Epilepsy 2
June 21st 2008 17:06
It is almost five weeks since Scratchy suffered three seizures in 30 hours, and the distress of watching him thrash uncontrollably on the floor is beginning to fade. We dare to hope that the attacks in mid-May will not recur.
It is late at night and I am in bed reading. Cindy is in the living room turning off the heating and the lights. Scratchy suddenly goes down and begins fitting. Cindy calls me, and while I watch over him, to make sure that he doesn't hurt himself during his violent exertions, Cindy tries to comfort Daisy, our new, second greyhound, who is wailing and crying, perhaps under the impression that I am hurting Scratchy.
The seizure seems to last forever. It is the first of four he will have in the next 36 hours.
Epilepsy.
The American group Canine Epilepsy Network offers the following on its web site, "Epilepsy is one of the most common neurologic diseases in dogs, but no one knows for sure just how common it is. Some studies estimate up to 4% of all dogs are affected. In some breeds, the incidence may be higher.
"Epilepsy simply refers to repeated seizures. Seizures may occur as a one-time event in an animal from a variety of causes, but only if the seizures repeat again and again over a period of time do we call it epilepsy.
"Seizures are a sign of brain disease the same way a cough is a sign of lung disease. Saying an animal has epilepsy is like saying it has a chronic cough; it is a sign of a problem which isn't going away.
"Anything which damages the brain in the right area can cause epilepsy. If we can identify the cause of the seizures, say a brain tumor or a stroke, then we say the pet has symptomatic (or secondary) epilepsy. That is, the seizures are a symptom of a disease process we've been able to identify. If we've looked and can't find the cause, then we call it idiopathic (or primary) epilepsy. The term idiopathic simply means that we don't know the cause. It may be that the cause has escaped our attention; for example, a stroke that is too small to detect with routine brain scans or damage that occurred during whelping."
Elsewhere on the web site, in the same practical, dispassionate language, they tell you that repeated seizures can cause brain damage.
Scratchy's fourth attack is on Monday morning, shortly after I had phoned the vet arranging an appointment for that afternoon. At the vet's, I learn that the medications of choice are phenobarbital, potassium bromide and diazepam (Valium). We will start with phenobarbital - 50mg, twice a day. We will keep our fingers crossed that this prevents further attacks, and we will do a blood test after six weeks to see how he is coping with the drug.
Footnote: Five days later, and Scratchy is ecstatic. No further attacks, and twice a day he gets his tablet - pushed into a piece of cheese. He's never had cheese before. Cheese is just the best thing ever anywhere. He has already worked out when he is about to get cheese, and as the block of cheddar is carried ceremoniously from the fridge to the chopping board, Scratchy's eyes bulge and, if you listen carefully, you can hear his taste buds singing the Hallelujah Chorus.
It is late at night and I am in bed reading. Cindy is in the living room turning off the heating and the lights. Scratchy suddenly goes down and begins fitting. Cindy calls me, and while I watch over him, to make sure that he doesn't hurt himself during his violent exertions, Cindy tries to comfort Daisy, our new, second greyhound, who is wailing and crying, perhaps under the impression that I am hurting Scratchy.
The seizure seems to last forever. It is the first of four he will have in the next 36 hours.
Epilepsy.
The American group Canine Epilepsy Network offers the following on its web site, "Epilepsy is one of the most common neurologic diseases in dogs, but no one knows for sure just how common it is. Some studies estimate up to 4% of all dogs are affected. In some breeds, the incidence may be higher.
"Epilepsy simply refers to repeated seizures. Seizures may occur as a one-time event in an animal from a variety of causes, but only if the seizures repeat again and again over a period of time do we call it epilepsy.
"Seizures are a sign of brain disease the same way a cough is a sign of lung disease. Saying an animal has epilepsy is like saying it has a chronic cough; it is a sign of a problem which isn't going away.
"Anything which damages the brain in the right area can cause epilepsy. If we can identify the cause of the seizures, say a brain tumor or a stroke, then we say the pet has symptomatic (or secondary) epilepsy. That is, the seizures are a symptom of a disease process we've been able to identify. If we've looked and can't find the cause, then we call it idiopathic (or primary) epilepsy. The term idiopathic simply means that we don't know the cause. It may be that the cause has escaped our attention; for example, a stroke that is too small to detect with routine brain scans or damage that occurred during whelping."
Elsewhere on the web site, in the same practical, dispassionate language, they tell you that repeated seizures can cause brain damage.
Scratchy's fourth attack is on Monday morning, shortly after I had phoned the vet arranging an appointment for that afternoon. At the vet's, I learn that the medications of choice are phenobarbital, potassium bromide and diazepam (Valium). We will start with phenobarbital - 50mg, twice a day. We will keep our fingers crossed that this prevents further attacks, and we will do a blood test after six weeks to see how he is coping with the drug.
Footnote: Five days later, and Scratchy is ecstatic. No further attacks, and twice a day he gets his tablet - pushed into a piece of cheese. He's never had cheese before. Cheese is just the best thing ever anywhere. He has already worked out when he is about to get cheese, and as the block of cheddar is carried ceremoniously from the fridge to the chopping board, Scratchy's eyes bulge and, if you listen carefully, you can hear his taste buds singing the Hallelujah Chorus.
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