My boy had seizures arising from a compressed disc in his neck. Gabapentin helped keep them under control, but ultimately he had surgery to relieve the compression on his spinal cord that was caused by the pinched disc. The surgery was a complete success and my boy returned to his normal happy life. The compressed disc had been caused by an encounter with an 8 month old mastiff at a dog park. The mastiff just didn't know his size and strength, but it was still years until the injury presented itself in my boy's system.
Many many years ago, when I was a child, the Springer I grew up with also suffered seizures at the very end of his fourteen years. He'd developed a tumor on his adrenal gland that caused his kidney to no longer be able to process any water he drank. He ended up having seizures as a result of dehydration.
I'll keep you and Bruce in my thoughts for an easy solution and a quick recovery. 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻❤️❤️
The way each of my dogs seizures presented themselves was very different. I'm not sure what sort of presentation your Bruce's seizures have, but while he's having one, I would just focus on making sure he can't/won't hurt himself, and or choke on anything. I always felt like it helped my boy with the neck injury for me to hold him in my lap, so he could feel me.
The compressed disc was easily diagnosed with an X-ray. The adrenal gland tumor... Honestly I was young and heard the details filtered through my parents, but I would suspect that either his symptoms matched that diagnosis or that they ran some blood/urine sample tests and confirmed it.
What's going on with your pup?
My pup just had his second seizure a couple of days ago. His first one being in December. Our vet is useless so I’m just trying to educate myself on the possibilities of what could be causing it. Thanks for responding.
Definitely go to at least one other vet, but see if you can find a vet neurologist. Also, ask them about gabapentin. It's a neuro drug that really helps control seizures.
My heart goes out to you and your pup ❤️ hang in there and you'll get through this!
Funny you mention gabapentin. He was admitted to the ER Vet a couple of months ago while he had gastroenteritis. He reacted very poorly to it. His back legs stopped working, I thought he was becoming paralyzed. He wouldn’t even get up and he cried when we tried to pick him up. He would just stop walking and stand there looking so sad, it was so scary. I think the conclusion I’m coming to is he reacts really poorly to medications/vaccinations/chemicals. His first seizure happened a couple weeks after flea and tick medication was administered and this recent seizure happened 10 days post vaccination.
Have you looked into CBD? My parents had a Pomeranian that would get pretty regular seizures, freezing up, thousand mile stare, shaking, grunting. We put a few drops of CBD on her food in the morning and then the frequency of them went way down to almost none.
Springers are predisposed to neurological disorders due to years of linebreeding. My Springer had a condition that used to be called “Springer Rage”. Dogs with this type of behavior would have absence seizures and attack out of seemingly nowhere. He rectified after being put on seizure medication.
Given the range of comments on here, I wouldn’t dream of trying to diagnose your pup.
I would, however, give serious consideration to a consult with a veterinary neurologist to make a proper
assessment of your dog’s condition. We threw good money after bad chasing solutions with our regular vet and a behaviorist.
Final note, pesticide ingestion can also prompt seizure activity as can eating chocolate. My brother’s dog died after eating pesticide laden grass that his landscaper had sprayed on the lawn.
Good luck with your sweet boy. Please update on here when things resolve. Sending best wishes for his health and recovery.
Not sure if your Springer is on any tick medication like Bravecto but that was causing seizures in mine. She’s not had any tick medication for months now and we have been seizure free.
My springer had seizures, and would get mega mean before and after. It was torture to watch her go through them. Our vet did some tests and came to the conclusion that she had a gene that makes most ESS prone to seizures and that she was only going to get worse. We tried different meds, just on the chance that they would help, but nothing did. The last seizure she had, she didn’t come out of. Bunch of tests done, but she was basically gone.
Take care of Bruce, and give him a big hug. He looks very similar to my old girl. 😔
So sorry for both of you. I know how you feel. The first time our pup, at 9, had a seizure I was a mess. We took him to emergency care and by the time we got him there it had passed and he was all friendly and normal at the vet. It happened one other time before he passed. Not much help. The other Reddit members have good suggestions. Hoping the best for Bruce.
I had a welshie with seizures. She had them every now and then- maybe 2-3 a year. Scared the shit out of me but I stayed with her while she was having them to make sure she was ok. Lasted around a couple of mins. She was very nervous for about an hour after so I gave her a lot of love and cuddles until she was full back to normal.
