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11
Buster was diagnosed with
idiopathic epilepsy. Medication
was recommended by the vet as
without it the fits may become
more severe and harder to treat.
Several products are available to
control epilepsy but the most
commonly prescribed is a tablet
called Phenobarbitone. Buster
was prescribed this, and his
owners were warned that he
may be more hungry and
drowsy during the first few days
of treatment until his body
adapted to the new medication.
They were also told not to stop
the treatment suddenly as this
might result in further seizures.
It is not uncommon for a dog to
still have an occasional fit until
the treatment reaches a correct
level in the animal’s system.
If this happened to Buster the
owners were instructed to
remain calm, turn off bright
lights and reduce background
noise. They must not attempt to
open his mouth as they could
Epilepsy affects 1 in
every 25 dogs!
“
”
get bitten. Seizures usually last
between 1-2 minutes but
sometimes several can occur
very close together and in very
severe instances a continual
long seizure may be observed.
In both of the latter two
instances immediate veterinary
treatment is necessary.
Buster’s treatment is likely
to be ongoing but should
allow him a good quality
of life. Regular checks ups
will be essential however
to monitor his response to
the treatment.
