Dawn, Dallas, Charm & Quinn

Hi Tina - thanks for the great information and it's good to talk to someone who goes through it too. Looks like I've got lots of reading to do! Dawn

Does he by any chance have Jim Croppers Cap in his pedigree? I don't think so - I'd have to check the pedigree when I get home - it doesn't stand out....

It's been a very, very long time since I have posted to the boards (no reason, just busy and happy). Anyway - I have three Border Collies ranging in age from 6 1/2 years old to 2 years old - one neutred male (rescue); one spayed female (rescue); and one in-tact male (bought) - he's the youngest. In April of this year, my youngest had four GM seizures in less than 45 mins. He was examined immediately by a vet and then sent to a Neurologist in Toronto. She felt is was epilepsy and with the vet decided to "watch him". He was OK until July where he had two GM seizures in three hours - we took him to our vet and he was put on Potassium Bromide. In October he had another short GM seizure and recovered from it almost immediately (no really bad post-ictal symptoms like with the other seizures). In early December he was rushed to the emergency clinic and hospitalized for cluster seizuring - from 5:30 p.m. until 3:00 a.m., he continued to go in and out of seizures - both GM and PM - and spent two full days there. Phenobarb was added to his treatment in loading doses (120 mg per day for 10 days; 60 mg per day for 10 days, etc.). He was taken to Guelph for further examination and they also feel it is Epilepsy and not something like tumors or cysts in the brain. My youngest comes from exceptional working lines with NO history of epilepsy or illness. All throught he pedigree hips and eyes are clear. Lines extend to the UK with Grand Champions and International Grand Champions in herding. The rest of the litter is healthy and happy....... My questions are: for those you with epileptic dogs, what do you feed? Have you ever had an MRI done? What age did the seizures start presenting? What are your tell-tale signs of seizures (I haven't figured Quinn's out yet)? What have you been doing to treat/lessen the severity of the seizures? Dawn, Dallas, Charm & Quinn Toronto, Ontario I have tried him on the BARF diet, but he doesn't like it - he's on kibble while my other two are on BARF (my oldest has been on a raw food diet for over five years now). He hasn't been vaccinated recently and my vaccine protocol is minimal - I vaccinate for Parvo and Distemper every two years and rabies every third year. And a side comment to a post I read made back in October about someone wanting to breed their bitch because they love her so much - come on over to the emergency clinic when Quinn is so doped up on Valium to stop the seizures that he can't control his bladder and is urinating all over himself, covered in drool and unable to walk.....then tell me if you still want to breed. Unless you have done extensive research on the breed and the lines you shouldn't be breeding. Unless you are willing to take back an epileptic dog and treat and care for it, then you shouldn't be breeding. Quinn's breeder is devasated and to this day, continues to dig through lines, pedigrees, etc. to try and trace where it came from. She has also offered me another puppy later and offered to take Quinn back (which I would never give him up). Any input, experiences, advice on Epilepsy in BCs is greatly appreciated.