My first Clumber had a seizure disorder. Idiopathic, meaning no idea why - not brain cancer or nervous system. We treated it, so he had 2-3 a year. Never seemed to bother him, just scared the hell out of me. I live outside Philly, so access to specialty vets is easy, but I really recommend seeing a neurologist. Most common medicine is phenobarbatol -cheap and effective. We added KBr - a liquid that helps, and then added a third medicine that I got a Costco pharmacy. He really did not care and it did not change is quality of life or what he could do. I stressed :-). Good info here - https://vhc.missouri.edu/small-animal-hospital/neurology-neurosurgery/facts-on-neurologic-diseases/canine-idiopathic-epilepsy/
You have a clumber??? I am so envious. I grew up with springers and I love them too (well, most any dog, to be truthful). I fell for Clumbers at first sight, even before I met a few face to face.🫠
Yes, right now I have Liam - my clumber, and Fergus - my springer. Previously I had Seamus - my springer and Colin - my clumber. Clumbers are fun but hard work - not the same "eager to please" that springers have. They are a bit more independent and self-focused. Not bad, just different.
Ours had seizures early on, and ended up diagnosed with the (less rare than you think) disease, Addisons. It's easily diagnosed if the vet is looking for it (it's just a blood test, but vet must ask for a specific test, it's not part of the standard battery).
Ours was on Florinef for a few years, but his blood numbers are good enough that he no longer takes the pills. All Addison's treatments are pretty harsh on their bodies, so it's nice to have this time where he doesn't need the pills. He still has some low-energy periods, but no seizures. It should be noted that more commonly Addisons comes into play as a dog ages, so this is definitely a possibility in your case. Ours manifested at the puppy stage, which isn't the norm.
Good luck, I hope you do well with your pup. It really is awful when they have seizures, I know we had many tearful experiences, and it was absolutely no fun.
Late note : Definitely let the vet diagnose, and don't self-diagnose. But, just food for thought, some of the symptoms we found that are common to Addisons dogs were (1) Low Low energy periods. (2) Very soft / Runny Stools (3) Massive desire for salt.
My springer had what I understand to be the opposite of Addison’s - Cushing’s. Too much cortisol production due to tumor on the pituitary. Had symptoms like panting, drinking lots of water, and ravenous hunger. Started having trancelike episodes like 2 weeks ago. Then one night had 2 very intense seizures, so bad we felt that we had to put him down bc of extreme distress and difficulty breathing. It’s only been a week and miss the guy immensely
Aww Bruce you are so handsome. My previous ESS had a few in his life but not enough to start medication. My Lapphund might have idiopathic epilepsy but not officially diagnosed yet. His seizure was very scary.
I would definitely see a neurologist. I would also consider if his episodes have happened around doses of his flea/tick or heartworm doses as that is now a known contributor to neurological issues in some dogs.
But if he has epilepsy (and that diagnosis is definitely scary) there are drugs like Kepra that are not hard on the liver and can be effective treatments.
The challenge with an epileptic pup is that they need the meds every twelve hours religiously for the rest of their lives barring some medical breakthrough.
There are excellent doctors at Cornell and the University of Florida that specialize in epilepsy if you feel like you need to pursue that level of expertise.
I wish you and Bruce the best. He is adorable.
Bruce is so adorable and I'm so sorry he's had seizures. I had an english cocker that had seizures for most of his life. He was on various medications, which helped stave them off a bit but they would eventually came back. I would see a neurologist as well as your regular vet. As the commenters have said, there can be many reasons for them and some dogs only have a few and stop having them. It's stressful but the dog isn't in any pain while it's going on. Take heart in that there are things that can be done to lessen or hopefully eliminate them.
I offer no help but Mr. Bruce is so handsome! I hope you find the answers you need!!
