# OMG Seizures!! What to do?



## LiLBevs (Oct 7, 2005)

I have a 2 year old chi who just recently had a seizure. Let me tell you, it had to have been one of the scariest things I have ever witnessed    
This being the first time I have ever seen anything like this happen, I immediately began to panic. It is soooo sad to see your little loved one simply helpless.  He was rolling on the floor, shaking, and seemed to be staring off into space. Now I called the vet and he acted as if this was no big deal. He told me to keep a close eye on him and if it happens again to take him in for blood work. :argue: What do you mean if it happens again??? It should not be happening in the first place!! Well at least I don't think it should? I mean is this normal? Has it happened to anyone else? Am i just being an overprotective mom? I need some advice to ease my mind cause I'm really worried that it will happen again and I'm not too sure I can handle it.


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## Chico's Mama (May 22, 2005)

I'm so sorry that happened to your baby. Watching a dog have a seizure is very scary, but you have come to the right place as everyone here will be able to give you a lot of helpful info. 

Unfortunately, I really don't know a lot about seizures, so I can't really give any helpful advice except keep an eye on him until you can get him to a vet. Good luck and please keep us posted.


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## beetlebug_lady (Sep 8, 2005)

I'm so sorry to hear about your little chi. I know exactly what you are going through. Ralphie has problems with his liver (I think involves a shunt) and it affects his ALT levels. Before he was on medication, he would have frequent seizures. It is a horrible feeling, not being able to do something to stop them. All I do is hold him and try to comfort him when he is having a seizure. Blood work may be the only way to find out for sure what is going on.


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## Cooper (Jun 15, 2005)

Sometimes, an animal can have an isolated event of a seizure and go the rest of their lives without having another one. They aren't all that uncommon, although they're not common either. Your vet probably wants him to have another seizure before doing bloodwork to ensure it's an ongoing problem and not just a one-time thing.

I'm sorry you had to watch that... I can only imagine how scary that must have been! I hope that was your pups first and last time having a seizure - his momma doesn't need a heart attack! :lol:


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## xx-nathalie-xx (Jan 10, 2005)

could it be a low sugar attack? :wave: 

kisses nat


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## Cooper (Jun 15, 2005)

I was thinking the same thing Nat... but if he recovered from it without food or a sugary-something, he wouldn't have come out of it, don't you think?


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## xx-nathalie-xx (Jan 10, 2005)

you are absolutely right :wink: 

i hope it's a one time incident :? 

kisses nat


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## sullysmum (Mar 6, 2004)

Fynn my youngest chi had a seizure once but never again(touch wood), Penny one of my late chis had a couple when she was quite old.


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## my3angels (Apr 15, 2004)

I was thinking the same thing...maybe it was a case of hypoglycemia. 

You can take your little one to the vet and have a full blood pannel run if you are very worried. I know if I saw one of my girls have a seizure I would be at the vet asap...so I totally understand your frustrations with this vet. If you can afford it, maybe just schedule an appointment with your vet and have them run blood tests. That way you can have some sort of peace of mind...whether they find something or dont. I know seizures can be controlled with medication and a lot of the dogs we saw at the hospital had the SEIZURE sticker on their chart...but were otherwise healthy and happy. 

I have also heard of dogs having one seizure and being just fine. I have no idea what causes dogs to do that, but lets just hope this is the case with your little guy and he doesnt have another one. 

I am so sorry you had to see your chi like that. It had to have broke your heart. Hopfully he wil be just fine
Good luck!


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## LiLBevs (Oct 7, 2005)

Well thanks for all of your input guys!! It is greatly appreciated! Its been 3 days since his episode and he seems to be doing well. Thank God! I have been reading up on seizures and they do not seem to be that uncommon in small dogs...especially Chis. It could have also been low blood sugar since these animals are so small, they may just exert more energy then they take in (food). Anyhow, thanks for your concerns and i will keep you all updated on Bevo \m/


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## Cooper (Jun 15, 2005)

Are you in Austin? Just wondering... since the pup's name is Bevo. LOL

We live in South Austin.


