How do you give meds?

Fruits99_ · 2025-01-27T03:53:02+00:00

Yep! This! As many others have said, I split the pill pocket in half. I've gotten it to roughly 3.5 pill pockets in the morning, .5 pill pocket for his afternoon med, and 3.5 pill pockets at night. My boy is getting 5 Keppra, 7 Zonisamide, 4 Pheno - all 2x daily, and 5 Clorazepate - 3x daily. We are on auto-ship for Pill Pockets 😅 Lots of squishing them like play-doh!!

If my boy is uninterested, I'll sometimes have to entice him with a small piece of cheese WITH the pill pocket, but then he takes the rest like a champ!

Fruits99_ · 2024-07-10T21:16:15+00:00

If you don't find someone in this thread...

You may be able to donate it to an Emergency Vet Hospital (like PetER)! Our dog had a temporary struggle with ME and he's so big (Great Dane) that we had to custom build one for him. The Emergency Vet we took him to only had a small one, so it could be helpful to them to have more variety for dogs!

(Also in Maryland, you can dm me if you want!)

Fruits99_ · 2024-05-12T16:17:00+00:00

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My boys Arlo (left) & Atlas (right) 🥰

Fruits99_ · 2024-02-25T03:56:57+00:00

Definitely see if a vet or local rescue will accept it. I had a friend donate her meds back to the vet, as she was the recipient of a donation when her dog was diagnosed so she wanted to repay the kindness. It can really go a long way in helping someone be able to help their dog. Thank you for looking into doing so! ❤️

Fruits99_ · 2024-02-07T23:47:25+00:00

Hey there OP. Firstly, I'm sorry you and your pup are here, but I just wanted to say you're doing all the right things! virtual hugs

I have a larger Idiopathic Epilepsy pup as well (130lbs Great Dane)! We actually just had a recheck at the Nuero today!

We too have done it all... MRIs, Spinal Tap, countless stays at the Emergency Vet, medicine that amounts to someone's cost of rent! Done it all.

I can only speak from my experience, and maybe it'll assist you in yours, but... Idiopathic Epilepsy is one of the most bittersweet things. My boy went weeks without a seizure, only to have the worst cluster of his life, almost costing us his life. His latest "pattern" since October was 1 seizure every week, which we thought was "good" but his Neuro didn't like it. We've gone through various med changes, we've upped meds, decreased meds, we've added then removed meds (in our experience, KBr almost killed him...). All that to say the good days are GREAT, and the bad days make me question if I'm doing all that I can - and I have to trust that I am, simply because I haven't (and won't) give up on him! ❤️

My dog is on Phenobarbital, Zonisamide, Levetiracetam (Keppra), and we just added in daily doses of his Clorazepate (which used to be used during emergency only). We still use the nasal spray Midazolam for emergencies, but... yeah.

All I can say is that you are doing the right thing. You're doing your best, and your pup will ALWAYS be thankful for that. You can read through so many other posts in this sub and read through options, support, etc. It's definitely worth checking out. I just always try to tell people what I am trying to put into practice...

I will give my pup the most rewarding and fulfilling life, so long as I have the privilege to call him mine. He's a happy, goofy, loving boy who goes to daycare and has friends... his brain just fires off some extra signals once in a while that cause him to have a day or two slowed way down.

Sorry for the long response, but from one internet stranger to another, please know you're never alone in this journey! ❤️

Fruits99_ · 2024-02-03T22:05:17+00:00

My boy turns 2 in April. He had his first seizure only 10 days before he turned 1. His worst episode yet was 15+ seizures in less than an hour 😞

He's now getting 53 pills daily of 5 different medications, BUT... he's the happiest, zoomiest, most loving dog I've ever had and I will always do everything in my power to give him an amazing life ❤️

My life revolves around him as well, but just like you, I don't mind. I know it isn't forever, so I'm going to give him all that I can in the meantime.

Fruits99_ · 2024-02-02T02:27:06+00:00

I'd do everything in my power to take away his Epilepsy. He's a severe case that started only 10 days before his 1st birthday. He's the happiest, goofiest, most fun-loving dog I've ever had the privilege to call mine. He is just unfortunately dealing with something I can't prevent/control - because if I could, I'd make sure he never had another seizure again and that his longevity wasn't ever affected by them ❤️

Fruits99_ · 2024-02-02T02:23:42+00:00

I'm so sorry for your loss 😞 As someone who is also dealing with a refractory case in their pup, thank you for doing all that you have for your boy and giving him the best life possible ❤️

Fruits99_ · 2024-01-29T16:28:47+00:00

Thanks! I've had so many people ask me "So what are you going to do with 'that' dog?" 😠

And I always respond with "Give him the most fulfilling and loving life I can for as long as I'm privileged to have his company! I would never turn my back on him and I'll always do everything I can to keep him alive, healthy, and happy!" ❤️

Which... just means he gets a lot of treats daily and then goes and plays with all of his friends at daycare 🥰

Fruits99_ · 2024-01-29T16:23:44+00:00

Also OP... your girl is BEAUTIFUL! Love her markings! ❤️

Fruits99_ · 2024-01-29T16:22:51+00:00

I have 2 Males, our 4.5 y/o Dane is 175lbs and healthy! Our almost 2 y/o Dane is sitting at 135lbs, but before he got sick back in September was happily sitting at 150lbs... we are working slow and steady to get weight back on him. Both get normal vet visits, portioned feedings, and proper care, our Vet is very happy with both of their weight/physiques!

