canine epilepsy

[donna christensen]

does any one know if my dog's phenobarbital use
and his recent illness pancreatitis are connected?
if he heals his pancreas, will the phenobarbs
harm him?

[Lisa]

Hi Donna, I doubt the two are connected. There are many other things that can cause Pancreatitis, no one yet know exactly what can cause it. His pancreas can heal, the epilepsy meds won't affect it, they are processed out through the liver.

[Claudia Inoue]

Is this dog under veterinary care for the pancreatitis? When my epileptic dog had pancreatitis a few years ago, he was in the ER for 10 days.

I can't help with any answer of whether all this is connected, all I can tell you is that a drug named Keppra has saved OUR little boy from multiple seizures. We do NOT give this drug all the time, only at the onset of seizures.

However, I do know that during pancreatitis, NOTHING should be given to the dog orally, that's why our boy Rico was in a clinic hooked up to an IV through which he was given fluids and meds. ANYTHING given orally only triggers the pancreatitis and it needs to calm down. I don't know how to better explain it. Lisa actually said it pretty well, too.

I am not aware of any way to cure pancreatitis other than to put the dog on an IV and give nothing orally, but I may be wrong about that. The pancreas definitely needs to calm down but every time annything is digested by the dog, it gets triggered again.

Below text copied here:

https://www.vetcentric.com/reference/encycEntry.cfm?ENTRY=23&CO...

Pancreatitis, Canine -

Treatment
Most cases of canine pancreatitis require hospitalized treatment for a minimum of three to four days, and sometimes much longer. There are several goals to the treatment of pancreatitis in dogs. First, the overall blood volume and circulation of blood within the pancreatic gland must be maintained. The prevention of stimulation of the pancreas that causes it to secrete enzymes is also essential. Additional goals include the removal of circulating activated enzymes from the blood, the management of abdominal pain, and treatment of acute or chronic complications of the disease.

Intravenous fluid administration is used in treatment as needed. The veterinarian may try to allow the pancreas to "rest" by keeping the dog off food, water, or oral medications for three days or more. The use of medications to decrease vomiting and control pain, and occasionally antibiotics, also may be indicated. A veterinarian also will treat diseases caused by the pancreatitis.


Dogs that fail to respond to medical therapy may require surgical exploration of the abdomen. Dogs with pancreatitis are considered to be at a higher risk for anesthetic and surgical complications, but they may have little chance of recovery without the operation. Typical conditions that require surgical intervention include pancreatic or bile duct obstruction, severe inflammation of the pancreas and abdominal cavity, and a pancreatic abscess or mass of some other type.

[Lisa]

Claudia is right also. Most vets opt to stop all food for dogs for a minimum of 48 hours with an IV to supply much needed fluids and to stop the vomiting and help prevent diarrhea. Cats however cannot go without food like dogs. Either way after the course of IV just feed bland, no fat food for awhile, up to 3 weeks or a bit more to really ensure that the pancreas isn't over stimulated and will heal itself, which it can do. =o) If he has had pancreatitis for too long without intervention, the side effect can be diabetes, so watch his urination output.

The pancreas is both and endocrine gland (insulin) and exocrine gland emitting the digestive hormones needed to digest fats. When Pancreatitis happens the exocrine part of the pancreas goes haywire and emits the digestive hormones in such great quantities that it will cause the hormones to start digesting itself (the pancreas) and damage other organs. This is why you don't want it stimulated, so with a dog, they stop food and give fluids and supplemental drugs IV.

[Claudia Inoue]

Thanks, Lisa! I couldn't have put it better myself!

[ali]

Hi Donna--I have a mini dachshund who started with seizures in November she had been put on Phenobarbital the end of December: the following is what we recently went thru with Ginger- Ginger is home from the hospital, it has been a long road. She has been on Phenobarbital since the end of December and on February 21st, she became extremly sick, vomiting,diarrhea , urinating tinged with blood and fever. Our vet immediatley sent us to our local Emergency Animal Hospital after examining Ginger. We were given between a 20-30% chance of survival, her spleen and liver were inlarged and they didn't know what was happening to her upon admittance. They ran numerous test on her through the night, when one of the internist determined Ginger was suffering from Phenobarbital toxicity!!!!!! It is very rare in animals, but unfortunetly does happen to a small amount of pets on Phenobarbital. So please if you pet is on Phenobarbital and shows the above symptons, take them to the vet immediately. We have been told by several vets that by us getting her medical attention immediately saved her life. You may want to ask if he has any of thse symptons. Ginger has been put on Keppra and potassium bromide and is doing well. You and your puppy will be in my prayers

[mizers]

[donna christensen]

thank you all. it certainly was helpful and comforting to hear from all "you people I don't even know".
But the commonalities of dogs and love, I guess are boundless...
After a week of being diagnosed with the pancreatiis, he died.
Toward the end, charlie's color changed (eye and gum and ear) - the doctor called it "iptic".
His liver was now sick too. Then the last two days, the seizures became way too common.
His last night, my husband said he had mini sieizures every 9 minutes for hours at a time.
The weird part was, we kept hoping he'd pull through, because when he was outside, he ran
around the field and forest like he was cured! (that's why we didn't help him to pass on....
But around 10pm wed. night, he started a seizure that wouldn't stop.... there was nothing
we could do, it was horrifying. That was when we let him go. I have no regrets, we tried so
hard to help and comfort him the entire week, Lord knows he pulled for as long as he could,
but in the end the seizures got him. I always knew they would, we have been living with
the threat of an endless cluster for 3 years now. Today is the first nice spring day in over a
week, the whole time Charlie was down, it was snowy and cold. It does'nt seem right for him
to be buried over by the edge of the forest, he should be sitting in the sun watching the activity
of nature in all it's glory........ but, he is with Gus and Bowser on the other side just having a grand
time, I know he is whole and happy now, no more convulsing... I just miss his soft feel and smell.
He and Bowser were my best dogs, well, you all know. I am not alone - you all know....
Consider this for me now.... on this Good Friday: just imagine what it was like for God to give his
son for us, watch him suffer, and leave his body. If ever there was a time that God cried, it must
have been then. (and He is my strength) thanks, "replyers" - happy easter and Spring
to

[ali]

Donna-You're in my heart and prayers, I'm so sorry for your terrible loss, Charlie was blessed with two loving and caring "parents". God Bless you all......Ali

[Cindy Fallsen]

I am not sure. I would think that a vet would be in order. Do you have Medical insurance on your dog? I know that we tend to avoid the vet to keep from paying bills.