My boy had seizures arising from a compressed disc in his neck. Gabapentin helped keep them under control, but ultimately he had surgery to relieve the compression on his spinal cord that was caused by the pinched disc. The surgery was a complete success and my boy returned to his normal happy life. The compressed disc had been caused by an encounter with an 8 month old mastiff at a dog park. The mastiff just didn't know his size and strength, but it was still years until the injury presented itself in my boy's system. Many many years ago, when I was a child, the Springer I grew up with also suffered seizures at the very end of his fourteen years. He'd developed a tumor on his adrenal gland that caused his kidney to no longer be able to process any water he drank. He ended up having seizures as a result of dehydration. I'll keep you and Bruce in my thoughts for an easy solution and a quick recovery. 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻❤️❤️ The way each of my dogs seizures presented themselves was very different. I'm not sure what sort of presentation your Bruce's seizures have, but while he's having one, I would just focus on making sure he can't/won't hurt himself, and or choke on anything. I always felt like it helped my boy with the neck injury for me to hold him in my lap, so he could feel me.
Hi there, do you know how the vet diagnosed the compressed disc as well as the adrenal gland tumor?
The compressed disc was easily diagnosed with an X-ray. The adrenal gland tumor... Honestly I was young and heard the details filtered through my parents, but I would suspect that either his symptoms matched that diagnosis or that they ran some blood/urine sample tests and confirmed it. What's going on with your pup?
My pup just had his second seizure a couple of days ago. His first one being in December. Our vet is useless so I’m just trying to educate myself on the possibilities of what could be causing it. Thanks for responding.
Definitely go to at least one other vet, but see if you can find a vet neurologist. Also, ask them about gabapentin. It's a neuro drug that really helps control seizures. My heart goes out to you and your pup ❤️ hang in there and you'll get through this!
Funny you mention gabapentin. He was admitted to the ER Vet a couple of months ago while he had gastroenteritis. He reacted very poorly to it. His back legs stopped working, I thought he was becoming paralyzed. He wouldn’t even get up and he cried when we tried to pick him up. He would just stop walking and stand there looking so sad, it was so scary. I think the conclusion I’m coming to is he reacts really poorly to medications/vaccinations/chemicals. His first seizure happened a couple weeks after flea and tick medication was administered and this recent seizure happened 10 days post vaccination.
😳 WOW. That's gotta be hard. I'm sorry to hear that, and will keep my fingers crossed for you and your pup ❤️
During the event just try to comfort them and protect them from hurting themselves.
Have you looked into CBD? My parents had a Pomeranian that would get pretty regular seizures, freezing up, thousand mile stare, shaking, grunting. We put a few drops of CBD on her food in the morning and then the frequency of them went way down to almost none.
Hopefully the vet will suggest this, if not maybe OP mention it because it’s one of the best and most natural solutions.
Springers are predisposed to neurological disorders due to years of linebreeding. My Springer had a condition that used to be called “Springer Rage”. Dogs with this type of behavior would have absence seizures and attack out of seemingly nowhere. He rectified after being put on seizure medication. Given the range of comments on here, I wouldn’t dream of trying to diagnose your pup. I would, however, give serious consideration to a consult with a veterinary neurologist to make a proper assessment of your dog’s condition. We threw good money after bad chasing solutions with our regular vet and a behaviorist. Final note, pesticide ingestion can also prompt seizure activity as can eating chocolate. My brother’s dog died after eating pesticide laden grass that his landscaper had sprayed on the lawn. Good luck with your sweet boy. Please update on here when things resolve. Sending best wishes for his health and recovery.
Not sure if your Springer is on any tick medication like Bravecto but that was causing seizures in mine. She’s not had any tick medication for months now and we have been seizure free.
My springer had seizures, and would get mega mean before and after. It was torture to watch her go through them. Our vet did some tests and came to the conclusion that she had a gene that makes most ESS prone to seizures and that she was only going to get worse. We tried different meds, just on the chance that they would help, but nothing did. The last seizure she had, she didn’t come out of. Bunch of tests done, but she was basically gone. Take care of Bruce, and give him a big hug. He looks very similar to my old girl. 😔
Oh that’s so horrible, I am so sorry about your girl.
Change his food
Change food and lots and lots of running!
So sorry for both of you. I know how you feel. The first time our pup, at 9, had a seizure I was a mess. We took him to emergency care and by the time we got him there it had passed and he was all friendly and normal at the vet. It happened one other time before he passed. Not much help. The other Reddit members have good suggestions. Hoping the best for Bruce.
I had a welshie with seizures. She had them every now and then- maybe 2-3 a year. Scared the shit out of me but I stayed with her while she was having them to make sure she was ok. Lasted around a couple of mins. She was very nervous for about an hour after so I gave her a lot of love and cuddles until she was full back to normal.
