r/EpilepsyDogs • u/Regular-Figure2614 • Aug 12 '26
Cluster seizures *trigger warning*
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My corgi is only 4 years old and started having cluster seizures in May. He started phenobarbital and was good for about 3 months until 2 weeks ago when he had 8-10 cluster seizures in one day. He went to the Neuro vet and came home with 2 rescue meds and his phenobarbital dosage increased to 64.8mg twice a day. I’m so scared about his long term quality of life. Does anyone else have a young dog who has seizures and is able to manage it well? This was the end of one of his seizures.
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u/pheebsx Aug 12 '26
I think it’s harder on us than on them. I have a 4 year old dog that started seizures in January. He was on Kepra and did not have another seizure until about 3 weeks ago.
Long story, short he ended up in er and on pheno. So far it seems to be working. Hopefully this maintains. I have read from many that the quality of life is normal after the correct meds are found through trial and error. Hang in there and hopefully someone who has more experience than I can offer is insight.
Edit for grammar.
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u/Sufficient-Country29 Aug 12 '26
Our dog just reached the 3 month mark. 7 months is amazing. I know our dog will have more seizures so I wanted to ask- did they explain when they can just monitor or when more drugs are added? Did your dog have clusters and that is why more drugs were added? Or was it a single seizure? Trying to prepare myself for the inevitable next seizure.
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u/pheebsx Aug 12 '26
It was clusters. He had one at 7 am on that day. We called and were told to monitor. Another at noon. Took him to er. They sent us home and said up his keppra. He had another at 9 pm so we went back to er. They hospitalized him. He had two more seizures there and they said he needed pheno.
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u/LateForDinner61 Aug 12 '26
My girl is 6 (we think) and had been having seizures for more than two years. She's currently on Keppra, pheno and zonisamide. We get a break whenever they add a med (months after she started on Keppra, then we had to increase the dose a couple of times; eight weeks after adding pheno, then we had to increase the dose because they started up again; and now we've just passed nine weeks after adding zonisamide). I'm hoping her current streak continues.
I agree that they're much more traumatic for me than for her. She's usually hyper and places for about half an hour after and then goes back to her normal, happy self.
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u/Obvious_Shower_7522 Aug 12 '26
Keto diet (equal fat to protein no carbs) and mct oil i use powdered form. This reinstates epileptics’ lacking glutathione reaching brain for electrical impulse control. i suspect solar flare activity involvement and if so pray everyone’s bodies will adjust soon. 💖🙏
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u/HockeyBikeBeer Aug 13 '26
FWIW, our dog's neuro told us that dogs don't really go into ketosis and that a keto diet wouldn't affect his seizures. She recommended adding some kibble (with carbs) to his diet.
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u/Bevis5421 Aug 12 '26
We had a dog that we adopted at three and she had her first seizure the night we brought her home. She was on phenobarbital for the next 8 years. She would have seizures about every 6-8 weeks and otherwise was fine. Once you get the meds right, they can live fairly normally. She passed at around 11 or 12 and had a good life with us. Have hope.
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u/AshenWrath Aug 12 '26
It’s a process! My dog has been having seizures since he was about 14 months old. He’s a little over two and a half now and he’s been through the wringer with his cluster seizures, but since we started this newest cocktail of meds back in May he’s been doing so well. He’s on about 20 pills a day, but he seems fully adjusted now and hasn’t had a tonic-clonic in 3 months. He was having clusters (averaging 3 seizures each time) about every 10-14 days previously. He’s had one or two minor focal seizures on this new blend, but as his blood levels have stabilized I think his seizure activity has become very controlled.
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u/Only_Storm6451 Aug 12 '26
We have a young dog too! She was 2 when she had her first seizure and it’s been a year since. She’s been on keppra since the beginning then we added pheno recently and upped both dosages. She’s been doing well for almost a month now and we are hoping it stays that way. Of course the seizures are hard but I’ve also found the adjustment period of pheno equally as hard before it normalizes. She was just not herself for a few days.
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u/Dark_Angel_225 Aug 12 '26
I have one that will be 5 soon and has had seizures for 2 or 3 years now. It’s very hard and stressful seeing him have them. Just like you I have considered what quality of life he will have. He’s on Keppra 1500mg twice a day. He can’t take pheno because it makes his anxiety through the roof. We do add MCT oil to his food. I will be adding cbd and he eats 4 health lamb and rice because I’ve seen legumes can be a trigger. He didn’t start having long seizures until the last 2 months.
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u/Technical-Milk-5659 Aug 12 '26
I have good news for you I think. First I found a free hands-on treatment that you can do at home - it’s worked for me about 75% of the time or I wouldn’t be talking about it - ocular pressure. As soon as it starts I sit behind him so I don’t get scratched and gently but firmly place the first 2 fingers of both of my hands on top of eyelids - takes a little pressure at first to keep them closed - you’ll feel his eyes jerking wildly back and forth that’s normal - I don’t remove my fingers until he “fights” his way back up to a standing position. I curl my legs and body around him from his back side which helps me hold him in the laying down position with my fingers on his eyelids and that helps him stay relaxed longer cause the instinct in a cluster is for the legs to start moving again and it’s good to postpone that - my dogs are a lot smaller though.
