Grand Mall Seizures in Dogs.

[Cancertomnpdx]

I am interested in knowing if anyone has moved to Costa Rica with a dog that has grand mall seizures? I am also interested in knowing if you had any problems finding the medication prescribed for your dog by a USA vet once you arrived in Costa Rica? I am currently working with my vet to stabilize my five year old rescued English Springer Spaniel. Since I have two or three years before I plan to move myself and my grand old boy, I was wondering what was the experience of others.

Thanks,
Tom

[Andrew]

Well I can tell you for sure Tom that we have not discussed this topic yet in our forum… Just as a matter of interest, how common is this condition in our four legged friends?

Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.com

[Cancertomnpdx]

I guess it can be pretty common these days with all the dogs coming out of puppy mills in the United States. I adopted Mr. Tucker, aka as “the beefy boy,” last year after his senior owner had to give him up for health reason. I am pretty certain this is because he is probably inbred. So many dog breed lines in America these days have been invaded by poor breeding standards due the puppy mill breeders being just after the money. This is the third English springer spaniel I have adopted and the second out of a puppy mill.

Thanks for asking.
Tom

[yohimbine]

In the U.S. many medications can be purchased through Petmed Rx, an online veterinary pharmacy. You might check and see if the anticonvulsant(s) are available there and if they can be sent to C.R. if necessary.
R.S.B.

[jmhardy]

One of my dogs also suffers from seizures (a Chocolate Lab) and although I’m not living there yet, based on what I’ve heard about the good veterinarians there, I’d be shocked if you couldn’t get phenobarbital (what I give my dog) at most local vets in Costa Rica (or, for that matter, over the counter at any Tico pharmacy)

[DavidCMurray]

Some medications are controlled in Costa Rica and phenobarbital may be one of them. If so, you’d need a prescription to get it. I’ll ask my local pharmacist.

[DavidCMurray]

My local farmacia says that you definitely do need a prescription for phenobarbital. Between their limited English and my pidgin Spanish, we could not conclude whether they could honor a prescription written by a veterinarian.

Point is, you need to cover this base before you run out of meds for your dog.

[dreammakers]

We too are considering CR. Our Border Collie is on phenobarbital 3x a day with a valium prescription as well, in case of clusters. Has anyone figured out if vets do meds? I am assuming they do. Many regular pharmacies also do fill K-9 meds but unsure of this in CR. It is very regulated in CA to where they take my DL# and DOB but other than that, easy to fill. No way I can move to CR if my baby doesn’t get to come too. She’s only 3.

As Tom answered Scott’s question, yes, seems to be fairly common.I too was told caused by inbreeding, puppy mills..

Julie

[Cancertomnpdx]

Thanks for your posting Julie! I am now in the process of weaning my boy of the phenobarbital to potassium bromide since the phenobarbital is not stopping the clusters. I am currently doing five days of 4 potassium bromide per day along with his 3 phenobarbital twice a day. My vet is going to recommend a slow down turn in the phenobarbital on Saturday once we have the potassium bromide built up in his system. I will be in CR in late May and June so I will keep you posted on what I can learning about vet medicine while I am visiting. Another option is for me to consider writing to the dean of one of the vet schools in the Pacific Northwest and see if any of their graduates have been from CR while asking for a referral. I am sure all of this is possible, we just need to find an English speaking vet who can help us understand if our treatment regime is possible there as it is here.

Thanks,
Tom

[DavidCMurray]

Finding an English-speaking vet will not be a major hurdle if you live anywhere in the San Jose area, at least. What’s more, I know of at least two who have strong ties to the vet school at one of the universities. On two occasions, our Lab needed care that the local vet couldn’t provide and both times we got into the vet school’s twenty-four hour clinic.

The question that remains is whether a vet’s prescription for phenobarbital can be honored by a farmacia.

[dreammakers]

Nice to know they at least have 24 hour clinics. Not so sure we want to be near SJ but that’s another story! Obviously,the prescriptions remain the biggest question but it must be possible.

[Cancertomnpdx]

Dear David:

Is it the common practice in Costa Rica that vets don’t fill their prescriptions but you have to go a farmacia for everything? Here in Portland I am getting both of the drugs from my vet. The Phenobarbital directly and my vet orders the potassium bromide from a lab who makes the compound and then I get the pills again directly from my vet.

I thought maybe your message was saying that all prescriptions from vets must be taken to your local farmacia.

Thanks,
Tom

[DavidCMurray]

Yours is a difficult question for me to answer, Tom. Maybe others will chime in.

The vet we used had the common vaccines, etc on hand, but my impression was that he didn’t stock much and relied instead on the farmacias. He’s a significant operator with two clinics in Escazu, so my guess is that his practice is reflective of many other vets.

Our Lab became very ill very unexpectedly back in January. We rushed him to a local vet here in Grecia who immediately made arrangements for him to be seen at the university vet clinic. When we got him there and got a definitive diagnosis, it was our decision to end his suffering. We were going to bring him back to the original vet (in Grecia) to be euthanized, but the vet here told us that he didn’t have the drugs necessary to do the job. So we had him put down at the university clinic.

Again, this seems to be reflective of the medication stocking that the vets do, but I can’t be certain.

[DavidCMurray]

Here’s what I’ve learned about the availability of phenobarbital in Costa Rica.

First, its use in human medicine has been virtually eliminated, so it is no longer available from Costa Rican farmacias. This is true regardless of whether you have a prescription or not.

Second, its use in veterinary medicine has also been eliminated, and my vet tells me that he cannot obtain it to dispense. He did, however, say that he thinks it may be available from the CAJA national health system. Unfortunately, you can’t just walk into a CAJA clinic and obtain it (free or otherwise) for human or veterinary use.

So, the bottom line appears to be that you cannot obtain phenobarbital for either human or veterinary use in Costa Rica.

The two options available seem to be either to maintain your relationship with your U.S. veterinarian and have him or her mail it to you in Costa Rica or to switch the dog to another anticonvulsive medication that is available in Costa Rica. If you do the latter, you’ll find life simpler if you put the dog on something you can buy over the counter from your local farmacia.

Hope this helps.

Dave

[dreammakers]

Thanks David for your info. Will discuss with our vet in CA. I’m assuming PetMed and other U.S. K-9 pet med companies can not ship to CR. I certainly don’t need to get mixed up in a drug trafficing scene!Not sure if vet would be able to ship a controlled substance or not. Maybe if it has been eleminated in CR they can. Something to look into. Other alternatives sound like a safer, easier choice.Do you happen to know what anticonvulsive medicines are available in CR so we can discuss with our vet?

Again, thanks for all your info so far!

Julie

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