How we Controlled Epilepsy in our dog

Authored by Prasenjit Dutta,
-Retired Civil Engineer,
-Former Secretary and Founder of Pashupati Animal Welfare Society-PAWS at Barasat, Kolkata
-Proprietor of RKD Pet Shop that supplies pet-use products nationwide.

Look at which medicine finally worked! But before relying on our experience, your doctor’s opinion is essential.

In the treatment of dogs and cats, our practice continues every day with all the necessary supplies. We regularly review different diseases, treatment methods, and outcomes with many renowned doctors. As a result our knowledge and experience both keep growing. That’s why we share posts from time to time about different medicines and their pros and cons, so that other pet parents like us can also benefit. And yes, don’t forget—we are pet parents too.

Today we’re sharing our experience with epilepsy. This is our family’s girl, Chhotokukur (Small Dog) Kenny. She’s small in size, although already 10 years old, but since she’s the youngest dog in our home she got that affectionate name.

Her history of epilepsy goes back 5 years. Instead of using cheap but side-effect–laden medicines like Gardinal, she was on Epi-Care syrup (Potassium Bromide) and medicines of the Levetiracetam group like Levipil/Levepsy. Even then, every 5–6 months, she would get attacks, and we had to increase the dosage.

In the video you see the following events in her suffering:

The first part shows what happened in January this year—though the attack was much more severe, the video only captured the phase after it had somewhat subsided.

The second part shows what happened 3 months after that—again, the scene in the video shows the condition only after it had calmed a little. Naturally, it wasn’t possible to film the worst part of the seizures.

Now, let me share the clues to what medicine and method worked to control it.

1. During an attack:
We scratch and tap her all over the body and belly to irritate her. This interrupts the violent muscular spasms her brain was causing. We learned this method from our late stray dog named Buri who used to live under our supervision inside the housing complex with her 4-year-old daughter Pupu. (To see them, you can visit the Facebook page of our late family dog, Bhulo Dutt at https://www.facebook.com/share/17G4cV63yF/.)

After we saved Pupu from distemper at 1.5 years of age, she started having epilepsy from age of 3 yrs. Back then, Buri would bite Pupu’s belly and stop her attack within half a minute. In the video, you can see we did the same thing.

2. Reducing mental stress:

Mental stress worsens epilepsy—we see this in humans too. So, along with Levetiracetam and Epi-Care, we added:

-Nervous syrup (from Vetrina company),

-Calmora tablets (from Ecora company),

-V44 Epilepsy Drops (from Bakson’s company).

Result: Within 3 days we saw improvement. From having daily seizures, and with each attack’s severity decreasing, the episodes completely disappeared. The video shows her last attack 3 days after we started those additional medicines.

We also consulted an expert online. See the response of our online Consultant as below with regard to our description of conditions to him:

Quote:

Thank you for the detailed and compassionate account of your dog’s medical history. You’ve been observant and proactive, and it’s clear you’re doing your best to manage her complex condition. Let’s break this down and assess the situation clinically.

Current Condition Summary:
Breed/Age: 10-year-old Indian breed, spayed female, 12 kg.

Health background:
-One eye amputated early in life → reduced depth perception → heightened startle response.
-Small physical stature despite good general health.

Seizure history:
-Onset around 5 years old.
-Managed initially with Phenobarbital (Gardinal), later switched to Potassium Bromide (Epi-Care) + Levetiracetam.
-Several cycles of tapering medications → seizure recurrence.
-Now on Levetiracetam 500 mg TID, Epi-Care, Nervous syrup, and Calmora.
-Last seizure 5 days ago; currently 2 seizure-free days.

🧠 Understanding Canine Epilepsy in This Case:

1. Likely Idiopathic or Complex Partial Epilepsy

Given the age of onset and the long periods of remission, this could be idiopathic epilepsy, although:

-The neurological sensitivity due to monocular vision and a likely overactive startle reflex could trigger reflex seizures.

-No underlying lesion or metabolic disorder appears to have been diagnosed; this may suggest primary epilepsy with environmental triggers.

2. Levetiracetam Resistance Developing?

Levetiracetam is known for safe use and low toxicity, but its efficacy can decrease in some dogs due to tolerance over time. Increasing the dose (as you’ve done) can help short-term but may not always control seizures long-term.

3. Potassium Bromide (Epi-Care)

This has a very long half-life (3–4 weeks) and requires time to reach steady-state levels. It’s appropriate to continue it long-term rather than for short bursts — stopping and restarting it repeatedly may lead to inconsistent control.

✅ About L-Sametine (S-Adenosylmethionine or SAMe)

Role: SAMe is a liver support and neuroprotective supplement, sometimes used in dogs with cognitive decline, liver issues, or as adjunct therapy for seizures.

Is it appropriate here? Possibly, but not as a primary anti-epileptic. It may help improve brain function and oxidative protection, but will not prevent seizures on its own.

Recommendation:
It can be safely added as a supplement, especially if there’s any suspicion of hepatic strain from long-term anti-epileptic therapy.

Dosage (for 12 kg dog): SAMe (90–100 mg/day) is usually safe. Use a veterinary product like Denamarin if available, which combines SAMe with silybin.

Recommended Adjustments:

1. Maintain:
-Levetiracetam 500 mg TID – Monitor for tolerance or behavioral side effects.

-Epi-Care (Potassium Bromide) – Keep it ongoing long-term, not episodic.

-Nervous syrup (Vitamin B complex + amino acids + herbal neurotonics) – Likely helps general neural health.

-Calmora (Calming agents like L-Theanine, valerian, etc.) – Continue if it helps her behaviorally.

2. Consider Adding:
L-Sametine or Denamarin – As a neuroprotective/ liver support supplement.

Magnesium and taurine supplements – May support seizure threshold. Check with a vet before adding.

3. Avoid:
Frequent changes in medication regimens unless seizures are uncontrolled or increasing.

Stopping Epi-Care after short periods — not effective due to its long half-life.

⏳ How Long Should Therapy Continue?

Goal: At least 12–24 months of seizure-free period before considering any medication tapering or reducing.

With a history of relapse, your dog may require lifelong anti-epileptic medication, especially Levetiracetam and/or Potassium Bromide.

Reassess therapy every 6 months with your vet, including:
-Blood levels of bromide
-Liver/kidney function (if on multiple meds)

🚨 When to Re-Evaluate?
-Seek veterinary re-evaluation if:
-Seizures increase in frequency/severity
-New neurological signs appear (e.g., circling, head tilt, behavior changes)
-Drug side effects (sedation, appetite loss, aggression)

Final Thoughts:
You are managing your dog’s condition with impressive diligence. While a “complete cure” for idiopathic epilepsy is rare, stable long-term control is absolutely achievable. Adding L-Sametine as supportive therapy is reasonable, but core anti-seizure control must rely on consistent use of Levetiracetam + Potassium Bromide.