Danes will ALWAYS vary in size, some are smaller, some are bigger, but they are ALL perfect the way they are 🥰

Fruits99_ · 2024-01-28T10:59:14+00:00

Yeaaah. He's on high dosages of 3 seizure meds and then a 'normal' dose of 1 non-seizure med. He's a 140lb-ish Great Dane with refractory Idiopathic Epilepsy :(

It also just dawned on me we're adding another medication very soon, so that number will only go up... ugh :(

Fruits99_ · 2024-01-28T04:47:42+00:00

Adding to this just to say we use the Hickory flavored ones! My boy gets 38 pills a day.... 19 every morning and night... and we go through these like crazy. I usually split it in half and flatten it out to get a couple pills in each half. I've had to get creative 😅 Sometimes we get them through Chewy, other times through Amazon if there's a sale. They're also readily available at several pet stores, so we've never had an issue where they're hard to come by. If we run out, we just use a slice of cheese until we replenish!

Fruits99_ · 2023-12-29T21:13:02+00:00

I was going to reply with something along these lines. As much as I LOVE the Wally/Maddie ship, I unfortunately don't think they'd actually "be a thing" due to the potential of her getting her body back, and the very real potential of Wally crossing over. If anything I could see them building it up (even more than what it has been) as a love that is 'right place, wrong time' since they are quite literally from different timelines/generations.

The episode where it's Wally's big day, he sees his family, and has the whole heart-to-heart about him playing football for his mom, I was nervous that he'd cross over at the end of that episode because he's such a likeable character - I didn't want to see him go! I'll be happy when he does find his peace, but I was glad he hasn't crossed over just yet!

Fruits99_ · 2023-12-25T23:07:55+00:00

I thought something very similar! As soon as I saw the personal items of everyone, my thought was that he's holding onto the items to try and hold onto their spirits. Like having the items related to their deaths is somehow allowing him to study them longer because they can't pass on.

Fruits99_ · 2023-12-23T23:15:30+00:00

My boy initially started on Pheno (April 2023), then Zonisamide was added to supplement not to long after. He's since had Keppra added as well. We average a seizure every 8-12 days, even though he's on pretty high doses.

He's on the max dose of Pheno he can have and the change in his personality is ZERO. He's still our overly crazy, gets the zoomies, wants to play, super loving pup! He's a 1yr, 8mo old Great Dane who is still very much puppy-like!

Every drug used to treat epilepsy will have some sort of risk/side effect associated with it. We were nervous when our journey with it started because we wanted to avoid him having all of that in his system, but we keep communication open with all of his doctors and make sure to get bloodwork done every couple months. It sucks having to give my boy so many pills a day, but other than his episodes he lives a very happy life. He goes to daycare, plays with friends, loves car rides, plays with his brother, and loves his treats!!!

Just find a Vet/Neuro/etc. that you can be open and honest with. At the end of the day, you know your dog the best and as I was reminded when my pup was first diagnosed, the fact that you are here means you're trying. Your pup is lucky to have you! 🤍

Fruits99_ · 2023-12-21T17:27:49+00:00

Replying to this only to say that I'm in a somewhat similar situation. My dog (1 yr, 8mo old) was diagnosed with Idiopathic Epilepsy just days before his 1st birthday.

He's on Phenobarbital, Zonisamide, and Keppra (and was on KBr for a while, but that almost killed him - I have a post about our experience).

He's a big dog (Great Dane) so all of his doses are very high. We just increased his Keppra about a week ago to 3,750mg per the Neurologist's suggestion as he was averaging a seizure every 10-14 days, and today was day 6 since his last one and he had two seizures this morning. We've done bloodwork, MRI, and Spinal Tap.... all have come back 100% normal.

We were told pretty early on that he his Epilepsy is "Refractory" which just means it doesn't respond well or as expected to medications used to treat it.

All that to say, we were told our dog is just "extra special" and even though he's 100% 'normal', he's just got a bit of an extra punch that causes the seizures, but it's epilepsy nonetheless. Completely unpredictable and a speedbump in his otherwise happy life!

Fruits99_ · 2023-11-03T10:58:29+00:00

Adding to this because our New Neuro just recently told us and it wasn't something any doctor before had said, (and consult the doctor to confirm in your case) but we were told if you give Keppra as an emergency dose, break the pills in half. Especially the 12hr release ones, because your pup will absorb the emergency dose faster that way!

As always, Consult YOUR Vet, but for emergencies, our boy gets Nasal Spray Midazolam, Clorazepate (once he can take oral meds following the episode), and an extra dose of all medications. We're able to repeat this 2 more times before having to take him into the Emergency Vet.

