Dog partial seizures

One of my dogs, she's 10 in September 2023, had a partial seizure yesterday. She went onto her side, legs stiff and trembling, hackles up and squealed. Last about 10 seconds and took a minute to fully recover. I took her to the vets, nothing conclusive.

This morning at 8am and 8:30am, she did it again but didn't squeal, she just looked about whilst it went on.

Has anyone experienced this with their dogs and any advice?

(She's my avatar)

 

So sorry for you and your dog. I don't have experience with my dogs having seizures EXCEPT for one who gets temporary neurological issues when we use ANY flea and tick treatment.

I hope you find the answer.

 

I had a dog die from seizures, but it lasted a very long time and she was 16. I have been told that the two things to look at first when it happens are their hydration levels---whether they are drinking enough or drinking too much. You will need a vet to sort it out. Others I have have known who had animal seizures regularly were able to get medications that helped with them. One person I know had a dog it would happen to regularly. They gave the dog something like doggie xanex to mitigate the length and severity of the seizures.

 

Thank you.

Spoke to the vet.

My woof was diagnosed with diabetes a few months ago because she was drinking and weeing excessively, plus losing weight. So that's under control with diet and insulin. The vet checked her blood sugar yesterday and it wasn't low, I think it was 24 which was high. I checked it today and it was 23.1. the vet ruled out any connection to diabetes.

So she has an appointment later this afternoon to have her blood taken, and I just have to wait there whilst they test the blood sample incase she needs medication.

The vet said the blood test may or may not throw any clues up. As she's nearly 10 years old, the prognosis of seizures at that age is not good. So it's all new to me.

I know the bond between owner and dog is strong, I've tried to view and have the frame of mind they're pets, but the girlfriend on the other hand, has always regarded them as her kids, so unfortunately she's going through a rough patch. She met my two Woofs when they were 2 to 3 years old. We bought another Jack Russell puppy 3 months ago.

If people had the personality of dogs, the world would be a much much better place.

 

I have a young Border Collie (about 4 now) that started having partial seizures about a year and a half ago. He’s a working dog, helping with herding many species. My local vet is pretty good and also very good at knowing when she’s dealing with something beyond her abilities.

The dog first started the seizures one morning when we were moving some goats and sheep from one pen to another. He wasn’t helping (he had been told not to because he wasn’t needed in that situation) and was just sitting outside the fence. We noticed his front legs went stiff and he started having tremors. Eventually he kind of laid down in a normal “down” position and shook. We calmed him down and in several minutes he was pretty normal.

My local vet is pretty good and also very good at knowing when she’s dealing with something beyond her abilities. She couldn’t diagnose so I took him to Kansas State University vet Hospital where we have taken numerous orthopedic cases (working dogs). The University believes he has a pinched nerve in his neck. Surgery is pretty risky without much chance of success so we opted out of that.

If he gets overly exited or overheated he will start the seizures. If we are working cattle we just take a break and calm him down and so far he always comes right out of it.

Your dog sounds like a totally different deal. There are genetic propensities to seizures etc. I know we looked at with my dog but I don’t remember details.

I don’t know if you have anything like Universities with vet schools over there. Maybe. Here, land grant universities especially have very good programs where you get access to the best docs in the business from all specialties under one roof who collaborate to figure things out. It’s not cheap, but small animal vet services never are. LOL.

I’m very sorry your dog is having this problem. We have quite a few dogs. They are our hired help, but our family as well. It always hurts us when they are hurting. It tears my wife up the worst….

Best of luck.

 

Been back to the vets as she has had her bloods checked. The results have thrown back two extremely high liver results, apparently this has a knock on effect on lowering her red blood cells and thus haemoglobin.

So she's being dropped back off to the vets tomorrow for a scan on her liver to possibly see what's going on and determine the way forward depending on what the problem is.

So that's where she's at.

 

Spoke to the vet. The scan showed a healthy liver and healthy internal organs. So she's anemic, low blood cell count. So her blood sample goes off to an external lab that can do further tests to find the possible cause.

Unfortunately in summary, it may look like she has a tumour/cancer that's causing her blood cells to not be produced sufficiently. I've had some she was 7 weeks and 3 days old, she will be 10 in September. She's been brilliant and a great character that brough two litters into the world.

 

@Adfundum

Well, I had to take my dog to the vets this morning and she was put to sleep 8:50am UK time. Whatever caused the anemia, her body couldn't cope, went through her so quick. So the girlfriend and I are having her cremated and keep her ashes. Some will be sprinkled in the town where she was born.

So goodbye Bonni, was one of the best woofs on the planet. She nearly made 10 years old, just a month and 3 days short of birthday.

 

So sorry to hear that Nonnie.
It's never easy to lose a member of the family.

 

Please don't mistake my "Like" as any sort of glee over your recent loss.

I just noticed and read this thread and your whole experience is so very familiar to me.

A dear, 4 legged companion starts to have severe medical issues, we deal with the multiple vet. visits, nurse our sick companion along for a while and then have to decide which day is best for euthanizing (its always tomorrow).

Finally, we have our dear, old companion buried or cremated and still feel rotten for quite a while.

I'm very sorry for your loss and hope that you can find some comfort in having done all that you could.

Best wishes,

 

I’m very sorry it turned out this way.

 

@Adfundum

Changed my avatar to my new puppy, Brontë. When Bonni had been diagnosed with diabetes a few months ago, that shortens a dog's lifespan to 2 to 3 more years. I got Benson first, he's now 10, and the Bonni 2 months later, she would have been 10 this September. So I gat Brontë on 10 May, hoping to have Bonni for 2 to 3 more years, then Benson and Brontë to have a litter in 2 years time. Then when Benson passes, buy a new boy puppy called Bentley.

That was the master plan, still in is, just without Bonni for the first 2 years. I'm not sure if Bonni's passing has effected him, they've been joined at the hip since being puppies. We've had a rough few days, but it's easing.

 

So sorry to hear about your dog, he sounds like a prince of a dog. I had a dog that had TIA and the first time he had one it was a terrifying experience. He would howl and fall over and when it was over it would be like nothing happened. It was a strange time.

 

If I could live in the middle of nowhere with just dogs and no humans forever, I would do that in an instant.

Here's Brandi, got her today, she's 8 weeks old tomorrow.