot. if anyone could give me any advise about what i can give him for the seizures to stop. Thank You. Is it ok not to give my puppy anymore shot after this?
Dietary Changes
Posted by Deb (Sherman Oaks, CA) on 04/10/2007
★★★★★
A Homeopath I know feels that sometimes copper can cause seizures in animals. She said to try to find foods without copper (you have to look hard) and giving Homepathis Cuprum Met 3x for awhile has worked for many of the cases she has treated. I don't know if this is true I'm just passing it along. If you've tried everything else with no success this might be worth a try.
Honey
Posted by Michelle (Las Vegas, Nevada) on 04/29/2007
★★★★★
dip the tip of your finger in honey given orally will bring any person, as well as dogs and cats, out of a diabetic and an epileptic seizure immediately.
Avoid Hot Dogs
Posted by Carolyn (Dalton, GA) on 08/03/2006
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I have a 7 year old yorkie named Bogie. He was having seizures and I quit feeding him hotdogs of any kind or brand. He has been seizure free for the last 6 months.
Filtered Water
Posted by Evelina (Livonia, MI) on 05/11/2006
★★★★★
I have an 11 year old dog that we found when she was about five months old. She started seizuring around the age of two. About once a week, occasionally more often. We installed an R.O.
water filter system for ourselves and realized within a couple of months that our dog had stopped her seizures. The only difference was the water! She now seizures only about six times a year.
We did notice that she started seizuring after eating "bacon strip" dog treats, and other treats with food colorings, etc. We went back to plain dog biscuits and she's fine. She must be chemically sensitive. I shared this info with her vet who said she would pass this info along.
Dietary Changes
Posted by MrmDeLuca (Phoenix, USA) on 05/05/2007
★★★★★
When my father was released from the hospital from a possible heart attack, he was put on a strict diet. In keeping with his diet, he would eat baked chicken with heaps of garlic, tomatoes, and onions. My father, hating the food, would always pass it along to his dog. Well this otherwise healthy dog had a seizure one day, for the first time in its life. All three ingredients, consumed in excess, are known to be fatal to dogs. He's never given the dog his chicken again. The dog has never had a seizure since. To my own dog I give only a quarter of a clove every other week with no problems.
Sunflower Seeds
Posted by Barbara (Dayton, NEVADA) on 07/02/2007
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Re Canine Seizures: When our 4 yo Brittany had his first seizure we weren't even sure what had happened to him. When he had a second two months later, I started to look for answers on the internet. Someone suggested giving him ground raw,unsalted sunflower seeds. This seemed like a doable thing so I got some from the health food store. He responded well and only had a seizure about once every 8-10 weeks. At 35 pounds we feed him 1 Tbls a day and we have learned to grind them fresh every day as they lose freshness very quickly. We also tried sunflower seed oil but that didn't work as well.
