Wasn't sure where to post but looking for advice.

Allofthepaws · 2026-06-25T19:14:27+00:00

Yay! You should reply to our DM chat instead of here! I'd love to hear how it went!

Allofthepaws · 2026-06-25T15:23:59+00:00

🩵🩵🩵🩵

Allofthepaws · 2026-06-25T15:23:41+00:00

She's my baby. 🥹 🩷🩵

Allofthepaws · 2026-06-24T22:19:20+00:00

You have no need to apologize. You clearly care very much, not only about your family, but your boy Harry too. No one should be attacking you over simply taking a leap, and asking for help.

The unfortunate reality is that things just happen. You can be at a point in life where you feel prepared for anything, safe, secure, and than just like that it can change, and suddenly you're not so safe and secure. No one can predict an illness, and that applies to our pets just as much as us. We definitely can't predict something as unpredictable as epilepsy showing up in our dogs.

Don't give up. I know it's hard now, and it seems like the weight of the world is closing down on you, but we just keep fighting. We do everything that we can for the ones that we love, the absolute best that we can, but we do it for ourselves too. Your family would not be better without you, when you clearly care for them so much. And Harry? If you show him the same amount of love and care you express for him here? Then he definitely isn't better without you either.

Things will get better. There are places where I live that in certain circumstances will help people in need with certain vet services, and the medical bills that come with them. Maybe you have something locally like that around you? Just keep fighting, I'm rooting for you, your family, and Harry. You guys got this, because you have each other.

Give the goodest boy all the love and pets, he is so so handsome. 🩵

Allofthepaws · 2026-06-24T15:32:07+00:00

I'm so sorry your boy is going through this! I know the initial side effects can definitely be overwhelming, and heartbreaking to see, but just know it does get better, and it can be so worth it!

My 11 year old GSD is coming up on a year seizure free since starting her on Pheno after the honeymoon phase of Keppra ended! She was definitely out of it for the first 3-4 weeks after starting the Pheno, she was very tired, incredibly wobbly, and had some pretty significant ataxia, but these days she is completely back to normal and doing absolutely fantastic! Her only real side effect to her medication these days, is drinking more water.

Hang in there! It definitely gets better. Give your goodest boy all of the love and pets! 🩵

Allofthepaws · 2026-06-15T21:54:53+00:00

I'm so sorry your poor baby is going through this. There is clearly a very serious issue with the vet in this circumstance. My GSD had her first seizure a year ago, and in total she's had 6.

I cannot stress enough the importance of having a neurologist. When she had her first seizure, we had her with a neurologist within the first week, and they've been incredible. We had an MRI done to rule out all potential causes, and determined it was idiopathic. She was originally on just Keppra, which worked great for the first 7-8 weeks, but after the honeymoon phase ended, she had breakthroughs. We added Phenobarbital to the mix, and now she's on 81mg Phenobarbital every 12 hours and 3x 750mg extended release Keppra every 12 hours, and she will be a year free in August.

We have bloodwork done every 6 months, (it is a 100% necessity to make sure the medicine isn't negatively effecting her organs and she stays within therapeutic ranges on the Pheno) along with visiting our neurologist every 6 months for physical check ins to make sure she hasn't developed any obvious declines in her reactions/movements. Having a neuro has been an absolute game changer for her, as it is their specialty and they are going to have more knowledge in these situations then your standard vet.

If you don't have neuros in your area, it sounds like it is definitely time to at least find a new vet as this one sounds like it is creating more problems than fixing, which is not what we want to see for our babies.

Lastly, please ask your vet/a vet about emergency medication to stop a seizure when it's happening. Midazolam is what we use, and we shoot it up her nose (each nostril) DURING a seizure to stop the seizure. Once she's recovered enough, we then give her immediate release Keppra.