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## NoahFL (May 14, 2004)

Poor little guy. Me personally, if Zeus had a seizure, I'd be in the vets office the next day to see what caused it. It may only be a one time occurance, but it would at least give me piece of mind. I'd hate for something like that to happen while I'm not home.


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## Ed&EmsMom (Sep 6, 2005)

> Sometimes, an animal can have an isolated event of a seizure and go the rest of their lives without having another one. They aren't all that uncommon, although they're not common either. Your vet probably wants him to have another seizure before doing bloodwork to ensure it's an ongoing problem and not just a one-time thing.


My toy poodle when she was alive had a grand total of three seizures in her whole life ( 13 years) It was terribly scary so I know how you feel. My vet at the time was great and he said some small dogs are like that. The only thing I could do was to hold her until she came round again and made sure she had some water to drink because she was always thirsty afterwards. Hopefully this was an isolated incident and doesn't happen again!!


Editted: Just a thought but was he out in the heat?? Maybe it was a bit of heat stroke. Chihuahuas especially short coats are more prone to heat stroke because their ears and head get heated so quickly. Ed had a touch of heat stroke one summer so I had to sit with him and wipe his face and ears with a cold cloth. Just a thought anyway in case.


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## Rachael Polachek (Feb 19, 2005)

Lily has had 3 seizures in the past 12 months. The first time I remained completely calm for her sake but inside I was dying. In my mind, seizures were a death sentence... I have since learned that is not usually the case at all. After that first seizure - which was far less severe than what you described - I took her to the emergency vet in a neighboring state (it was a Saturday night) to have her checked out. I knew there was probably nothing that could be done but I wanted her to be examined anyway. I also had them do blood work and they called me with the results about 2 hours later. All levels were normal. They told me to keep a diary or journal if it should happen again, to determine if there's a pattern. They can't really prescribe any form of treatment based on just one or two seizures.

About 3 months later she had another seizure and I took her to our regular vet just because I'm an overly protective, whacko chi mom. :lol: That's when they diagnosed her heart murmur. Totally unrelated to the seizures, as far as I know, but I'd rather be aware of the problem than not.

She had one more small seizure a couple days after her dental surgery in April. Was there any connection between the anesthesia and the seizure? Who knows? I just keep writing in that journal.

I won't take Lily to the vet every time she has a seizure but there's no way I WOULDN'T have taken her in that first time. I wish you well and please don't worry too much. There's lots that can be done if the seizures worsen.


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## LiLBevs (Oct 7, 2005)

Cooper said:


> Are you in Austin? Just wondering... since the pup's name is Bevo. LOL
> 
> We live in South Austin.


Well unfortunately I don't live in Austin at all  However BEVO's parents are BIG 'Horns Fans :lol: So that is where his name originated from  I live in Texas and not many people get the reference :roll:


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## LiLBevs (Oct 7, 2005)

NoahFL said:


> Poor little guy. Me personally, if Zeus had a seizure, I'd be in the vets office the next day to see what caused it. It may only be a one time occurance, but it would at least give me piece of mind. I'd hate for something like that to happen while I'm not home.


Believe me, I was ready to call 911! Although that is EXACTLY what the vet said about the occurance. Some dogs may have 1 in their whole lifetime, others may suffer many. Either way, I cant help but wonder if it had happened when I wasn't around. :shock: Which is exactly why he hasn't been allowed to leave my side since. Poor lil guy  I'd hate to have him go thru that again.


