Hi everyone. Well, I have never been one for forums, but definitely feel the need now. My beautiful, blonde, one-eyed Golden is 6 years old. She was a rescue at age 3 (from a "breeder" who kept her in a cage in a garage in Miami and apparently abused her). She is a loving, skittish dog who is working very hard at trying to trust people other than myself. She had a grand mal seizure 12 days ago, which included the violent convulsions, urination, foaming at the mouth, and then she started howling at the top of her lungs. It was horrifying! Lasted less than a minute, first stage of recovery about 2 minutes, then was very nervous and clingy. I got her to the vet immediately, where he checked thyroid, CBC, etc, which all came back normal. She just had another seizure this morning, without the howling, but otherwise the same. In reading this forum, I am considering a couple of things: 1) each time she was fast asleep and I stepped over her to get to the bathroom, possibly startling her awake? I saw that one owner noticed that, and I had already made that note..... 2) lawn fertilizer? Also, I have noticed that she gets a very hot head on occasion, but not necessarily around the seizures, as well as a hot shoulder. Anyone else have this experience? Thanks so much for this site, and for the support it gives to so many.

No suggestions but I'm sure it was very scary for both of you.

No suggestions, but we have been dealing with Tailer's seizures since 2/1/10. We had just made the 60 day mark when he had another...but we are back up to 5 days seizure free.

Did you see the Seizure section of this forum? Tons of info from others there...

Good luck, glad the first blood work cn out fine...keep a log of food, chemicals around the house n yard, if you've used frontline or one of those around a seizure...

Welcome to the Seizure Club...

Welcome to GRF...tons of great folks here. We Love Pics too!

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Thanks, folks, your support means a lot. I am sorry that so many people are dealing with this! But it is nice to have others who have been through it be able to help. I hope that some day I can do the same. I am in the process of writing down every ingredient in the last two foods she has had. She was on one, and switched to another about a month ago. I have both of the bags...... As my vet said, there is SOME trigger, so now I become a detective, as all of you already have. Again, thanks so much! P.S. I am a bit computer illiterate, but will try to figure out how to post a picture of my girl!

Welcome to the forum. Sending healing thoughts and prayers for your girl. Thank you for saving her and loving and caring for her. Posts like this one makes me feel good about human kind.
You've just mentioned you switched a food a month ago. Maybe something in this new food is a trigger.
I wish you all the best in your fight for your beautiful (I know she is beautiful) blonde.

Maybe this link could help with photos posting.
http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/...ng-photos.html

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9 & half short years in my life but forever in my heart http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/...-my-buddy.html
"He took my heart and ran with it, and I hope he's running still, fast and strong, a piece of my heart bound up with his forever" - Patricia McConnell

Charlie could watch birds for hours and I could watch Charlie for hours too http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/...n-morning.html

sounds to me like you're doing everything right, and hope that your girl doesn't have any more seizures, what's her name by the way ?

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Dave (and everyone else...), my girl's name is
Roxie. I call her Roxie my Cyclopsie (poor one eyed thing.....). It has been incredible to be on this site, and I am already learning so much! I checked ingredients on all 3 of the foods she has had in the last year, and guess what? Only the one she started a month ago has Rosemary Extract in it! I've never even heard that this could be an issue! There are lots of articles saying that Rosemary extract being a neurotoxin is only a myth, but I sure find it interesting...... Maybe I'm grasping at straws, but this sure seems like it could be the trigger, as well as the "startling awake".

Thanks again for all the support. I just got through telling a friend of mine (a golden owner) about this site, and how incredibly supportive everyone is.

I hope that all of your "kids" are doing well. I know they are lucky to have each and every one of you....

I really hope that is the case for Roxie, I thought I had found the trigger numerous times but we haven't given up yet looking for it

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So you have a start point now. Hopefully it is just that. It is a strange but sometimes they slightly change ingredients in the same food and do not announce that. I used to compare the lists every time before I buy new bag of the same food.
Looking forward to see the pictures of sweet Roxie.

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9 & half short years in my life but forever in my heart http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/...-my-buddy.html
"He took my heart and ran with it, and I hope he's running still, fast and strong, a piece of my heart bound up with his forever" - Patricia McConnell

Charlie could watch birds for hours and I could watch Charlie for hours too http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/...n-morning.html

Welcome to the Forum!

Neurotoxin or not, rosemary is known to trigger seizures in dogs that are sensitive to it.

Frontline Plus triggered grand mal seizures in my Charlie. That's the only trigger I was ever able to isolate. Most dogs who are seizure prone tend to have grand mal seizures when they are sleeping or resting. Sometimes I wonder if they are dreaming and something in the dream sets them off, but I suppose we will never know that.

Since you have been plunged into the world of grand mal seizures, make sure that you learn about ocular compression: Controlling Seizures in Dogs with Ocular Compression - VetInfo. It greatly reduces the duration of a seizure. Several of us have had good luck with it.

With two seizures so close together, it would probably be good for Roxie to see a veterinary neurologist, who can help you determine the cause for the seizures, balance medications, and come to terms with the prognosis.

You're joining a very supportive group here. There is nothing you will face with Roxie that isn't familiar to someone else in the group. The seizure roller coaster isn't fun to ride, but you will never be alone.

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Lucy, owned by Joker and Sunny, who remember Charlie with me
http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/...years-old.html