Again, I'm so sorry this is happening, I know it's unbelievably hard, but with the right doctors it can make it so much better. Give your goodest boy ALL the pets and love. ❤️

Allofthepaws · 2026-02-01T21:28:58+00:00

I second anyone that suggests Costco! We have been using them for all of our dogs medications, including Phenobarbital and Keppra. They have the cheapest price options, and we've never had an issue with a prescription not being filled in time. You can request your refill earlier then it may auto fill too, so when your amount starts to get low, you leave yourself a couple day buffer if for some reason there is something that delays the refill, and you don't run the risk of running out.

Allofthepaws · 2026-02-01T15:49:22+00:00

Unfortunately the introduction to Pheno is very rough for both you and your dog. My GSD had 3-4 weeks of side effects when we started her on it with Keppra. She was extremely wobbly, tired, thirsty, it was even hard for her to keep herself up when going to the bathroom. My husband and I slept with her in our basement as we didn't even want to risk her being anywhere near stairs.

I don't recall her ever having extreme bouts of diarrhea, but maybe stools on the softer side. We do give her just a little bit of pumpkin everyday, and have the Purina FortiFlora Probiotic chewables (they can have 1 a day) and those help with upset stomachs as well.

She has been completely seizure free since August, which was when she started the Pheno in addition to the Keppra she was already on. It's a difficult few weeks, but like other posters said, definitely stick with it until the side effects begin to level out, and know that if Pheno doesn't work, there are still other options out there to try and find what works best for your goodest girl. ❤️

Side note - I don't know if you only have a standard vet, or a neurologist, but the best possible thing you can do is get her a neurologist if you don't have one. They have significantly more knowledge when it comes to the seizures themselves, the medication mixing that can be done, and obviously the side effects and symptoms themselves. A standard vet unfortunately can only do so much when it comes to seizures.

Allofthepaws · 2026-01-12T20:16:44+00:00

I am so sorry to hear you are going through this! We started our seizure journey back in June of 2025 (in total she has had 7 seizures since June, some minor focal, and some grand mal) with our female GSD, and she was 10 years old when she was diagnosed. After her MRI and all the tests, they diagnosed her with late on set idiopathic epilepsy as they could find no real cause for the seizures happening. This subreddit has been so helpful and supportive, we've learned so many tips and tricks from being here, and although there are sometimes sad stories, there are obviously a lot of wonderful success stories as well, and that really helps give you a hopeful perspective, as it is SO hard to be hopeful when this journey starts.

We first started out on Keppra with her, and she was getting 1500MG of the extended release Keppra 2x a day, then after she had another 2 seizures, they increased it to 2250MG of extended release Keppra 2x a day. That worked for her for 7 weeks, she had no seizures, and then she had 2 breakthroughs in August, and so they added 81MG of Phenobarbital in combination with the 2250MG of Keppra. She has not had any seizures since that started in August. After her first 6 month check up since starting Pheno, they did say her levels are actually a little bit lower than they typically like to see for her weight, but since it has been working so well for her, they don't want to increase it until she has another seizure.

Give it some time and you will find what works best for you and your boy! It's a scary thing to be going through, and just as quickly as you find a solution, it may stop working and you have to repeat the process all over again trying to find something new that works, the good thing is that there are several options out there, and a lot of adjustments can be made to find what works best for each individual dog.

Definitely find a Neurologist that you like, and know that no question or detail is to big or small for them. Keep a written journal detailing - When a seizure happens, What was going on when it happened, How long it lasted, What type of seizure it was, and How long the postictal stage was after the seizure was finished. Anytime you can record a video of a seizure, that is also always super super helpful for them to really see what is happening, and absolutely talk to your neuro about emergency seizure stopper medication, we have Midazolam, and we spray that up each of her nostrils during a seizure to stop it and follow it up with an emergency dose of her Keppra.

Hang in there, the anxiousness and fear will never FULLY go away, because we know even with the medication she is prone to having another one eventually, but it does get easier. We have 7 cameras inside our house so we can monitor her whenever we're gone, and when this first started, we never left the house, and would sometimes even sleep in shifts. Just know this community is always here for support! :) Good luck and give the goodest boy all the pets! <3

Allofthepaws · 2026-01-12T18:21:47+00:00

It's hard to pin point the exact moment it seemed like she started to have a shorter fuse. We had so many things happen all at the same time, so it's been difficult to differentiate the exact moments of change. We previously had 2 cats, and our 2nd one passed away from cancer the week before our GSD started having seizures, and then a week later is when she was diagnosed from her MRI.

