Jump to content
BC Boards

Seizure?


Recommended Posts

Tonight, Kylie (4-5 yr. old pure-bred border collie) was laying at the foot of my son's bed when she jumped up and started running out of the room fast. He said as she ran down the hall her back was hunched up and she was wobbly and falling into the side of the hall.) She laid down when she got to the family room and was very scared. She drooled a little, but did not froth or lay and kick around. Does this sound like an epileptic seizure?

 

We've just started training for agility. She is also nervous recently since we've been remodeling the house and she is afraid of ladders and gets weird when we move furniture (I think this is related to something that happened to her in her first home...she was a courtesy-listed rescue.)

 

Any input would be appreciated.

 

Thank you

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hard to say. It's not one typically thinks of as a seizure (although they come in many forms) and she's certainly not a typical age for onset of idiopathic epilepsy. I've had dogs do the jump up and run thing if they have a sudden pain or a flea bite (maybe?). I'd probably first look for a more obvious reason (spasm in her back or similar), which is entirely possible if she's doing agility and overdid something.

 

I wouldn't completely dismiss the idea of a seizure, but it wouldn't be high on my list of things to look for right now. Certainly keep an eye out for similar behaviors and see if there's anything that seems to connect them (if it happens again).

 

J.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He said as she ran down the hall her back was hunched up and she was wobbly and falling into the side of the hall.) She laid down when she got to the family room and was very scared. She drooled a little, but did not froth or lay and kick around.

 

 

Our 15 year old Basenji/Lab mix started having seizures her last year of life. She was in end stage kidney failure. Usually when she was experiencing seizures she would kick and spin around uncontrollably, she would also drool, and would be completely unresponsive. Other times, while having seizures, she would react very similarly to how you describe your dogs behavior. She would try to run and would be very wobbly and fall sideways. It was as if she had no control of her legs. I would watch your dog to see if it happens again, and speak to your vet about it. He may want to run some blood work. It may be nothing, but it's worth keeping an eye on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have only seen one dog have a seizure and it was not the violent type most people would think of. He was diagnosed by a vet as having seizures and was put on meds (4yrs yo). Anyways, his started with his tail going down (normally tail was up; terrier) then his eyes would get glossy like he was lost. His neck would get stiff with his head leaning towards one side and then he would slowly pick up his front paws as if he were walking in place and his paws hurt. They would last maybe a minute and then he would need a few minutes to completely go back to normal and playing. Even once on meds he would have them just milder versions. I don't know if your dog had a seizure but I know how scary even mild ones can be. Hopefully all will be okay with yours!

 

Edit: He too would get wobbly like he was drunk and about to fall over.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is a video I found on YouTube that shows a dog having a seizure similar to the type my dog sometimes had.

 

 

Thank you Katrice - I can see the arched back and it looks like what my son described. I am so glad you found this for me.

 

And thank you to everyone who commented and those who PM-ed me. This was so hard for us -- in 38 years of dogs, I have never had one with a seizure until now. The hardest part is that they are so afraid and confused about what's happening and we can't explain it to them. It has helped to get input from you all...thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not to bring this up, again, but after the incident we had on Sunday night with Kylie and the seizure (?), my son just informed me that later that night he found a stink bug crawling in his room and killed it. Now, Kylie LOVES to play with bugs (including wasps and stink bugs) and I am now wondering if that could have caused her reaction -- if she was bit by one. Googled stink bug bites and as usual, get conflicting reports as to whether they can bite or not. Some say no...others report very toxic results from being bit by a stink bug.

 

So, as the vet said, for now we just need to watch her. But when he told me about the bug, I remembered when Julie mentioned about her jumping up and maybe it was like she had been bit by a flea or something. Anyways, I hate those darn stink bugs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Even if it was a seizure, really all you can do is watch and see if anything else happens. The first time my dog had a seizure, it was a full-blown grand mal, but at an atypical time: she was running down to the creek with the pack, so there was a possibility that she had been slammed into a tree or fence post (I was behind them so didn't see anything, just came upon her seizing). At that point, if she hadn't had a littermate with seizures, we would likely have written it off as a trauma-related thing. But of course within a month she had another. So your vet is right that really you just have to keep on with things and see if it happens again.

 

If it was a bug that caused her to react that way, then it could still happen again, but you'll be better prepared to keep track of the circumstances surrounding the behavior. (This is important because if it is a seizure, then you might be able to figure out a trigger and elimate that.)

 

FWIW, she would have to have been bit--just a strange sensation might be enough to cause a flight response.

 

But if the vet said all appeared normal then really all you can do is wait and see if it happens again.

 

J.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...