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Old August 11th, 2010, 02:05 PM
ashleydonovan99 ashleydonovan99 is offline
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Question EaseSure for Seizures?

I have a 6 year old shih tzu who suffers from cluster seisures approximately once a month (as many as 6 in one day). He is currently on 45mg of Phenobarbital and 1ml of potassium bromide daily. He also takes 2ml of Valium rectally with the onset of seizure activity but I find this does nothing to stop the cluster and if anything it makes him incrediabley restless and he walks into things and loses his back legs and falls to the floor. I have 2 questions:
1) Should I keep administering the Valium even though it doesn't seem to affect the number of seizures he is having?
2) There is a herbal product called "EaseSure" that I was looking into starting him on, is this safe to give to him along with his perscribed meds?

Thank you!!
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  #2  
Old August 11th, 2010, 02:10 PM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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Sorry to hear that your dog is suffering from cluster seizures.

The best person to ask both questions would be your dog's vet, Ashley. Let him know the side effects of the valium--there might be a substitute that would work better. And whether the EaseSure would be safe will depend on what's in the product and how well your dog has adjusted to the antiseizure meds--again, your vet would be the best judge.

I hope you can tweak his meds so that the seizures are better controlled
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Old August 11th, 2010, 02:34 PM
ashleydonovan99 ashleydonovan99 is offline
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Hi,
EaseSure is an all natural supplement that includes:


Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) is an herb used to soothe the nerves and support the routine equilibrium of the nervous system. The active ingredients in this herb include flavonoids, cyanogenic glycosides, alkaloids and saparin. Passiflora has also stood up well to clinical studies which support its traditional usage as a soothing and moderating herb. (Akhondzadeh S, Naghavi HR, Vazirian M, Shayeganpour A, Rashidi H, Khani M. Passionflower in the treatment of generalized anxiety: a pilot double-blind randomized controlled trial with oxazepam. J Clin Pharm Ther. 2001; 26(5):369-373).
*

Skullcap (Scuttelaria laterifolia) is an herbal tonic that has been traditionally used to ease non-debilitating feelings of being ‘overwhelmed’. It has well-known carminative properties, helping to support the natural equilibrium normally present in the mind and contributing to the maintenance of a healthy attitude and ‘even keel’. (Wolfson, P. and Hoffmann, D. L. “An investigation into the efficacy of Scutellaria lateriflora in healthy volunteers.” Altern Ther Health Med 2003;9(2):74-78.). Active ingredients include flavonoids, tannins, bitter, volatile oil and minerals.
*

Hyoscyamus (30C) is a natural remedy with some common mental and emotional themes running through all its various expressions. This remedy tends to suit those animals that are prone to jealousy if they feel the attention they receive is being threatened.
*

Belladonna (30C) suits those that have a tendency towards a common ‘crampy’ discomfort, often being sensitive and ‘jumpy’, startling easily.
*

Cuprum mettalicum (30C) is a natural preparation which supports continued stability in the nervous system while at the same time encouraging routine digestive function.


I will contact my vet in the meantime but if there is anyone out there who knows of anything that may work please let me know, I am desperate to try and stop these seizures
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Old August 11th, 2010, 02:49 PM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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Is there a holistic vet near you that you could consult? They might be able to suggest something even more effective if you want to add a homeopathic component to your dog's care.
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Old August 12th, 2010, 02:02 PM
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Lissa Lissa is offline
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Not all epileptic dogs respond well to valium and not all cluster seizures warrant the administration of rectal valium. It sounds like valium isn't helping your dog so I would probably try getting through a cluster without it. Also, valium is unfortunately, a drug that will lose its effectiveness with regular use and since we rely on valium to stop a dog from continually seizing (status), it is something that should be adminstered sparingly. Having said that, 6 seizures every month is not ideal seizure control so something definately needs to happen....

What dose of KBr is your dog on? The strength varies, for instance my dog take 3mls @ 250mg/ml so he is getting 750mg daily... Has your dog been on both meds for an extended period of time or is he still loading? Have you had blood work done recently to see if they are both in therapeutic range? Sometimes dogs need to be on multiple AED's... Have you thought discussed adding another one with your vet? Also, if you are using liquid KBr, you may want to check if yours needs to be refrigerated, some will degarde if they are kept at room temperature (it depends on who dispenses it!)

