Posts made by seibel45

Kardohill basenjis in Norway!!!

Were the seizures--tho they don't sound like the siezures I'm familiar with--all at night & was he in the same room each time? You mentioned him staring at the ceiling--light can trigger seizures in some humans, not sure about dogs. My tri boy sneezes, paws his face and runs in circles if the lights in Dan's new house are turned up too high--they're halogen, and we hate turning them on. I'm not sure if they're too bright or if they make a buzzing noise that bothers him. And flickering shadows from ceiling fans totally freaked out my first b.

Do you crate him at night? If he's anxious, he might realize it's getting late & be dreading that...

To me, it also sounds a bit like an allergic reaction from a flea bite or perhaps dust or mold in your A.C. if you have it. Get down on the floor and try to get Bailey's perspective: Is there bright sunlight coming in a window? Is his bed near an A.C. vent? Is there dust falling off a ceiling fan? He sounds young for epilepsy--did you do blood work to make sure his liver is ok? And did the vet check his heart?

@lifewithava I'd get the Thyroid Profile 5. I've had a number of dogs tested thru Hemopet; It's worth any additional cost or inconvenience because you'll receive an expert opinion: as with human doctors, few veterinarians really understand thyroid disease or thyroid testing because they don't deal with it often. Some veterinarians diagnose simply based on TSH and T4 levels, which really don't tell the whole story. Dr Dodd's and her crew deal with hypothyroid testing daily, and as a Hashimoto's sufferer myself I can't emphasize how vital it is to have an expert treating thyroid problems: A hypothyroid misdiagnosis can mean that an underlying problem is not diagnosed and treated. I trust Dr. Dodds 100%.

What symptoms make you think your parent's dog might have an underactive thyroid?

You mentioned having a lot of medical problems with her–was she treated with antibiotics b4 the yeast appeared? Antibiotics can kill beneficial bacteria that keep yeast under control in the intestines, the same as with humans. If treating her externally hasn't helped, she might have a systemic (internal/whole body) yeast infection. Have you tried giving her plain probiotic yogurt--the kind in the grocery store they advertise as having "friendly" bacteria?

Also, being young, your girl's probably had a lot of emotional & systemicl stress in the last year, moving to a new home, trips to the vet or groomer, vaccines, heartworm chewables, maybe flea treatments...maybe she was exposed to pesticides/disinfectants at the puppymill she came from. All of these can affect a young dog's immune system, which can cause yeast overgrowth. A few years in a healthy environment with healthy food will do wonders for her immune system.

I have a female B that was bred in a puppy mill and while the first two years were rough (food allergies, immune problems) she's now 14 and the love of my life. (Don't tell my husband that!)

Here's a great website that deals with yeast issues in great danes...
http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/systemic_yeast_infections_candida_albicans.htm

Hang in there!

You mentioned having a lot of medical problems with her–was she treated with antibiotics b4 the yeast appeared? Antibiotics can kill beneficial bacteria that keep yeast under control in the intestines, the same as with humans. If treating her externally hasn't helped, she might have a systemic (internal/whole body) yeast infection. Have you tried giving her plain probiotic yogurt--the kind in the grocery store they advertise as having "friendly" bacteria?

Also, being young, your girl's probably had a lot of emotional & systemicl stress in the last year, moving to a new home, trips to the vet or groomer, vaccines, heartworm chewables, maybe flea treatments...maybe she was exposed to pesticides/disinfectants at the puppymill she came from. All of these can affect a young dog's immune system, which can cause yeast overgrowth. A few years in a healthy environment with healthy food will do wonders for her immune system.

I have a female B that was bred in a puppy mill and while the first two years were rough (food allergies, immune problems) she's now 14 and the love of my life. (Don't tell my husband that!)

Here's a great website that deals with yeast issues in great danes...keep in mind that there are healthy commercial diets and raw meat diets that aren't so hard on the wallet, too.

Good luck & hang in there!

Thanks for responding, Lenora…I didn't get the connection between seizures and slow heart rate myself, but the vet & my sister (ER nurse) seem to think it's common? Anyhow, the seizures involve twitching, inability to stand, "paddling" legs, rigid body, gasping, loss of bladder control--she even barooed twice during the one last night! During this time, eyes are open but she isn't really concious. When it's over, the twitching etc. gradually stops, she's lies quietly for maybe 30 seconds, then BOOM! she's "back" and acting as if nothing happened--except she's unsteady on her feet and a little disoriented.

I should've mentioned, too, I had the vet check her thyroid levels (low) and she's been receiving Synthroid since the first episode.

Does anyone out there have experience with older basenjis? My Sam is 14, has had two seizures, the vet says it's slow heart rate and she's on meds to stimulate/regulate her heart. Realistically, I know she can't live forever but…I'm worried the seizures might not be caused by her heart and there's something else I could be doing to make the time she has left more comfortable...has anyone else experienced a similar problem.