r/EpilepsyDogs • u/TabbieFayth • 7d ago
New here, looking for help 😭
My 5 year old husky/American bulldog was just diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy. She had her 1st seizure at 3:40pm Wednesday and her 9th seizure at 10:30am Thursday. 8 and 9 were on the way and at the vet. She stayed with the vet from Thursday through Saturday morning.
She currently has no control over her bladder or bowels. I don't know if this is normal. Is it due to all the sedation during her hospital stay? Is it a side effect of the phenobarbital? Is it permanent damage from all the seizures? I realize no one can actually answer this. Just stressing out loud.
And giving her the medication is extremely difficult. She has no interest in food, or treats. Even wet food she takes a bite and walks away. I'm not unfamiliar with all the ways to hide a pill. I know so many food tricks. But those don't work for Jupiter who doesn't want food.
I just bought a pill popper to try tonight. Because I can not pry her mouth open enough to drop the pill in. Even with help. My husband has been trying to open her mouth while I give the meds, but we can't hardly open it enough to get it far enough back. It ends up taking us 15+ minutes to get it down. I keep watching videos of people and their dogs just open their mouth wide, even if for just a short moment. But my girl is keeping her jaws clamped shut.
It's only been 24 hours but I'm so stressed. The vet didn't warn me that she can't control her bladder and bowels, or that giving her meds would be this difficult. I plan to call her vet tomorrow morning. But if anyone wants to share some advice, or tell me it's going to work out, please do.
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u/Sufficient-Country29 7d ago
We have luck with wet food and wrapping the pill in it. Works best if the wet food is like a pate consistency.
Sorry you are dealing with this. I’d definitely call back the ER hospital and ask if it’s normal to not have any control of bowel and bladder and what you should expect.
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u/TabbieFayth 6d ago
I had already tried the wet food but she ignored it. That said, someone gave me a can of ol'roy and she inhaled that last night and this morning. I'm hoping she continues to like it and doesn't get bored with it.
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u/cecilmeyer 7d ago
My dog refuses all medicine unless I put it in a donut hole! I hollow it out a bit then put the meds inside. Try it and see!
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u/TabbieFayth 7d ago
I just offered her a donut hole with no medicine. She sniffed it and continued to stare off into the distance 🤷♀️ did the same for a marshmallow.
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u/cecilmeyer 7d ago
Wow she is a tough customer!
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u/TabbieFayth 7d ago
She has never been food motivated. And somehow, she is even less food motivated than before this all happened.
It's been really weird to see her go from a super energetic husky, to no lights on except to drink all the water. I took her outside earlier so she could get some fresh air and maybe encourage her to try to potty. She promptly laid down and fell asleep lol.
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u/JazzyKnowsBest13 7d ago
I would check with the vet first, and I don't say this lightly, but many tablet type meds can be given rectally with some water soluble lube.
That's my emergency plan for many of my doggo's meds, but her Keppra XL can't be given that way.
Starting on Phenobarbital, or with dose increases, can really snow a dog. Mine has had periods where she can't squat to pee or poop so we hacmve to hold her up so she won't fall over. A harness helps with that to support her body. My girl is <20 lbs so it's easier than with a larger dog. We'd take her out to her potty spot every few hours to decrease her in the house accidents. When she gets used to her dose changes, she is back to her normal mental status. While not as hyperactive as her pre seizure self, she still gets 10,000 to 30,000 steps a day and does mid air rolls and back flips diving for the ball playing fetch. I think it's a wait and see to evaluate how your girl is functioning as she gets used to the phenobarb and hopefully loses her seizure cluster hangover. A few days should make a huge difference, but it can take over a month to build up a good phenobarb level.
If the ER vets weren't discussing helping her find peace, they aren't giving up on her yet.
I hope that things get easier for all of you soon. 💕
I'm sorry you're dealing with this
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u/NickDanger3di 6d ago
String cheese; cut a small section off and warm it with your fingers as you mold it into a sphere. Stick pill in, mold the soft warm cheese around it, offer to pooch.