I have not used the EaseSure before but I am using something similar from animal nutritional technologies (epilepsy and calming drops) and even before that, I was using valarian root and skullcap tinctures.... It is something I would consider trying if nothing else is working.

When was your dog diagnosed with epilepsy? Is it your dogs single health issue? Have you looked at your dogs diet? Nutrition can be a huge reason why dogs seize. As can over-vaccination as well as too many dewormers/flea control. Have you seen a neurologist?

Unfortunately, the epilepsy monster is very difficult to control...and frankly, I would argue that all we are doing is damage control and management. I am not sure that we will ever be able to prevent seizures, all we can hope for is good seizure control with the right AED's and a good deal of luck!

There are wonderful support groups out there for people with epileptic dogs, this one is my favorite: http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/
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Old August 13th, 2010, 10:28 AM
ashleydonovan99 ashleydonovan99 is offline
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Hi Lisa,
My dog is 10lb so he is on 1ml of KBr a day, it is the liquid kind. He has never been offically diagnosed with "Epilepsy" because where I live, there is no access to an MRI machine. He has had blood work done monthly and he is in therapeautic range for both the Phenobarb and KBr, however she seems to think that the KBr can be increased, but I'm just so torn.....like it seems as though increasing the meds has and never will be the answer!! I think I wil stop administering the Valium as it seems to have no affect on weather or not he continues to have clusters throughout the day. I am feeding him Purina DOg Chow?? Is there a specific type of food I should consider switching to or any certain foods (human or dog) that I should not feed him?? Thanks for your help!!

****Also, are you continuing your dog on his seizure meds as well as administering the herbal drops?? Just wondering how this works??
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Old August 13th, 2010, 04:52 PM
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Lissa Lissa is offline
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I have never taken Dodger to see a neurologist either, although I have consulted with one through my vet. Because he was diagnosed young enough that it was most likely idiopatheic epilepsy, I never thought that an MRI would change his quality of life, it would simply give us more information...And truly $2500-$5000 for more information wasn't worth while to me... I would rather keep that money for gold bead implants or ER visits or AED's etc.... HOWEVER, neurologists can be a big help when seizure control is illusive - they will have the most up to date info on various concoctions of drugs, both western and homeopathic/chinese herbs.

Does your dog show any negative signs from the drugs? IE: ataxia, weight gain, always hungry, anxiety, incontinence/increase in thirs, liver or kidney damage etc...If not, then I would definately discuss with your vet about increasing KBr or introducing another AED. However, if you and your vet want to give the EaseSure a try, you should try that on its own first. You don't want to change everything at once because you won't know what is working.

I would definately think about a change in diet (and frankly that would be my first change - it can be the most important)...A HUGE trigger for epileptic dogs is GRAINS as well as artificial colours and preservatives. Rosemary is also a trigger (it can be hard to find a dog food that doesn't have rosemary in it as it is a natural preservative). Probably the one's that owner's with epileptic dogs have the most success with are Wellness Core, Natural Balance grain free, Acana, Orijen... One thing to keep in mind is that with PB, the liver is vulnerable so sometimes using a lower protein food is ideal. California Natural is coming out (it may already be out) with a grain free food that is similar to their current foods (only about 21% in protein)...However I think it may have had rosemary in it. Might also be one to keep in mind.
I have had the best success with home-prepared food, Dr. Jean Dodd's liver diet in particular....

Once a dog gets on AED's, in particular PB, it can be very hard to wean them off... So yes, Dodger is still on PB and Kbr as well as his nutritional supplements and calming/epilepsy drops. We are in month 2 of a 3 month trial on these supplements... If this doesn't work, he will likely be put on keppra (our seizure control isn't the greatest either)... BUT of course it is a HUGE expense.... About $500 a month... But for a smaller dog, it would probably only be about $75-$150 a month....
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Old August 19th, 2010, 11:26 PM
4bangeranger 4bangeranger is offline
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diet

changed my dogs food diet to the food from the vet. he is doing fine no more sizures. hope this helps and best of luck
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