New to the forum!! Hello all!

lexxdog · Post by **lexxdog** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 2:21 pm

Hello Everyone!

My name is Leanne and I am owned by a 21 month old red and tan doberman pinscher named Lexxington.

I will tell you our story, its going to be a bit long, for that I apologize.

Lexxington has his first seizure at 14 months of age. Out of nowhere, he woke up off the couch one evening around midnight and had a full grand mal, paddling drooling peeing everything right there on the livingroom floor in front of my boyfriend and I. We went to the emergency vet and I feared he'd been poisoned..

3 weeks later, to the DOT, he had a second one. Back to the vet, full blood work, everything normal except for very low salt levels. We did a barrage of tests, osmolality tests, urine tests, blood work, water tests... the salts had fixed themselves and everything kept coming back ok.

3 weeks later... bang, third seizure. We resigned that he might have epilepsy. He was placed onto potassium bromide, loading dose. We went three months seizure free right off the bat. Then, they lowered his dose after he was in the therapeutic range.

3 weeks later.. bang.. seizure. His bromide was upped again to 2.8ml once a day ( i cannot remember the concentration). 4 weeks later... another seizure.

Every seizure happened in the early morning right out of sleep, everytime. He would seize for around 45sec-2 minutes then stop and suffer from disorientation etc for around 45 minuts afterwards. He never clustered, it was always the same.

Then, two weeks ago, I came home to a pacing dog, his crate covered in drool. All signs pointed to a seizure.. but it was only 7 pm? Then, then next morning, I come home from doing errands and my house is COVERED in poo and drool... he'd had another episode. After getting over my guilt of not being there for him, we placed him on a mid range dose of PB twice a day on top of the KBr.

In the midst of this, he was taken to see a neurologist. He passed the initial exam but they wanted to do an MRI. At the time, I refused even though his sister had suffered from hydroencephalitis as a pup and i have learned that three of his relations ( far off) have died early of brain tumours. There is no genetic signs of epilepsy in either on his parents lines as far as i can see...

So this is where we stand. He's been on the PB for 1.5 weeks. The side effects seem to come and go. The worst thing is that since being on seizure meds ( it started with the KBR) he sometimes pees in the house now. I hate not being able to trust him anymore as he's been house trained for such a long time. It makes me sad and frustrated.

Im so glad to have found this place. Ive been reading through posts and its comforting to know that there ARE others out there dealing with the same things.. its almost life saving. I've been so upset, not sleeping and stressed over this whole ordeal. I'm really looking forward to meeting and talking with people on here.

thanks!

Carolyn · Post by **Carolyn** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 7:56 am

Welcome Leanne, sorry you have to be here but we all understand what your going thru. It could take a few months for Lex to adjust to the meds and get back on track. Kiya went thru the same thing with accidents in the house. During the day she is ok but I still don't trust her at night. She's gated off between my bed and a wall at bedtime, I need to hear her during the night anyway. I hope brain tumor is not the cause, most of us live with the "unknown" and no rhyme or reason. It just is what it is and we do the best we can. Good luck.

lexxdog · Post by **lexxdog** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 9:21 am

You mentioned that she went off track with her housetraining... was she consistent?

My issue with lexx is he'll go 8 hours for 4 days in a row and be perfectly fine, then the fifth day, i'll come home to pee.

He's even tried to pee right in front of me a handful of times. I feel like I'm back to having an 8 week old puppy that I can't let out of my sight!!

Do you know the best way to curb this behaviour? Or is it just going to take time?

Carolyn · Post by **Carolyn** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:10 pm

It was the same spot almost every night, I didn't allow this to go on long enough to see a pattern develope. She knew she was wrong, I couldn't scold her because I blamed the drugs. It was easier to go back to the crate. You probably need to give it time. I have learned "patience" from this experience.

lexxdog · Post by **lexxdog** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:49 pm

We crate him at night every night and we had gone back to crating him during the day too, but I just feel so guilty with him locked up all day.

I have to work, nothing I can do about it.

Now he has a little "puppy place" where its easy to clean up anyways. I'm just very afraid that he will lose all of his housetraining...

skrpio · Post by **skrpio** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:12 pm

If there have been other dogs related that have suffered hydroencephalitis and other brain problems it could be that the seizures are caused by some other problem. There was another dog on this site with seizures and was diagnoses with hydro..

lexxdog · Post by **lexxdog** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:56 pm

Thanks for the thought!

I've actually decided to go through with the MRI. I know that with seizures starting this young, the chances of it being anything but plain old epilepsy ( ha.. plain..) are lower, but I still HAVE TO KNOW.

Mandypop · Post by **Mandypop** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 4:52 am

Hi there

Just reading your posts - sorry to hear that Lexxington has epilepsy.

As part of my dog Poppy's neurology tests we did MRI scans and spinal taps. The result of the MRI scan revealed that Poppy had narrowed tubes that drain the spinal fluid from her brain and she did have hydrocephalus (but only mild). If this had been any worse they did discuss the possibility of a VP shunt to drain fluid from her brain.

As your dogs breeding line has a history of hydrocephalus, it may be worth talking to a neurologist about the possibility that this may be causing his seizures.

Good luck with Lexinington.
Mandy

Cathleen Griffin · Post by **Cathleen Griffin** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 7:59 am

Hi!

Maybe it's indicated on another thread--and I'll keep reading to see--but I'm wondering if the MRI was ever had and if it revealed anything of significance.

Thanks. I hope Lexxington is doing well.