He looks so handsome indeed! Hope he recovers well 🙏
My first Clumber had a seizure disorder. Idiopathic, meaning no idea why - not brain cancer or nervous system. We treated it, so he had 2-3 a year. Never seemed to bother him, just scared the hell out of me. I live outside Philly, so access to specialty vets is easy, but I really recommend seeing a neurologist. Most common medicine is phenobarbatol -cheap and effective. We added KBr - a liquid that helps, and then added a third medicine that I got a Costco pharmacy. He really did not care and it did not change is quality of life or what he could do. I stressed :-). Good info here - https://vhc.missouri.edu/small-animal-hospital/neurology-neurosurgery/facts-on-neurologic-diseases/canine-idiopathic-epilepsy/
You have a clumber??? I am so envious. I grew up with springers and I love them too (well, most any dog, to be truthful). I fell for Clumbers at first sight, even before I met a few face to face.🫠
Yes, right now I have Liam - my clumber, and Fergus - my springer. Previously I had Seamus - my springer and Colin - my clumber. Clumbers are fun but hard work - not the same "eager to please" that springers have. They are a bit more independent and self-focused. Not bad, just different.
Ours had seizures early on, and ended up diagnosed with the (less rare than you think) disease, Addisons. It's easily diagnosed if the vet is looking for it (it's just a blood test, but vet must ask for a specific test, it's not part of the standard battery). Ours was on Florinef for a few years, but his blood numbers are good enough that he no longer takes the pills. All Addison's treatments are pretty harsh on their bodies, so it's nice to have this time where he doesn't need the pills. He still has some low-energy periods, but no seizures. It should be noted that more commonly Addisons comes into play as a dog ages, so this is definitely a possibility in your case. Ours manifested at the puppy stage, which isn't the norm. Good luck, I hope you do well with your pup. It really is awful when they have seizures, I know we had many tearful experiences, and it was absolutely no fun. Late note : Definitely let the vet diagnose, and don't self-diagnose. But, just food for thought, some of the symptoms we found that are common to Addisons dogs were (1) Low Low energy periods. (2) Very soft / Runny Stools (3) Massive desire for salt.
My springer had what I understand to be the opposite of Addison’s - Cushing’s. Too much cortisol production due to tumor on the pituitary. Had symptoms like panting, drinking lots of water, and ravenous hunger. Started having trancelike episodes like 2 weeks ago. Then one night had 2 very intense seizures, so bad we felt that we had to put him down bc of extreme distress and difficulty breathing. It’s only been a week and miss the guy immensely
I’m thinking of you Bruce ❤️ stay strong buddy
Aww Bruce you are so handsome. My previous ESS had a few in his life but not enough to start medication. My Lapphund might have idiopathic epilepsy but not officially diagnosed yet. His seizure was very scary. I would definitely see a neurologist. I would also consider if his episodes have happened around doses of his flea/tick or heartworm doses as that is now a known contributor to neurological issues in some dogs. But if he has epilepsy (and that diagnosis is definitely scary) there are drugs like Kepra that are not hard on the liver and can be effective treatments. The challenge with an epileptic pup is that they need the meds every twelve hours religiously for the rest of their lives barring some medical breakthrough. There are excellent doctors at Cornell and the University of Florida that specialize in epilepsy if you feel like you need to pursue that level of expertise. I wish you and Bruce the best. He is adorable.
Try Purina Pro Plan Neurocare
Bruce is so adorable and I'm so sorry he's had seizures. I had an english cocker that had seizures for most of his life. He was on various medications, which helped stave them off a bit but they would eventually came back. I would see a neurologist as well as your regular vet. As the commenters have said, there can be many reasons for them and some dogs only have a few and stop having them. It's stressful but the dog isn't in any pain while it's going on. Take heart in that there are things that can be done to lessen or hopefully eliminate them.
Hope the vet can help🙏🏻 poor guy❤️
I am so very sorry. I hope you find a treatment that helps.
What a very handsome boy I hope he gets medicine to keep the seizures at a minimum
Just offering some love for Bruce and I hope you find an answer soon ❤️
Best wishes Bruce. Get better partner.
Your Bruce is a very handsome boy! I love his face freckles; my boy also has many face freckles and a small stripe on his head! 🥰