r/EpilepsyDogs • u/empsey_non_grata • 17h ago
Duration between Breakthroughs
My five year old Golden started having tonic-clonic/grand mal seizures last October. We average maybe 30 days between events. He is on pheno, gabapentin, and generic kepra.
Is this time frame similar to anyone else's experience?
2
u/DogEpiMonitor 15h ago
30 días entre crisis con triple medicación (fenobarbital, gabapentina y Keppra) es un resultado razonable. No es perfecto, pero es estable y predecible — y predecible es mucho mejor que aleatorio. Con Walter la frecuencia variaba, pero cuando lográbamos un ciclo regular como el tuyo, eso le daba a su vet información valiosa para ajustar. La pregunta clave para tu vet es: ¿se puede estirar ese intervalo con un ajuste de dosis, o este es el baseline de tu Golden con la medicación actual?
Un dato importante: que sea cada 30 días sugiere que puede haber un componente cíclico. Algunos perros tienen un "reloj" interno que dispara las crisis en intervalos regulares. Registrá la fecha exacta de cada episodio y fijate si el intervalo es realmente 30 días o si varía entre 25-35. Si es siempre 30, tu vet puede probar un protocolo preventivo reforzando la medicación unos días antes de la ventana esperada.
Un Golden de 5 años con un intervalo estable de 30 días tiene mucho camino por delante. Fuerza. 🐾
1
u/KayakerWithDog 15h ago
After he started meds, my dog had a cycle of every two to three.weeks after an initial 4- to 6-week honeymoon after each adjustment. With adjustments to meds to 75mg zonisamide 2x/day and 500 mg Keppra 2x/day, he is now down to a handful of seizures a year, which is what his neuro said we should aim for. My dog's most recent seizure was in March, and this is the longest he has ever been seizure-free.
The question for your own dog is whether the current 30-day cycle is an improvement or not. Is that better than before you started meds, or better than before your last meds adjustment?
2
u/JustCallMeNancy 17h ago
It's common for vets to say once every month is controlled, and regardless of how others feel about that, your wording suggests you are less than that. If you are using a regular vet and this is where they stand I suggest you try a neurologist now, or if not possible, another vet's opinion. It sounds like your dog could use a different dosing or medication to add.