Seizure in a puppy... need your knowledge!! - Page 1

So I just found out that one of the sisters to my puppy (same litter) is having seizures. Before I completely freak out and stay up until 2:00 in the morning googling everything on seizures in puppies I was hoping to get some advice/knowledge from the breeders on this forum. 

Our puppies are a little over 3 months now. I don't know any more than there is a female in the litter that is having seizures. I don't know if the puppy was injured or why the puppy is having seizures and that is why I am here. I am wanting to know are there conditions other than epilepsy that cause seizures in dogs? At what age to epileptic seizures start? At what age can I stop worrying if he has a genetic condition? What are the chances my dog will develop seizures if the cause for these seizures is genetic? Sorry I am kind of a little worried and any reasons or causes for seizures in puppies and if it is something I need to worry about in my own dog would be GREATLY appreciated!! Please don't sugar coat it, I really want to know the truth and if this is cause for concern.

Also, it is appropriate for me to ask the breeder about someone else's dog and what is going on with it? Does the breeder have an obligation to me to let me know if this condition is genetic?

  Yes, the breeder should be aware of the problems.  And yes you should tell them.
  In over 20 yrs. of having GSD I did have one puppy with seizers.
  I am not sure if it's genetic, sorry.  I will find out though, as I should know things
  like that.  In my opinion it probably had a fall of some kind, they are usually caused
  by hitting their head on something.

  I wouldn't beat yourself up about it.  I am sure your puppy is just fine.

Was the puppy recently vaccinated?  I had a puppy I bred have a few seizures post being vaccinated, she was not vaccinated with any more puppy shots post the seizures and developed into a stunning, healthy adult without any further issues.  Her littermates all developed normally with no health issues.  It could be a number of different things really, from genetic to congenital to enviromental.  Due to the puppy's age, and my experiance with vaccine injuries (both in humans and animals), I would be leaning to a potential vaccine reaction. 

There are thousands of causes for seizures. Injuries, vaccine reactions, poisoning, etc. Epilepsy doesn't usually show until they are a bit older...at least 6 mos. USUALLY. 

Was the puppy vaccinated? The only dog I ever had with seizures got them immediately after vaccination and continued to have cluster seizures until I learned to stop listening to the vets. Then, he had ten years nearly seizure-free;-)

Yes,is probably vaccinations...or she can have Distemper...don't worry,MIT doesn't mean your puppy has or will have it. Good luck

Epilepsy usually shows up between 2-3 years of age, but can show up between 6 months and 5 years. And yes, epilepsy can be hereditary, but since the pup is only 3 months old it is unlikely that epilepsy is the cause of the seizures.

As Jenni said, there are numerous causes for seizures other than epilepsy. Other than vaccines, heartworm preventative and flea/tick preventative can also cause seizures. Other causes are congenital defects, diabetes or hypoglycemia, anemia, heart problems, or difficulties with breathing, kidney disorders, liver disorders, infections such as canine distemper, brain tumors, toxins, like antifreeze, lead, or chocolate, fevers, brain injury and certain medications
 
In the meantime, try to get more information about this pup. I would be very careful about vaccinating your pup.  Have your vet spread out the vaccines. Use the fleas/tick products sparingly- only when needed. 

I know it isn't easy, but try to keep things in perspective and remember that your pup is fine at the moment. PLease keep us updated.

I don't know for sure that the puppy has been recently vaccinated however, the breeder does offer to vaccinate the puppies so I would think that the owner of that puppy would take advantage of that. All his puppies get a parvo only at 7 weeks. The new owner can then take them back to the breeder and get a parvo/distemper/adenovirus/parainfluenza vaccination at 10 weeks and another parvo/distemper/adenovirus/parainfluenza at 13 weeks. So there is a good chance that the puppy did recently get vaccinated which makes me feel better (I guess).

Sounds like I shouldn't freak out just yet which is what I wanted to know. Thank you very much and I appreciate you quick responses. 

So it wouldn't be weird if I asked the breeder what is going on with this puppy? I plan on going back in a couple of months. Is it appropriate to ask about what is going on with this puppy?

I hate to hear that! Could the other pup have gotten into anything? Some plants, chemicals, poisons, etc, can cause seizures.

The other puppy could have been injured, gotten into poison, etc. I really don't know anything about the other puppy except for it is having seizures and it is from the same litter .

Sounds like there is a good possibility this could be caused by vaccinations. Is there anything I should do differently as far as vaccinations?

Jenni78 you said that "The only dog I ever had with seizures got them immediately after vaccination and continued to have cluster seizures until I learned to stop listening to the vets". So what did you do differently with the dog that was having seizures? What do you mean by you stopped listening to the vet... what was the vet saying? Do any of you recommend a different vaccination schedule? I am not a fan of all the vaccinations they give puppies or people so curious what your "alternative" vaccination schedules are for puppies and your adult dogs.

Sorry if I am coming across as a paranoid puppy owner. I just want to do what is best for my dog and seizures in puppies is something I know little about.