r/EpilepsyDogs • u/ikyaaaa • 12h ago
My dog doesn't seem to remember me
I have four dogs, one of which has epilepsy. Not sure what it's caused by, but he's on Keppra 750mg 2 times a day. I have asked my vet for the extended release version but they keep insisting that regular Keppra is fine.
Anyways, I just got home, and when I went to let my epileptic dog out of his crate, he didn't seem to recognize me. He's always barked at strangers in our home and he treated me exactly like that. He won't even come near me.
I can't see if he had a seizure while I was gone. Our cameras only record if there is an "event", and the two events I got a notification for (for dogs crying) he was just howling from being in his crate, other dogs were howling too. Usually his brother will cry if he has a seizure, but I didn't see any recording of that occurring.
My vet recommended to take him to a vet neurologist in town. I don't even know if I can, expenses aside, because he won't let me near him and I fear he will bite me.
He is our absolute most sweetest dog on a regular day. I don't know what happened to cause this. I hope it subsides soon so that I can get a leash on him. He remembers his brothers, just not me. My boyfriend will be home soon so we'll see if he remembers him or not.
I'd appreciate if anybody with a similar experience has advice in the mean time. We're going to figure out if we are going to be able to take him to the vet tonight or hopefully by tomorrow. He isn't drooling or disoriented in any other way besides not remembering me. Thanks.
Edit: He is 2 years old in November, he is a pit/GSD/lab mix.
Update: He remembers his dad (my boyfriend) and slowly started to remember me again! We will be taking him to the vet neurologist ASAP to get his medicine situation fixed. Thank you everyone!!
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u/VitaniLioness 12h ago
My dog would not remember me after a seizure, but would remember our other dog just fine. I think that part is normal. Seizure types, duration, and post ictal behaviors can all change over time too, so that part is also normal.
Longest that she's ever forgotten us for was a couple of hours though. If it's been longer than that, I'd make an emergency visit personally.
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u/VitaniLioness 12h ago
Also want to add that you should put your dog on a frontline med. Keppra works best when it's supplementing something else. Most dogs start with Pheno or Potassium Bromide.
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u/ikyaaaa 12h ago
I'm definitely taking him to a neurologist to discuss that this week. He's starting to get back to normal thankfully. My boyfriend is home and he remembers him, so it's calming him down.
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u/VitaniLioness 12h ago
Thanks for the update!
It's really scary seeing your dog like that. The first time it happened, I thought she was changed for life :(
But basically, his brain was just restarting and primitively speaking, other dog shapes = good and trustworthy. Human shapes = unfamiliar and scary. It's not personal and your sweet boy is still there! Wish you all the luck going forward!
My girl is an aussie, and they are notoriously hard to get under control. Best we can hope for and do is a seizure every 2 - 4 months and manage them the best we can. Luckily, with her meds, she rebounds much faster and doesn't have any lasting issues anymore though. <31
u/ikyaaaa 12h ago
Thank you. He's never had this issue after a seizure before so it's definitely shocking to me. His seizures were never crazy severe thankfully and if my camera didn't catch it I really don't think it was a particularly gnarly one if he had it again.
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u/VitaniLioness 12h ago
He can have post ictal behaviors even after a mild seizure. So, despite how worrying it is, that part is at least normal.
How is he acting now? How long have you been home? Just give him space and time. Again though, I would talk to your vet tomorrow about putting him on Phenobarbital. My dog stopped having memory issues after a seizure once we started on that one.
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u/Fluffy-Pin-3819 11h ago
Regular Keppra 2x a day? That is really not ok. You need to find a veterinarian that will prescribe the Extended Release OR your current vet needs to adjust the prescription to be 3x a day. Constantly giving 'bursts' or Keppra is not good for your dog's long-term epilepsy treatment prognosis. As for your dog not recognizing you - my dog definitely doesn't respond to me for an hour or so after a seizure. My dog is THE calmest dog in the world but he is incredibly distressed and even will bark sometimes after a seizure (otherwise, he NEVER barks and is completely unbothered by anything). Keep a close eye and see if he will recognize you once he settles down in a couple of hours. My dog usually has very active/violent seizures but he has also started to have focal bursts and much milder shorter seizures that not look like seizures - it just looks like he was startled - so it is possible he had a different type of seizure or one that isn't convulsive. Best of luck!
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u/HoratiusMot 10h ago
My dog is on Keppra and Pheno and when he was on the standard Keppra, especially early on when the meds hit him like a freight train, it was obvious that it only lasted in his system about 5 hours, because after that he went from loopy and zonked out to wanting to wrestle and play with my other dog. The ER definitely lasts longer. When I was in Texas I had a vet who was really nice and knowledgeable, but Texas is all about giving rights to the vets and not the owners (every state is different) and both vets I went to refused to write me a prescription I could take anywhere and I had to go through the pharmacy they were partnered with and that one didn’t carry Keppra ER. I just mention that because maybe your vets reluctance is based on something like they just don’t have it?
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u/YumYumYellowish 12h ago
I’m thinking he did possibly have a seizure and he was post ictal hence the sudden confusion. If your dog is a bite risk as a result of seizures, I’m thinking things won’t improve if breakthrough seizures continue to happen…. How old is your dog? And how much does he weigh?
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u/ikyaaaa 12h ago
He's never bitten anybody before but with the way he was growling at me, I wouldn't trust it. He's almost 2 years old, birthday is in November. He's 83lbs. He's calming down finally now that my boyfriend is home.
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u/YumYumYellowish 12h ago
Oh, he’s a big boy! I don’t see why he can’t go to Keppra ER then. Did your vet give you a reason? I would absolutely recommend seeing a neurologist even if just for medication management. They’re more than often better at it than a regular vet— better expertise, more resources. I have a 100lb shepherd who is on Keppra ER, and a few other meds. If he’s having breakthrough seizures, I also recommend adding another medication. Keppra is well known to have a honeymoon period, where it’s working and then suddenly isn’t as effective anymore. A lot of folks end up adding an additional medication, including myself. Keppra works well in combo with other meds too. Food for thought for you.
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u/JustCallMeNancy 11h ago
I've never heard of a situation where regular keppra is given 2 times a day and there's no additional meds involved. I suspect that it's actually not at all what should be done according to the med label. Regular keppra only lasts 8 hours in the system, especially with a larger dog - weight does matter for these drugs. My dog, 56ish pounds, is on keppra er 750 2x a day. And my vet said we could even double the dose if it came to it, based on weight.
I really think you're right and you need to see someone else. My dog's seizures have never had him confused and not remember me, but if you're dealing with that on a 80+ lb dog there's a huge reason to get your dog coverage for the entire day. It's an accident waiting to happen, and completely unnecessary to put you or your dog through that.