Skip to content

Blaze had a seizure

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • you may want to try a holistic vet.

  • I have an appointment for tomorrow. We are checking all of his levels again. He's fine right now, all he really did after it was sleep, but by supper, he was himself. He got a whole bunch of treats today, and I bought him Haagen dazs vanilla ice cream… that's a new low. He gets the good stuff, I get the store brand ice milk... He's pretty spoiled. Hopefully this will be figured out, but I doubt there is much that we can really do.

  • Hope everything goes ok for Blaze. When i went on a dog epilepsy site, they recomended Haagen Dazs ice cream for after a seizure, i think it perhaps settles them down, maybe raises blood sugar, not sure. But either way i'm sure Blaze enjoys it.
    Maybe as you say there is nothing else to be done, ie cure him. The most important thing is to keep him comfy and spoil him rotten as you are doing :)

  • Had the vet appointment, will hear back on the tests either tomorrow or on Monday. He's been completely normal since, and of course he's getting spoiled! He's getting lots of treats, snuggles, and lovings.

  • spoil him every day. The old dogs are so dear.

  • Vet called back. All of his levels are within the normal range for a dog of his age. So it could have been a fluke. We will wait to see if he has another one in the next three months. I'm iffy on an MRI to check for tumors and such. If he has them, I can't do anything for him anyway. He's not in any pain, and he's still very much himself. He actually got into the garbage while I was on the phone with the vet. So we will keep and eye on him and snuggle him senseless.

  • I'm happy to hear that.

  • @Knipper:

    Vet called back. All of his levels are within the normal range for a dog of his age. So it could have been a fluke. We will wait to see if he has another one in the next three months. I'm iffy on an MRI to check for tumors and such. If he has them, I can't do anything for him anyway. He's not in any pain, and he's still very much himself. He actually got into the garbage while I was on the phone with the vet. So we will keep and eye on him and snuggle him senseless.

    I think you are taking the exact right approach… IMO.... When they are elders, you have to weigh the "quality" of life to possible and I do mean "possible" "life" saving interventions... our main concern is to keep them safe and happy... and when that times comes to help them over the Rainbow bridge, we can help with that one act of kindness

  • Got into the garbage???:eek:

    No, I'm kidding…that's actually good news.

    I'm glad he's feeling better and that he has a family so caring. He's a lucky boy.

  • Good news about Blaze, thanks for the update

  • Sorry to hear that Blaze is having siezures. My Max (13yrs) is having focalized siezures and we were also at the point of MRI to determine if he has a tumor since every other test was normal. We opted to forgo it since we would not put him through a potentially painful brain surgery or chemo if they did find anything. Besides, as the Neurologist told me they don't always see anything on the MRI anyway. So we're just making his life as comfortable, fun and normal as we can. If the siezures get worse there is a medication that the neurologist suggested that does not harm the liver which we will try if they get bad enough. Apparently damage occurs everytime there is a siezure so I'm considering it now.

    Max is also having problems with his liver. What happened with Blaze's liver, if I can ask?

  • Blaze lost his liver, as in it's no longer there… The vet said it could have been from either the battery he ate or from overdosing on the treat with the chemical that stops the pee from turning grass yellow. He gets pancrease powder with his food at every meal, mixed and sitting for twenty minutes before he can eat it, and a half a tablet to help with the acidity of his poo. Since he's been on the medication, he has returned to a good quality of life, and we've adapted to ensure he gets everything that he needs. Our condo board is happy, he certainly can't yellow the grass anymore...

  • I am so glad that Blaze is doing well on his medication.

Suggested Topics

  • 1 Votes
    13 Posts
    1k Views
    B
    Longtime member, not active. Had a basenji with the same diagnosis back in 2004. He took a tremendous amount of bicarb each day, his Fanconi was being well managed, but he started having seizures at night. Our vet gave us something to stop the seizure that we'd administer rectally. We kept track of the number of seizures and they started becoming more frequent, to about twice a week, if I recall. The final seizure he had he went temporarily blind and howled and howled and we knew that was it was time. I just sat on the floor with him and cried. A couple months later we looked at photos we had taken of him right before and he looked very, very tired. Very much the hardest thing we had ever done was to let him go across the Bridge, but after looking at those photos, we had done the right thing. Our vet had told us that it was possible he would have a seizure and not come out of it, and we certainly didn't want that.
  • 0 Votes
    10 Posts
    2k Views
    J
    Just shared a chicken nugget snack with both boys. Meds for the B- we split a 20mg tablet of Predinisone, for a morning/night dose,he's about 32 # now, gaining weight, eating and drinking lots. The other dog has been on regular meds- potassium bromide, gabapentin, and phenobarbitol. That regimen has yielded good results, but predictable- he'll still have 1 or 2 episodes a month. I've already worked out tentative plans for an endgame. Known a mobile vet doc and friend for years, I'll call on her when the time comes- she's helped in the past with a GF's kitteh. Planning a nice fish/bacon whatever dinner, and a heavy dose of probably gabapentin to sedate him. Then the euthanasia procedure. Then a large rock for me to crawl under. Allow me to share a quote. "And once the storm is over, you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. And you may not be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what this storm is all about." Haruki Hurakami
  • Chattering teeth seizures.