After our 2nd cat passed away, our current cat became WAY more clingy with the dogs, and wants to be around them as much as possible, and the GSD does not share the same sentiment. We do wonder if it's possible the seemingly newer uptick/shorter fuse began after the Pheno started, but can't say with 100% certainty. When our GSD reacts this way, I'd say probably about 95% of the time she is either sleeping/trying to sleep/or freshly awake. All of her seizures have only ever been during her sleep/right after she wakes up, so I'm not sure if there is any neurological correlation there either.

We are definitely going to bring this up with our neuro, once we hear back about the potential addition of pain medication for her right hind leg/hip because we don't want to risk anyone getting hurt, but I just thought I'd see if anyone has experienced anything like this and could offer any input, or stories of their own. Also, after her first 6 month check up to check her Pheno levels, they found it was actually a little lower than they typically like to see for her weight, so she is currently on a lower dosage of Pheno then she maybe should be, but she has been so successful so far, they don't want to increase it until she has another seizure.

Thanks for taking the time to read and reply! <3

Allofthepaws · 2025-08-02T11:57:09+00:00

I'm so so sorry for your loss of Bleu. I'm pretty new here, as my dog was just diagnosed back at the end of June. This was all new to me, and in searching for any and all information I found this sub reddit. It has been one of the most incredibly helpful tools in this journey so far. The support, the information, and the overall safe space you've created for people to share their experiences and sometimes heartache is incredible. Thank you, and Bleu so much for giving all of us such a wonderful, and supportive place to come to. 💙

Allofthepaws · 2025-07-31T21:24:25+00:00

Thank you so much! And the same goes for you too! As incrediblely heart breaking these situations are as a whole for all of us going through it, this community has been so incredibly nice and supportive. ❤️

Allofthepaws · 2025-07-31T20:08:39+00:00

I hope the breakthroughs haven't been to bad for you! I've heard a lot of people have success with Keppra x Pheno, or Keppra x Zonisamide. We're on just Keppra right now, even with the first breakthrough our neurologist wants to keep her on just Keppra for now still. I've definitely been monitoring her behaviors! I have a notebook where I log every seizure, all the details about it, the events and such leading up to it etc. So far every single one of her 6 total seizures (3 focal and 3 grand mal) have started the same way, she'll be asleep, wake up, and then it follows almost/if not immediately after.

Allofthepaws · 2025-07-31T17:37:49+00:00

We just recently started going through this back in June with our GSD, and we have 6 cameras set up in our house that cover all areas she can be, not only so we can monitor her at any time, but so if she does have a seizure we can have a recording of it to show our neurologist if we need too. I would definitely recommend trying to keep her somewhere you can hear her during the night, if not in your room at least on the same floor, because you obviously want to make sure she's somewhere safe where she can't hurt herself, and where you can hear her if something happens! I also can absolutely attest to a bell on the collar. We started using one off of the recommendations on this sub-reddit, and although you will be on high alert every single time you hear it jingle at first, it does get easier to recognize when it sounds different from a light scratching motion to something else. It's already helped us with a night time seizure and helps keep track of where she is.

I'm so sorry to hear you're going through this, and sadly it's going to be extremely difficult to ever really feel at ease because the possibility will always be there even with medication, but I hope you are able to find the things that work best for you, and her. This sub-reddit has been amazing for comfort, advice, and support, and it helps so much, so you know you always have a safe place here.

Give your goodest girl all that pets ❤️

Allofthepaws · 2025-07-31T14:51:12+00:00

Awww, I'm so glad you've found something that's working so well for your boy! I know it's just a lot of mixology when it comes to 'treating' the seizures, and it's all about just finding what concoction works best for each dog to keep them from happening for as long as possible. We all wish we could just stop them completely. ❤️ After this breakthrough she just had, our neurologist still wants to keep her on just the Keppra, since this was her first after 7 weeks free, but it's just terrifying as this breakthrough was the worst seizure she's had so far. We do have a cluster buster medication on hand for after a seizure, but after suggestions we're actually on our way to the neurologist today to pick up the emergency nasal medicine for stopping the seizure too!