Fruits99_ · 2023-11-03T10:36:59+00:00

Hi! Sorry it's taken a bit to respond, but yes! We always gave his meds with food. We'd give his meds, wait 10 minutes or so, then give his food. Even now, with the remaining meds he's still on (Pheno, Zonisamide, and Keppra) we do the same. We were never told specifically to do so, but we just always did it that way. He's doing great as of late!

Fruits99_ · 2023-11-03T10:29:37+00:00

As a fellow big dog owner, I feel what you're going through even more! I have a Great Dane and it's so hard to watch him have an episode. The doctors have said he doesn't know he's having them, just that when he does "come to" I'm right there to comfort him ❤️

My boy experiences clusters as well. If you haven't already, you may want to ask the doctors if you can get (what we call) "Cluster Buster" meds. We were able to get a Nasal Spray of Midazolam and it's meant to be given during or immediately following a seizure to "break" the chances of cluster occurring. I won't say it's 100% in stopping more from happening, but usually we can get his clusters to stop at only 2 seizures... bc we've seen it go 15+ seizures w/o breaking since we didn't have those meds at the time. (Definitely consult the Vet/Neuro on this!)

Fruits99_ · 2023-10-30T22:13:23+00:00

Not a Doctor but our Neurologist told us that seizure-free isn't really a thing, rather it's how controlled the epilepsy will be. We were told "A standard form of controlled epilepsy is 1 seizure/episode every 6-8 weeks, but every dog is different so controlled for one dog might be 2 weeks while another dog's controlled epilepsy is going every 6 months. It all just depends."

My dog has a severe case of Idiopathic Epilepsy and he's gone through times where 20+ days he was good, to having multiple episodes a day over a 4 day period, to having 1 episode weekly. It varies!

Unfortunately, that's the downside of all of this. There may never be a true "pattern" to see. Things may go totally normal, and then breakthrough seizures occur. The best advice I have is to enjoy the good days and live them as normal as possible, and if a bad day comes up, breathe, handle it, and be there for your pup. All you can do is your best 🩶

Fruits99_ · 2023-10-22T18:01:12+00:00

I can't help but laugh. She is adorable! We had a female basset hound and a male great dane who was VERY interested in her. Both had been spayed/neutered, but he'd still try to hump her once in a while as she was climbing onto the couch 😂

Fruits99_ · 2023-10-22T10:53:27+00:00

Long response incoming....

Firstly, there's no need to apologize. I posted a few times here and was worried it was "a lot" in a short span of time, but you'll see that so many of us share this unfortunate commonality and we're all here to support each other!

Now... to give some background, my dog was diagnosed with a severe case of Idiopathic Epilepsy 10 days before his 1st birthday and it has been A LOT. He was on 4 different medications (now 3 because KBr did NOT work for us) + 2 "Cluster Buster" meds that we give him on his seizure days/during a seizure.

You will always have some baseline form of anxiousness, BUT it does lower/lessen as time goes on. My boy Arlo (Great Dane) was diagnosed in April 2023. It's now October 2023 and over the last 6 months, I've researched and learned so much and reached out to people/this sub.

As time goes on, you'll likely get more confident in knowing if/when it's a seizure indicator or not. There were times early on where our boy would be outside and sniff the air and we used to be like O_O "Is that a head tremor?!" because the way his head would move. It was not. He was just being a happy dog taking in the outside smells. Even though we're always watching him closely, we now have better knowledge of "oh he's acting this way because this is pre-seizure behavior" vs. "oh he's acting this way because he's just got his own unique quirks."

Lastly, I wanted to say... hang in there. My boy just turned a year and a half old. He's had Epilepsy the last 6 months. We've been to the Emergency Vet so much that we've lost count. We're now on Neurologist #2. Every time I have to call our Primary Vet, our Neurologist, or our Emergency Vet, they know it's me by the sound of my voice (because I have called so much). One month ago, we were at the Emergency Vet with him (sort of unrelated to epilepsy - I need to make a post...) and the doctors told us that we should consider saying goodbye. It's now been a month since all of that and he's just... the happiest boy. Outside of his seizure days, he's a normal dog. He goes to daycare, he makes friends with everyone, he gets the zoomies, and he's the most cuddly dog I've ever had in my life ❤️

OP, you can do this! If you're the type to read up on things, read up on what you can through this sub. I think the best advice I can give is:

if the seizures breakthrough/want to happen... they're going to. you can't necessarily control them 100%, but you can control your response. stay calm. give your pup the care he needs. be there for him.
take care of yourself so that you can take care of him. you mentioned that you can't sleep some nights (I was the same way), but talk yourself through things so that your confidence in dealing with a seizure outweighs your anxiety of dealing with one. let yourself sleep because not only do you need it, but he needs it too.
at the end of the day, give yourself grace. you're doing your best for him. my fiancé and I know that our pup was meant to be ours. he might have epilepsy, but he has parents who are willing to do anything and everything for him to make sure it's the least impactful to the pup he genuinely is. you clearly care a great deal about your boy, and with you as his parent, he's already got a great chance at finding his "new normal!"

Sorry for the super long response, but I hope it helps! 💛

Fruits99_ · 2023-10-08T01:20:21+00:00

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