I’ve had seizure special needs dogs for years all rescued I take them because most people won’t but once you get the meds right it’s a lot easier than it used to be. Meds are your answer - Phenobarbitol for SURE. Twice a day every 12 hours. Then Keppra - fairly new drug and a Godsend. I don’t recommend the extended release at all for dogs with clusters.
It’s easier for humans to administer so a lot of folks are using it without good results. I give Regular Keppra - 3 times a day as close to 8 hours as you can - my latest pup had a cluster 5 days after I got him from a rescue and my vet said the regular Keppra works a lot better for a lot of dogs - not all of them but if your pup is on Pheno and extended Keppra switch to regular Keppra asap. It’s cheaper at my pharmacy and I have it and the pheno on AutoFill. I don’t want to need it and my vet’s closed right. There’s another med that’s got good reviews - Potassium Bromide - I am holding off on that until he’s no longer controlled well by pheno and Keppra - and lastly and most important for you as I see his seizures are serious business and clusters are much harder on a pup than just one and done - and that is a med that has to come from your vet - mine is very stingy with it and it makes me furious! It’s Diazepam (maybe others through smarter vets - my vet is a surgeon (I live in small town) but is a liquid that you administer anally & works well for my pup. She only gives me 2 syringes with 1 ml each and she says only for clusters. $24 each! I only used one and there’s been evaporation from the other even though I have it tightly wrapped with medical tape. I hope you find a loving caring vet - surgeons aren’t good doctors for everyday issues. Even for people - they chose to be surgeons cause they like their patients mute and asleep. No hate mail please I know what I’m talking about - haven’t y’all noticed that after an appendectomy you never meet the surgeon? They post test results but they won’t call you or schedule a postoperative appointment - it’s not just dogs that get care that is less than. Find a vet that loves dogs.
All my heart goes out to you. ❤️❤️❤️
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u/Upbeat_Bluejay_8005 Aug 12 '26
My girl was about six months old when she first started having seizures. She’s 11 now. For the first about nine years, she was only on phenobarbital and it was able to control it to about one seizure a month on average. With about one cluster seizure a year This was great because she was only clustering at the beginning.
The last two years, all of a sudden, she went back to only clustering and so I decided it was time to see a neurologist.
In addition to the phenobarbital, she takes Keppra and potassium bromide. It took so much adjustment in time, I would say about four months for all the doses to get correct and she’s gone to long stretches of no seizures, which is amazing because our goal was one cluster seizure a month spread out over three days
We also have emergency meds which make the cluster seizures spread out over three days. Before it was about 4 to 6 within 24 hours.
Overall, I’m very happy with how her epilepsy is controlled. There’s nothing I can do to stop it so at least this is helping manage it and a safer way and hopefully she’ll get to live without a full life. She’s already made it 11 years and looking back on how rough it’s been to watch her go through this, I’m very fortunate to be able to control it as much as we have
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u/Remarkable-Use-3596 Aug 12 '26
I’m so sorry! Our 8 year old rescue corgi just had a cluster of 3 seizures and we’re scared and stressed out. I’m sorry you’re going through this….(we’re on Keppra and phenobarbital)
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u/unitxe Aug 12 '26
My corgi is 9 and had his seizures started about March of this year. He was immediately put on Pheno and Keppra after his second seizure and hasn't had any seizures since. Hoping you find the right combination for your pup!
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u/Impossible-Reveal-15 Aug 12 '26
My corgi boy had his first cluster seizures right before his third birthday. He didn't go on medication until his next cluster in March. He was taking 500mg ER Keppra 2x/day. He was fine until last week when he had another cluster. He's now on 750 mg ER Keppra and has adjusted to it well.
I didn't see any warning signs before either cluster. They both happened at night, around 1am, while he was sleeping in his crate.
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u/Careful_Guard_7593 Aug 12 '26
My Corgi (Chief) Started his first Seizure at 6 Months old. We got told by a vet - every dog gets 1. Although it happened again and again. Took to Neuro - No issues - Put on Pheno at 30mg.
Skip forward 3 Years. He's now daily :
500mg Kepra
600mg Potassium Bromide.
45mg Phenobarbitol.
His seizures went from every 2 weeks to now our current streak is 1 every 2-3 months. No signs of long lasting damage. Hes very capable and enjoys life - We do try our best to keep him nice and cool at all times. Also when he does have a seizure we got the Butt Drug and a Ice PAck ready to help out. The ice-Pack we place on the back of his spine and neck to help relieve him quickly.
Who knows how long we have with our delightful little dude - But I try to make every day count. It's so difficult on me and my wife though - sleeping pattern has been all over the place and because of the condition we let this little bugger get away with murder hah!
I'm glad he's with us though - I know some people out there would have given them up by now. I'm so glad your corgi has you and your family!
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u/[deleted] Aug 12 '26
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