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Cluster Seizures In Sheltie

by landauvet - January 24, 2010

Hi Steve,
I have been seeing a 2 year old F Sheltie for seizures for the last 3 months. She only started seizuring around 6 months ago. She had been having a seizure every 3 weeks and they were becoming cluster seizures. The owner had not used her primary vet to manage this problem.
Tongue: red, slightly lavender.
Pulse: thin and wiry. She was a timid dog yet wanted to be on top of me in the exam room.
RX:TMGTY and fish oil
ON a raw food diet.
Acu: Nao Shu, BL-18, GB-20.
Over the next two months,the frequency had stayed the same, however there was a big improvement in severity and duration.
I found active GB points on the 3rd visit and added CHJLGMLT which did not seem to help over the next month or so. I swithched off of CHJLGMLT ond onto Jing Tang's Di Tan Tang on 1/12. Got a call over the weekend that she had 8 seizures back to back and only came out of it under general anesthesia.

Owner started phenobarb. What else should I consider or shall I continue on the same path? Stop Di Tan Tang and back to CHJLGMLT?

Thanks,
Kevin

by naturevet

January 24, 2010

Hi Kevin,

The partial response you saw to TMGTY confirms the role of Liver Yin deficiency in the seizures. When you used Di Tan Tang (an anti-phlegm formula), it aggravated the dog due to its drying nature. CHJLGMLT is more helpful when the pulse is superficial and slippery feeling, since it pulls blood inwards and downwards. This dog was showing the opposite type of pulse, and a need to disperse Qi, despite the chief complaint of seizures. Indeed, the Liver is about the smooth movement of Qi. When it is deprived of adequate Yin (and Blood), this effect is lost, making the movement of Qi erratic, causing seizure activity.

I would return to TMGTY here and add in a Liver moistening formula, perhaps with some moving properties. Options, any of which might help, include Xiao Yao San, Yi Guan Jian, and perhaps even Qing Ying Tang.

That would be where I would go next with this case.

Hope that helps,

Steve

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