Hi Aimee. Thanks as always for taking the time to provide so much information.
The CBD I have been using is a broad spectrum, by Joy Organics and the total CBD content is 75 mg/ml (2,250 mg/bottle). It is $100/bottle, so does get expensive for a dog the size of mine. I’m hoping that these almost daily partial seizures (or pre-seizures?) will stop and then I will stop the CBD completely. His next blood draw is 3/1 so I am hoping that his liver enzymes will have come down at least a little. He went 2 weeks with no CBD and now has been on ½ the previous dose for almost 2 weeks. Hopefully that is enough of a reduction to have an impact on the enzymes. If there is no reduction, I will probably have an ultrasound done.
I’ve been doing more reading on partial, or focal, seizures. I’m not sure if that is what he is having, or if this shaking is just part of his pre-ictal seizure phase. The exact same thing proceeds his full blown seizures, which are classic generalized tonic-clonic. When he has a full seizure the shaking only lasts a few seconds then he goes into the seizure. Now the shaking lasts a few minutes, but no seizure.
Some sources emphasize that a partial seizure affects only part of the brain, so symptoms like shaking are one part of the body, or one side. With my dog, it is just generalized, pretty violent, shaking and he remains fully conscious. But other sources describe symptoms like shaking without loss of consciousness as part of a partial seizure and that it is fairly common for dogs to start with a partial seizure that then turns into a generalized. So, I don’t know . . .
We got through yesterday without a shaking episode, and today he hasn’t had one yet. Small victories, I guess. I do feel that these things – whatever they are – are not as hard on him as the seizures he was having. Just wish I understood what is going on. I’m also dreading the next full blown seizure and afraid it will be a cluster of them again. Sorry for so much seizure discussion (on a dog food forum).
I do continue to agonize over dog food too. I finally confronted Steve’s about the high calcium and phosphorus contents for their Turkey recipe (and Turducken to a lesser extent). I kept procrastinating, knowing that I would probably get a reply that would cause me to lose confidence in yet another company. No surprise – that is what happened. I guess it is more a matter of this food not being a good fit for my dogs, since I want to continue feeding turkey necks. So I am feeding less of Steve’s and will probably use up what I have then not buy more.
Well, sorry for the rambling (even more than my typical post). Thanks again. M&C
