I hope it was okay for me to C&P Joe 6-pack’s doggie ping list. I really wanted to alert all dog lovers to our recent problem with seizures and what I was finally able to figure out was the cause. I wish I’d known it before. I wouldn’t have put my dog in peril if I had. But here’s hoping my experience will help someone else.
Please see post #82 for the update to the year-long seizure problem. It’s been a couple of weeks since that post and we’re still seizure-free! PTL!
BTW, I started suspecting that bug spray could be the problem. I even took it in with me on a vet visit. The vet wasn’t interested in the ingredient list, nor was she of the opinion that it was a contributor. She was of the opinion that I should have my dog put through some te$t$. Hmmmm... I had no money for tests, so that was out. Unfortunately, I took her lack of concern as an OK to continue with the bug spray. Once I started documenting everything, I could see the big picture and determine the cause and effect. If that vet were still at my clinic, I’d go squirt her with the spray! Grrrrr-r-r-r.
P.S. I would imagine this could be relevant info for cat lovers, too. Just a guess, since I know almost nothing about cats.
Thanks for the info—you may have saved some dogs today.
I have always put my dogs outside when we have our house sprayed, and I go out with them. I don’t think the spray is good for humans either.
When they leave, I open all the windows and some of the doors, and turn on all the ceiling fans, too.
PING over to Slings and Arrows, he handles the cat issues.
Thanks for the report. Wasp spray is some bad stuff, I have a can of it in my Tahoe to spray in the face of a person who might try to attack me. I. am so glad you were able to figure it out.
I am very careful and don’t let my exterminator spray any place other than the attic and around the outside edge of the house. That is for the protection of my dogs and myself.
I see an occasional roach of the size you mention, I am in Texas too. They are scary critters but at least they do not bite or sting.
I am an epileptic and you would be surprised of some of the causes for seizures. Even a calcium pill along with the wrong blood pressure medicine can cause them. It’s amazing. I am glad you found this out.
Facinating. Possibly your dog is allergic to it.
I have found I am allergic to some chemical. Do not know because I’ve only had 2 episodes in my life out of nowhere. The common denominator - use of chemicals for 2 differerent events.
1 must’ve come from my old dog flea spray. First time ever I had such a horrid crippling physical break-down. Wish I kept the old can, because later I might have had a list of ingredients to compare to my neighbor’s Halloween fog mist that also seemed to trigger me. Years later.
People and dogs have different chemical make-ups, and it can cause bad reactions for some things.
It’s certainly okay, CovenBuster. I completely understand your frustration with your vet (boy, do I! Not because of seizures, though)
One of our guys has seizures. Or did (knocking on wood). Yes, they’ll always funnel you for tests- blood panel, liver shunt, & the biggie, MRI at a specialty clinic. ***I don’t know where you are, but specialty clinic’s MRI machines aren’t what they’re touted as. Texas A&M has THE most sensitive MRI in existence. And it costs the same (actually a couple of hundred less) than the state of the art specialist hospital here. (this wasn’t for our seizure boy, but my little Eskie girl that we are losing. It turned out that she has brain bleeds. They don’t know why. Or ostensibly don’t. The local MRI just showed atrophy in a part of her brain- totally different than A&M’s.)
Anyway. Our boy has been on the regular dose of phenobarbital for years now & his seizures are very well controlled. It’s been at least 5 years.
Another thought. That you’ve nailed it in one regard. Flea meds, especially- but also heartworm preventative, all target the central nervous system of fleas. Having lost 2 dogs to degenerative *neurological* disease, almost lost our youngest Eskie to Ivermectin sensitivity, & Murphy having seizures, we have them on Dimmitrol- which you can mail order from Australia (it’s a daily, but dirt cheap) or Interceptor (which was recently brought back into production).
We’re using Advantage & insect growth regulator for the yard. Dimmitrol used to be called Filarbits. When Heartgard came out, it virtually disappeared from the US market. The monthly HW preventatives are WAY overdosed. I have a link to another protocol that doses less & less frequently, but I have to go dig for it. We have used this, successfully, in South Texas for about 10 years. LOTS of skeeters, zero positives.
And Sal’s post is spot on! Or posts. lol Except for the one about being foggy. Ping me, Sal, if anyone gives you any nonsense. BTDT. I’ll be right over.
Kudos to you, CovenBuster, for starting a really important conversation that, imho, needs more discussion among dog lovers. Bookmarked! I’ll be keeping you & your furry pal in my prayers.
Oh wow, you really got me as I’d forgotten about this thread & posted anew. I opened links to a bunch of posts I wanted to address... again. LOL
Thank you so much for the follow-thru. You did the difficult yet logical course of maintaining a diary & observing your dogs.
As a reminder, Salamander gave you a link to non-poisonous insect controls in post 37, here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3214410/posts?page=37#37
As an aside, we also try to avoid poisons, especially when it comes to traps. Just yesterday I “caught” my beloved better half using an expensive specialty cheese to bait mousetraps with & nearly hit the ceiling!
He’s blissfully clueless as to how carefully I shop for grocery sales (I devote serious time & effort to guerrilla shopping tactics) specifically to keep him stocked with the brands he prefers... for myself I would settle for generic or avoid the expense altogether. So to see the dearly-bought-on-sale treat meant for him alone (not that I won’t indulge in a nibble or two) served up to friggin vermin... Ugh! “Here baby, would you please bait with peanut butter, they love the fat & protein.” Poor, poor fella!