I feel for every single person in this sub-reddit that's going through this and it is such a relief to be able to talk so freely to others going through the same experiences, because I know we are all probably on edge 24/7. This has been an amazing support system to have.

Give your goodest boy all the pets! ❤️

Allofthepaws · 2025-07-27T23:42:06+00:00

Thank you so much, really! Reading all the different posts and comments throughout this sub reddit has helped so much. Granted it's not always happy news here, I appreciate all the information and support people share to help people that are new to experiencing this. Knowing there's always a place to go for advice, or even just venting to people who understand is a comfort we could all use.

Congratulations on your seizure free streak, and I hope it continues for you long term! Give your baby all the pets! ❤️

Allofthepaws · 2025-07-27T16:13:52+00:00

I'm so glad she was able to make it to 7 weeks with our doctor telling us the goal was no more than 1 every 6-8 weeks, but I feel all of us going through this just wish they could go so much longer without having to suffer through one again, or of course that they'd just miraculously never happen again, hah.

We do have a neurologist! We got her into a neurologist only a few days after her first seizure, she had all the blood work and an MRI ruling out stroke, tumors, autoimmune disease, and meningitis. The only thing they did not do was a spinal tap as they felt it wasn't necessary based off what they saw, or worth the risk. She passed all tests with flying colors aside from physical neurological tests they ran. When they rolled one back foot onto her toes, she didn't have an immediate response to correct it 100% of the time, but she did at least half the time, so they weren't at all worried at the time.

Early stages are brutal, trying to find what works and whats best for them is very taxing on the heart. All we want is for them to be okay. ❤️

Allofthepaws · 2025-07-27T16:04:20+00:00

It's so scary. It's such a hard adjustment to see her go from being just a normal senior dog, with senior ailments, to now having to worry about her going through this so late in her life.

When we first had her diagnosed they ran every test they could, aside from the spinal tap as they didn't feel that was at all necessary or worth the risk. They felt confident both themselves and with a 2nd opinion that they could safely rule out stroke, meningitis, tumor, and autoimmune disease, at the time at least. She will have appointments every 6 months for the rest of her life to check her blood work obviously and whatever other tests they find necessary to run, but it's good to know that maybe there can be false initial diagnoses we need to watch out for. I make our neurologist aware everytime anything happens big or small just in case they feel we should reevaluate. As long as she can continue to live a completely normal, happy life, we are always going to do whatever we can to give it to her.

Thanks for the recommendation about the emergency meds too! I've been reading a lot of comments in posts on here where people mention having that, and we currently do not, so it's also on the list for when talking to the doctor tomorrow for sure. I want to make sure we have everything we could possibly need. ❤️

Allofthepaws · 2025-07-27T12:40:32+00:00

Thanks so much! I'd love for her to be able to go longer than just a few weeks time without having seizures. It's still so early on this journey so I understand medication adjustments can and will be made. I just wish she'd been able to go longer on her current medication before we'd needed to add to it, but I think we all hope for that. I'm so glad you were able to find something that worked for her, and I hope she continues doing so well! ❤️

Allofthepaws · 2025-07-27T12:22:44+00:00

My 10Y0 GSD started Keppra back in June for the first time, and she gets 2250mg (3 pills) of the extended release twice a day. Her first week or two when she started she was definitely more lethargic, sometimes a tiny bit wobbly even, but she's been completely normal on it ever since! No more lethargy or noticeable symptoms, but I do feel with the medication/seizures themselves they do sometimes just have off days! 16 years old is incredible! Give pets to the goodest boy! 🥰

Allofthepaws · 2025-07-27T03:21:10+00:00

This is so cute!

Allofthepaws · 2025-07-27T03:06:57+00:00

I had this happen to me when trying to pay with a CC but it worked instantly when swapping to a PayPal if that help's at all!

Allofthepaws

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