Sorry, this is long as I am still quite distressed by everything. Please fight your way through if you have any relevant knowledge or experience you can share. xx
My 3.5 yo terrier has just been prescribed imepitoin following an emergency vet visit yesterday. He had a fit. It was the first one that I had been able to see clearly and video for the vets to analyse, but I think it was the third episode. The first were very minor, not even clearly a fit at all, and the vets said wait and watch. Last night was a period of confusion and wobbly crouching gait followed by a few seconds of rolling around in the typical fit motions. Then by a period of lying dazed and drooling.
Anyway, blood tests have ruled out all the things that blood tests can rule out and the vet prescribed imepitoin for what I think is called idiopathic epilepsy.
I gave him his first dose last night (half a 400mg pill) and after an hour or so I noticed abnormal behaviour. First of all he was sick and (very untypically for him) he was keen to eat the sick afterwards (though I cleared it up before he could), and then he began to be very restless and agitated. When he finally lay down he began to nibble at a leg in an odd way. It was like he would if there was an injury or discomfort there but it was very forceful, tugging very hard at whatever he could get hold of - fur, claw, etc. It wasn't the same leg each time so I don't think he had an actual problem that he was trying to deal with.
He became desperate to go out in the garden and once there he ate grass, but much more obsessively and determinedly than he normally does. Wouldn't even come away for a treat. I had to carry him in. He remained very restless
This morning he seems normal but I am so fearful of the medication that I tried to quarter the pill, instead of half it - so that I could perhaps taper up to the prescribed dose over a couple of days? In fact he has had much less than a quarter as it was hard to cut.
I just feel so sick and worried by the abnormal behaviour caused by the pill. I want my lovley old dog back. But I can't not give him the meds - he clearly needs treatment and I understand this is the 'friendliest' anti-epilepsy drug. Will the side effects stop soon? Is it ok for me to try startign with a lower dose than the vet has prescribed?
I could call them later but they are such a busy practice and it will be hard to speak to anyone.