Return of Seizures

My old dog Guppy is back on phenobarbital for seizures. He had two seizures yesterday, and the second one was rather severe. He fell over on his side and started shaking uncontrollably. After it was over he acted disoriented for a while and finally was able to get back up. I called the vet this morning and he prescribed the medication.

Gup took phenobarbital before but his seizures then took a different form, basically compelling him to dash around frantically eating lint and plants and even small objects. After a number of successful months on the medication, I weaned him off it, instead not feeding him any "Greenies" or chicken. This worked well for a long time (about a year). I based that approach on reports that dogs were swallowing the green chew-snacks without chewing them, and one book that said some people suffer seizures after eating chicken or eggs.

Lately my dog-feeding routine has been complicated because his buddy Ben gets sick after eating many different dog foods (and many human foods too). The only foods that I'm sure don't make Ben sick are hyper-allergenic kibble made with duck and potato, goat milk, eggs, and chicken. So I was buying a different dog food for each dog. Then Guppy lost his appetite for his lamb-based dog foods and was losing weight. He does not lick the duck and potato kibble - frankly I don't blame him. Yesterday I decided to give him a little piece of chicken to see if he tolerated it. He loved the taste but later in the day he had seizures. This could be a coincidence but he won't get chicken from me again.

Tonight Guppy seems okay but he keeps hiding in different places. Perhaps the seizures frightened him and he wants the security of shelter. Right now he is sleeping in a small spot between a chair and a wall.

Click for Seizure Disorder in Pets article.

Snopes report on Greenies