    Moved Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    13
    0 Votes
    13 Posts
    5k Views
    ZandeZ
    YES !!! there are loads of Basenjis in Melbourne ! I judged there a few years ago and met scads. Email me privately and I will put you in touch with some people who will be able to advise you. But your breeder should be able to help too. Let me know the registered name of your dog and I will know who bred him.
  • Sudden Seizure in 2yr old male tri

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    29
    0 Votes
    29 Posts
    21k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    I know they have found lower dosages work better for people, but not find much solid research on dosing for dogs for each disorder so I'd start low. However, I am impressed with the amt of vets endorsing it and studies. http://www.dogcancerblog.com/blog/more-melatonin-and-dog-cancer/ leading to this published on help with cancer survival: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10674014 Dr Dodman is a rock star: http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/3_5/features/Supplements-For-Anxious-Dogs_5095-1.html https://cvm.ncsu.edu/new-research-study-focuses-on-mysterious-eye-disease-in-dogs/ https://www.vetinfo.com/melatonin-supplements-for-dogs.html http://vcs.vetmed.wsu.edu/research/clinical-studies/melatonin
  • Cluster seizures

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    5
    0 Votes
    5 Posts
    9k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    Okay not to alarm you, but please make sure that what you are seeing is in fact cluster seizures (where there is a definite recovery between seizures) and status seizures, where there is no recovery but continues seizures. Status are the most dangerous… they can and do die from them. So getting this under control fast is critical. A side note, I worked in the UTnK Brain Research and Neuropsychology Lab with Dr Joel Lubar on his epilepsy program. QUOTE:>> The massive muscle activity of the seizures leads to hyperthermia with temperatures as high as 106 degrees Fahrenheit or more, which if sustained, causes irreversible damage to neurons. Hypoxia from inadequate pulmonary ventilation also causes brain damage. Severe lactic acidosis from shock and tissue hypoxia, amplified by excessive muscle activity, probably contributes to neuron deterioration. Death is usually not from brain dysfunction directly, but from overtaxation of cardiopulmonary reserve by the combination of massive continuous exercise, hypoxia, lactic acidosis, shock, and possibly also hyperthermia.<< Below are notes from Feb with a vet friend regarding another friend's chow. He was having seizures and they could not get control. (he mostly likely, however, had a brain tumor, and due to age and advancing loss of quality of life was put down.) NOTES: Hey, yell when you see this: OK, friends - I guess I posted too soon that xxx was doing so well. He had another seizure this morning about 4:00am. ...talked to the vet again and I think I would at least like to TRY some antiseizure medication. The vet talked about phenobarbitol and something called Zonisamide. She said that usually Zonisamide is given if the phenobarbitol isn't working - but that they have started giving it as the first drug some. It does not have the side effects of phenobarbitol because it isn't metabolized in the liver. But she also said it is a fairly new drug and hasn't been widely used. I also read online about Potassium Bromide. BR response:::: KBr is a good option and we have been using Kepra with good results too. I have no experience with Zonisamide Seizures do need to be controlled we have had 3 dogs in the practice in the last year that went into status and cooked themselves.... body temperature skyrockets during the seizure and causes brain damage Zonisamide is in the same class of drugs as Kepra.....we have used it as a first option but most often along with pheno when the pheno isn't working by itself Debra Levey So would you say start with pheno and add kepra if necessary? BR: Depends on liver function.... if ALT is normal then that's what we usually do, mostly because it works quickly (KBR & kepra take a little longer to build a "blood level") If ALT is elevated or borderline then start with kepra or KBR. Milk thistle is a good idea to support liver also<<< That's all I can give you as I have never had a dog with seizures. But if you don't get things under control in a couple of weeks, you might consider a specialist at a university since there could be other issues causing it. I am assuming your vet already did blood work and ruled out any toxins or medication issues.
  • Seizures in our 16 year old

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    16
    0 Votes
    16 Posts
    8k Views
    KipawaK
    What difficult news to hear. But it sounds like you are all prepared to spoil Cinnamon and make her feel special. She will be very thankful.