Your dog is absolutely beautiful! I had a Yorkie who had seizures for several years and our vet did not medicate him either. Said they were not really that harmful to him (said they probably bothered me more than they did him) unless they became very frequent and very severe. As he got older (several years later), he did have to take one pill a day to help control them. Once on the pill, he was not as active as before, but also he was older then too. He lived to be 12...but had a good, alert and active life.

I just looked at your link "but you don't look sick...". Thank you, I could not have said it better. I am printing copies for family members who don't 'get it".

Seek a second opinion.

Oh I do know what you are going through. My darling Jonah, my avatar, had idiopathic epilepsy. All that means is that they do not know why he has seizures. He started at 1 1/2 years and now at 8 years is on phenobarbitol, potassium bromide solution and leviteracetam twice a day. His seizures are under control but he now has cluster seizures, maybe up to 8 in a 24 hour period. He has not had any since the beginning of June. Jonah's seizures last about 30 seconds but then he has a period of blindness and agitation. Afterwards, he is his old adorable self. Then another one will come, and the toll they take on him is noticable, he gets progressively weaker with each siezure. He has has 2 episodes where he needed to be medicated in the doggy ICU for a few days, talk about expensive!! When the seizures start, we give him clonazepam to hopefully decrease the number of seizures. he is well drugged up for a few days. But then he recovers and is none the worse for wear.
My advice to you would be to learn all you can about canine epilepsy, the medications available and to see if there is a canine neurologist available where you live. Jonah goes to a wonderful doctor in Toronto. She is terrific with him and gives us sound advice. I would be happy to answer questions you have if you wish. Just send me a PM. Good luck. Hope your beauty stays well.

Oh I am so sorry. He is a beautiful Sheltie. A good friend of mine here has a Schnauzer that has been having them for almost a year now. There is no place here in AK to have an MRI for a dog so they don't know what causes them--probably a brain tumor they think. He is on the same stuff they give humans for seizures--phenobarbital. Good luck and keep us posted.

Your little guy is absolutely beautiful :)

My daughter has epilepsy. I know first hand what the meds can do and how they can change ones personality. I agree with the vet. Unless the seizures become frequent or prolonged (5 minutes or more) I wouldn't do anything.

My cat, Moonpi developed seizures at 6 months old, severe scary seizures which required hospitalization. Since then, 6 years now, she has been on phenobarbitol twice a day, mixed in the gravy with pouch-packaged food.

She has stayed small because of the drug, just 8 pounds of fury, but othewise has adjusted fine. Once a year, she gets extensive blood work done to test her drug levels and make sure all is well. That visit runs about $300, so it is timed to use my income tax refund. Her vets have told me that her lifespan may be shortened because of it, but she is healthy as a horse otherwise.

it has been more of an adjustment for me, keeping my schedule so she can have her meds on time.

Your sheltie is beautiful. Praying for good health.

I say if you are not comfortable a second opinion can't hurt anything. My dog started having seizures about two years ago-she's 5 yrs old now. She started having about 1 every two weeks to more than five a day. But, we expected at some point for her to have them. She has a liver shunt and cannot process protein very well. She is on a special diet and lactulose. She's only had two seizures in the last six months. Also, she has focal point seizures which are much different. They only seem to affect her back legs-so it looks like her back legs are broken when she is having them. She is also still alert and 'walking' around. She's the dog in my avatar.