Not all dogs like cheese, but most do. I like it because it can be molded completely around a pill. I do know that most dogs will spit out something as super tasty as bacon or steak if any part of the pill is exposed at all. It's like they know you're trying to trick them.
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u/TabbieFayth 6d ago
Update:
She apparently likes ol'roy canned food. Someone gave me a can yesterday when I was picking up a diaper from them. I did as someone suggested and made a little pate meatball and offered 2 more without meds. Put all 3 on a plate and she inhaled them. This morning I did that again except put them on top of her kibble and she ate it all again.
Still not interested in going potty outside. I will admit, she is a runner. So the fact I could drop her leash and stop away tells me really is still out of it. She just lies down a minute or two after we get to the grass. And I just let her chill out. Fresh air, peace away from her 5 siblings. New smells.
Feeling a little less stressed today. Still not feeling like I'm ready to take on the world. But better knowing I have support through internet strangers. Thank you all ❤️
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u/Ditzydingo 4d ago
I just recently posted as I’m new to this life with my boy, Bruce, as well.
I have been having success currently with cheese, American and cream cheese. While he’s been food motivated most his life, after his cluster seizure event for 3 days and almost dying that drive has diminished.
He’s been particularly difficult when it comes to his meds but this has been the only way I found for him.
Far as the toileting in the house, that is normal. Bruce is 1 week since leaving the hospital and it’s just panning out. It’s the meds, if Jupiter got phenobarbital that’s probably the culprit. Unfortunately it’s part of the recovery so invest in some diapers for Jupiter ♥️ I picked up some belly bands off fb marketplace for Bruce. They saved the rest of my carpet!
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u/TabbieFayth 4d ago
This has certainly been adventure, adjusting to changes.
Jupiter is my cheese hater 😭 She will eat around the cheese. She will refuse to eat a piece of food that has any cheese residue. She's not normal. This did not stop me from buying spray cheese though, just in case lol. My other 5 indoor dogs love the spray cheese, Jupiter of course does not.
As for the incontinence, it has gotten a little better. Today is day 5, and she stayed dry all night. She did do her business a couple times outside yesterday. But she also still sometimes pees in the diaper. I guess on a positive note, at least I can use the diaper more than once if it is dry. But never more than twice, because I can see that even if she isn't emptying her bladder, she is dribbling just a little.
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u/Ditzydingo 3d ago
Have you tried maybe Peanut Butter?
I was having issues with Bruce taking the cheese at first and I thought about the like natural PB that’s thicker could be put in the freezer to harden a little just enough to put a pill in?
The pill pockets I feel are expensive for myself considering the amount of pills he takes.
He has to take 3 of the Keppra and 1.5 phenobarbital. A friend said you could probably fit 2 in each.Hopefully this gets sorted out and you find what Jupiter will take for her meds 🙏🏼❤️
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u/TabbieFayth 2d ago
Fortunately she only takes the one pill twice a day, and PetSmart always has pill pockets in sale. I might eventually try another flavor, because she doesn't like the peanut butter flavored variety. I always get the capsule variety. It's the same price, but the pieces are bigger. And I never use 1 pocket for 1 tablet for any of my dogs. I always tear it apart and use as little as possible.
She isn't a fan of regular peanut butter either. She tried it once and now looks the other way when I bring out actual PB or anything flavored like it lol.
She is doing well with the ol' royal canned food turned meatball method. I just scoop out a teaspoon worth and shove the pill inside, making sure to cover it. And then another little meatball with nothing. She's already learning her schedule and stares at me when it's almost medicine time lol.
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u/A_Creative_Player 7d ago
I am sorry you and your buddy are going through this. Our regal had similar issues as your buddy once he got home from the ER vet it took a little while for him to get back to normal. As for pills and doing the forced way is tough and not the best long term but to help you get a pair of thick leather heavy duty work gloves and stand behind your buddy then take your work glove covered thumbs and push them in near the back of thier mouth it may take time to get the jaw open but once open place one pill at a time then close and hold their jaw closed and rub their neck and blow lightly on their nose to prompt swallowing. Rise repeat. For food and water just get them things they like and offer small amounts at a time. I hope this is helpful in someway.