Hi. I am Shannon. My golden Meadow is 7 years old. In the past 6 months she has had 2 seizures. More, I am thinking since I would wake up to accidents in the living room, which is very unlikely for her. I at first thought it was due to an ear infection that we were treating. But now I am not so sure. She does not have them often. Where do I begin? I am making an appointment for the vet, but in the mean time.

Also, she has had fleas that have literally been impossible to get rid of. No matter what shampoo, treatment, etc we have used, we have not been able to get rid of them. Could this be a factor in her seizing? It seems like the 2 have coinsided timeline wise.

Welcome to the forum. I'm sorry you are going through this with your golden. There are several of our members have dogs with seizures. Here is a link to one of the threads

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/...what-next.html (2 Seizures Today...What Next!)

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Capstar is pretty good for fleas. I don't think the ear infection is contributing to the seizures. If you are able to capture them on video it will help your vet. If you're able, I would see a veterinary neurologist.


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I would think it would be far more likely that the flea treatments might be causing her seizures.

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Thanks! I am so upset, she is my baby. I have a call into the vet but of course they could not fit me in today. She is having bladder control issues now since the seizure.

Welcome to the Forum and to our seizure community, where you will find a lot of support from a group that nobody really wants to belong to.

Where to begin? This thread contains our collective wisdom about canine seizures, with lots of links to other sites that have even more information: http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/...rmation-3.html (Seizures 101: Basic Information).

You have contacted your vet, which is a good first step. The usual first medication is Phenobarbital, which is inexpensive and quickly effective, though all of us hate the side effects. If you dog is hypothyroid, be aware that Pheno interacts with thyroid meds, so that frequent testing of levels for both meds is needed. Also, a full thyroid work-up is a good idea, since your dog is an age with thyroid issues often surface and hypothyroidism can cause seizures.

If these things don't bring the seizures under control, seeing a veterinary neurologist can be a great help. The neurologist can help to determine if there is a more serious condition that is causing the seizures.

Please keep us posted and don't hesitate to ask questions. Someone here has had experience with just about anything you encounter. Dealing with seizures can be overwhelming. Remember that we are here to help and you will never be alone with this.

Hugs and prayers,
Lucy

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

Some people believe that seizures are caused by allergic reactions to chemicals so a seizure caused by a flea treatment is absolutely possible.

Suspected ear infections are also not unusual for seizure pups.

I would try to improve the quality of her food by making it grain free which can improve itching and ear infections.

Having accidents during a seizure is very common but it is not common to hear about their toileting behaviour changing outside of the seizure. Tia had a a sudden accidents when she turned six. It turned out to be a bladder infection. However incontinence is common for older spayed females which is quite easily managed.

It sounds like you have a few things going on so it is great that you are getting her checked out properly.

Since the seizures do not occur more than once a month don't be surprised if your vet advises you to watch and wait. They are very careful about starting medication for seizures as they all seem to have some kind of potential risk for side effects.

Keep a record of anything that might be different for each seizure eg exposure to rosemary or pork or any chemical even in treats or even stress.

Meadow sounds like a beautiful girl. I hope that what ever is bothering her is easily treatable and the seizures stay in the past!

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Thank you all for the kind words. The vet says watch and see. No ear infections, he said to try bathing her in Dawn dishsoap? Gentle and no chemicals that could cause any reactions. So I will try that. She seems back to normal now, no accidents since her seizure. He said he finds it strange that it is like a 6 month lapse since her last seizure and is wondering if she is having a hormone surge at the time that would have been her heat period? I don't know how he could predict that though. So we are wait and see.