Dogs with seizures

[sstolzenburgStudent]

Doc Jones,

I have a 5.5 pound, 14 year old Chihuahua. A couple of years ago she started having seizures, which we filmed, and took to our vet in order to have a proper diagnosis. The Vet put her on a small dose of phenobarbital about 8mg morning and the same at evening. Having had a chihuahua, they are dogs that are always trembling (probably from nerves or just trying to stay warm) , but lately we have been noticing that she is less steady on her feet trembles more, sometimes shakes a bit and stumbles.

I have three questions.

1. how do I know if she is getting the right dose. Obviously that should be the job of the vet to determine, but when there is a steady decline in physical control is that a sign that the meds need a change, or is something else going on?

2. Is there a better way to take care of this, the vet seems to think the seizures may be a small brain tumor, but we have not investigated further. We have been told that seizures are more common in very small dogs? Is there a treatment with herbs, I am not expecting that there is such a treatment, but I know that some herbs are good complements to drugs and can improve effectiveness of the drug, where the patient needs less.

3. My daughter recently read that phenobarbital is toxic to the liver. If so should I be giving the dog Milk Thistle seed? and if so, how much? Is the amount related to the dose of drug?

Any comment you have would be appreciated

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

sstolzenburg wrote: Doc Jones,

I have a 5.5 pound, 14 year old Chihuahua. A couple of years ago she started having seizures, which we filmed, and took to our vet in order to have a proper diagnosis. The Vet put her on a small dose of phenobarbital about 8mg morning and the same at evening. Having had a chihuahua, they are dogs that are always trembling (probably from nerves or just trying to stay warm) , but lately we have been noticing that she is less steady on her feet trembles more, sometimes shakes a bit and stumbles.

I have three questions.

1. how do I know if she is getting the right dose. Obviously that should be the job of the vet to determine, but when there is a steady decline in physical control is that a sign that the meds need a change, or is something else going on?

Your vet can run a phenobarb level. Sometimes older dogs lose muscle mass just from old age and lose weight making their former dose too high. I’d get her checked out in any event to make sure all is well.

sstolzenburg wrote: 2. Is there a better way to take care of this, the vet seems to think the seizures may be a small brain tumor, but we have not investigated further. We have been told that seizures are more common in very small dogs? Is there a treatment with herbs, I am not expecting that there is such a treatment, but I know that some herbs are good complements to drugs and can improve effectiveness of the drug, where the patient needs less.

I developed a formula for Silver Lining Herbs that is helpful with some siezuring dogs. It can be used in conjunction with the meds.

sstolzenburg wrote: 3. My daughter recently read that phenobarbital is toxic to the liver. If so should I be giving the dog Milk Thistle seed? and if so, how much? Is the amount related to the dose of drug?

I usually give milk thistle to dogs on phenobarb. I’d do 1/8 tsp daily for a little bug.

Doc

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Christie King

[sstolzenburgStudentTopic Author]

Doc, Can you tell me more about the silver lining herbs? What are the benefits, and what should I be concerned about. Phenobarbital is such an old drug, and I am sure it has some side effects, but I do not know enough to take additional steps. She is an old dog, and I would like to keep her going while she still has years in her. :poke:

[IdahoHerbalist]

The advantage of SLH is the experience that went into the formulations that have been tried on many personal and client patients.

[sstolzenburgStudentTopic Author]

No doubt, not only the herbal experience, but the veterinary experience. I would just like to know how it helps with the phenobarbital.

By the way I found that I can get the milk thistle down her by mashing about 8 peas and a tsp frozen canned pumpkin in my mortar and pestal with the milk thistle seed powder, and she laps it down like candy.

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

sstolzenburg wrote: No doubt, not only the herbal experience, but the veterinary experience. I would just like to know how it helps with the phenobarbital.

By the way I found that I can get the milk thistle down her by mashing about 8 peas and a tsp frozen canned pumpkin in my mortar and pestal with the milk thistle seed powder, and she laps it down like candy.

The Silver Lining #11 CNS support will sometimes help control seizures alone. It also sometimes helps dogs that are on phenobarb when the phenobarb isn’t enough. It doesn’t “help” the phenobarb per se, it just addresses the issue from an additional angle.

Some dogs do better on potassium bromide too. For some dogs nothing helps. 🙁

Doc

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

[sstolzenburgStudentTopic Author]

So how can I get some? and should I try it without the phenobarbital, or should I just try it out with a half dose, or should I just use t as a supplement and see how it goes? :poke: Found out last week the vet had old stuff on the shelf, the fresh stuff seems to be doing better.

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

You can get it here:

I”d add it in to what you’re doing if what you’re doing isn’t seeming to be enough.

Doc

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

[jwellsyStudent]

I know this is an old thread . But, I ran across it while searching for something else and felt moved to post an experience that I had with dog seizures.

We had a yellow lab that at about 4 years old she started having catatonic grand mal seizures. The only thing I could do at the time was lay in the floor and comfort her till they passed. This started happening more and more frequently. Then it came to me that maybe something in her diet was the cause. She got good quality feed and many human food treats.

I made a new rule, no more human food treats with preservatives in it (seemed like a good place to start). One of the things she dearly loved was pizza crust. So we quit giving her pizza crusts. As soon as we stopped giving her pizza crusts or any kind of store bought bread she never had another single seizure. Now this may be purely coincidental, after all dogs do eat grass and plants. The biologically foreign element that was eliminated were the preservative chemicals.

She went on to live out her happy 12 years without ever having another seizure.

That experience is what sparked and validated my journey exploring natural healing.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Christie King

[Author]

Posts