Can dog sedation cause epilepsy in nervous dogs? What are the risks?

Yes, there are certainly risks associated with sedating Rex. While age isn't a disease in and of itself, you mentioned that Rex has previously been diagnosed with metastatic (spread of cancer) melanoma. Existing disease processes raise the risk of sedation, which can include heart and blood pressure issues, or difficulty breaking down the drugs in the liver and/or kidneys. That said, I'd recommend having a conversation with Rex's vet regarding their previous exam findings, as well as the severity of his current skin infection. You'll need to weigh the risks and benefits of sedation vs. leaving this skin infection untreated. Your vet may recommend trying some different oral sedatives or anti-anxiety medications, which are often a bit safer than some injectable sedatives. Your vet may also be able to offer a telemedicine visit to check out Rex's skin. I hope that everything goes well!

Hello there and thank you for using Pet Coach! There are multiple anti-seizure drugs available and some with less side effects than others. If Bailey is on Phenobarbital, Keppra may be a good option for him as this particular drug has fewer side effects and I find that it is less harsh on the liver. Switching to a different drug with less side effects will certainly help. You can also talk to your vet about prescription liver diets in addition to the Denmarin. Hepagen-C is a veterinary product that is over the counter, which we use at our clinic in conjunction with Denamarin or Denosyl. Your vet can also perform a Bile Acids test to determine how much function of the liver has been lost. A scan would certainly be recommended and there are sedative combinations and drugs that we can use that will not trigger seizures, as they are anti-seizure drugs that we use to control seizures. I would still recommend an ultrasound, but talk to your vet about the different drugs that can be used to prevent seizures while sedated. I hope this helps! Please do not hesitate to contact me with any other questions or concerns that you may have. I am also available via phone or text consultation if needed. Please remember to rate this post as helpful or not. Thank you!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. All medications have side effects and possible adverse reactions. Anti-anxiety medication, depending on which one, can be hard on the liver, depending on the medication, dose and frequency it is being used. Most anti-anxiety medications will depress the brain so tend to not cause seizures, but they do affect the brain so some animals can respond with seizures, but this is unlikely. Most of these medications will cause sedation, and the equivalent to 'drowsiness' that a human might feel. If you are seeing seizures or lethargy/weakness with the medications I recommend having your dog seen by a vet and checking blood levels. Also, I notice you have your dog listed as unneutered. If your dog is having anxiety, getting him neutered can help reduce stress and anxiety and would be recommended as part of an anti-anxiety treatment plan. Discuss this with your vet. Best of luck with Bruno.

Oral sedatives are generally not safe for pets with heart conditions. However, there are heart friendly pre-anesthetic injectable drugs that the vet can give such as Midazolam and Butorphanol. Also keep in mind that most pets with a heart condition that are also symptomatic (coughing, exercise intolerance) should be evaluated by a cardiologist and cleared for surgical procedures like dentals to ensure they are good candidates and can handle the anesthesia. The main concern here is the anesthesia and not the sedative used beforehand. On the other hand, if she is not symptomatic (no coughing, exercise intolerance), and she currently is not on heart medications, then she is likely a good surgical candidate b/c her risk of having complications with anesthesia are generally low. I hope that this helps guide you towards the proper care for Chhutki and this dental procedure. Best wishes and take care. : )

In my experience it is not common, although possible, to have seizures after anesthesia and surgery. However there are many diseases that can cause seizures. Many of them are unrelated to surgery and could be coincidentally be causing your dogs's seizures. Some medications are such as ketamine, acepromazine,and related compounds are known to contribute to seizure potential. It is possible, but fairly rare, that something related to the surgery, anesthesia, or medications precipitated the seizures. You should keep looking into these things with your vet and consider referal to a veterinary neurologist if you and/or your vet are still concerned.

Hello, Pregnancy is more dangerous in animals that suffer from chronic conditions, such as epilepsy. Epilepsy can also be genetically passed on to her pups. I would recommend a spay if at all possible. Keeping her as calm as possible and minimizing stress is the best thing you can do for her. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

You should really have her spayed at the clinic where Gracie's medical history is known. That said, it is important that the vet who does the spay knows about her epilepsy, since it might influence which anesthesia the vet will use. We have many different ways of anesthetizing dogs, so there is a way to individualize the procedure according to need. I would insist on having a talk with the surgeon.