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It may not be epilepsy after all....

Discussion in 'Diseases & Illnesses' started by Sharon7, Aug 29, 2023.

  1. Sharon7

    Sharon7 Moderator

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    It has been 3 completely seizure free weeks since Meadow's event. After having wracked my brain for what else it could possibly be, I suddenly had an "aha!" moment. I had been giving them Plaque Off supplement for a few months. Which is kelp meal. And I had just started a brand new jar a day or so before. It was the only thing new or different in her life (having eliminated any other source of toxins). As I held it in my hand I had a very strong feeling it was connected.

    At first, I thought maybe it was contaminated or something. All 3 dogs had it but Meadow weighs much less than the other two. But then I recalled that kelp is very high in iodine. Too much iodine can screw up your thyroid. And that can cause seizures! I had been completely puzzled why the ER labwork came back with mild anemia and very low normal T4. Well after a consultation with my regular vet, explaining my thinking, she ordered another round of labs including a detailed thyroid panel. She'd been off the supplement for about 8 days by then. And lo and behold, it had all bounced back to normal! I told my vet my gut says this is the root cause, and she said "I've been at this long enough to trust gut". So, we are staying on the Keppra for now as we will be out of town for 2 weeks in Sept. and another 10 days in October. We almost cancelled our trips but my vet said she had every confidence Meadow would be fine, and our wonderful petsitter is onboard with giving her the meds every 8 hours.

    Once we are back from the second trip, we will hopefully wean her off the meds and she will not ever have another. Of course there is a possibility I could be wrong and the thyroid was coincidental (but yes, caused by the supplement). But I honestly believe she isn't epileptic after all. All fingers, toes and paws are crossed here. :fl
     
    Piper's mom, Ann, RikyR and 4 others like this.
  2. Margi

    Margi Forums Sage

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    That is a wonderful possibility! Good thinking thru there! Now please come and figure out whats wrong with Benny! LOL
     
    Piper's mom, Ann, RikyR and 3 others like this.
  3. RikyR

    RikyR Premium Member

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    Great detective work!
     
  4. Sandy in CT

    Sandy in CT Premium Member

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    Hoping that this is an easy explanation for you and Meadow.... And thanks for sharing; I was unaware of all the complications. I feed that to both the boys and our cats. Too much of a good thing - will be careful with it from now on.
     
  5. Caro

    Caro Moderator

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    wow, that is really interesting. Who'd have ever thought kelp could cause issues. But that's the problem for dogs, they are so much smaller and faster at metabolising.
     
  6. Ann

    Ann Moderator

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    Fingers, toes and paws crossed here for Meadow too! Ruffles was just diagnosed with thyroid issues and the first thing I did was take her off of PlaqueOff and her other kelp supplement. I hope that's what caused Meadow's problem!
     
  7. Piper's mom

    Piper's mom Moderator

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    Good catch Sharon! It’s important for everyone who feed’s kibble to check to see if the brand of kibble you buy contains iodine. Most manufacturers add iodine so if you give kelp powder you may be giving them too much iodine.

    fingers crossed that this is the problem!
     
  8. Piper's mom

    Piper's mom Moderator

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    The problem starts because some manufacturers add iodine to the kibble. While all ingredients must be listed it’s important to know what to look for on the label. Of course knowing it’s in there and knowing how much is in there are two different things.
    Some of the terms used are iodized salt, sea salt, sodium iodide/iodate, potassium iodate and calcium iodide/iodate. Some may label it as kelp or algae.
    If your manufacturer does include it you could try contacting them to see if they’d tell you how much they add.
    I’m fortunate I do a home diet, it’s very easy to give too much! Also, never give Kelp powder to a dog with thyroid problems as this can cause problems as well.
     
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