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## LiLBevs (Oct 7, 2005)

Ed&EmsMom said:


> > Sometimes, an animal can have an isolated event of a seizure and go the rest of their lives without having another one. They aren't all that uncommon, although they're not common either. Your vet probably wants him to have another seizure before doing bloodwork to ensure it's an ongoing problem and not just a one-time thing.
> 
> 
> My toy poodle when she was alive had a grand total of three seizures in her whole life ( 13 years) It was terribly scary so I know how you feel. My vet at the time was great and he said some small dogs are like that. The only thing I could do was to hold her until she came round again and made sure she had some water to drink because she was always thirsty afterwards. Hopefully this was an isolated incident and doesn't happen again!!
> ...



Actually, this happened in the morning around 11:30 and he was still lying around. He hadn't really woken up yet let alone gone outside. But that could have been a possibility.


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## LiLBevs (Oct 7, 2005)

Rachael Polachek said:


> Lily has had 3 seizures in the past 12 months. The first time I remained completely calm for her sake but inside I was dying. In my mind, seizures were a death sentence... I have since learned that is not usually the case at all. After that first seizure - which was far less severe than what you described - I took her to the emergency vet in a neighboring state (it was a Saturday night) to have her checked out. I knew there was probably nothing that could be done but I wanted her to be examined anyway. I also had them do blood work and they called me with the results about 2 hours later. All levels were normal. They told me to keep a diary or journal if it should happen again, to determine if there's a pattern. They can't really prescribe any form of treatment based on just one or two seizures.
> 
> About 3 months later she had another seizure and I took her to our regular vet just because I'm an overly protective, whacko chi mom. :lol: That's when they diagnosed her heart murmur. Totally unrelated to the seizures, as far as I know, but I'd rather be aware of the problem than not.
> 
> ...


Thanks for your kind words of encouragement :cheers:


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## foxywench (Feb 7, 2005)

i dont knwo much about seizures in dogs, however im epileptic and know a thing or two about them in humans and from what im told it seems everything seems to be the same for all involved.
during a seizure, whether the person is flailing crying out or just frozen we dont know whats going on usually, its like a black out, no pain, no fear just a moment of darkness (upon the end we awake, sometimes with a little bit of a headache or a little shakey on our feet, but usualy as if nothings happend...and dogs are usually the same.
dogs like poeple can suffer 1 seizure and never have one ever again, i know its scary to watch, but the best bet for you is to stay calm, if it ever happens again, if hes violently seizing make sure hes on the floor (he could fall off the bed or couch and hurt himself, and if possible try and move him away from any object he could knock against...and then just try and keep calm, he'll come out of it, itll seem like forever but he'll snap out and when he does, give him a fuss, and a treat and let him know how special he is...

hopefully this is a one off occasion, but make sure to keep an eye on him, and if you se any weird behavioural patterns (licking lips an unusually large amount is usually a given sighn as dry mouth is common in seizure patients) keep a note...if its going to happen again there might be patterns you can watch for. but i personally wouldnt worry hes young, prolly just low blood sugar or something


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## Cooper (Jun 15, 2005)

Well darn... Cooper needs a playmate his size so badly (all his friends are big dogs)!!

We will be going to the chi meetup tomorrow but those are just once a month.

I do love the name Bevo though - that's really cute!


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## JOLIE'SMOM (Jul 15, 2005)

My little dog, Tiffany, who died in 1999 had to take medication for seizures. For around 3 years i would be awakened by her making this awful howling sound. By the time i could get the light on she would be trying to get to her feet and looking scared to death. I had no idea at the time but decided maybe it was a nightmare. Sometimes she would lose control of her bladder. There were times when i would come home from work to find around 20 little "spots of yellow" on the carpet where she had thrown up. But she would seem fine so i didn't have a clue or make any connection. The vet just told me it was a "bug".
One night i noticed her breathing unusually fast and called my vet. I took her in and he diagnosed her with an injury in her spine and said she was breathing hard because she was in pain. he prescribed pain med and sent us home. By the next night she seemed even more in distress so i called the same vet again and again, he insisted she was in pain. At that point i called another vet who met me at her clinic and diagnosed Tiffany with pneumonia. She had fluid in her lungs, making it hard for her to breath. Antibiotics and lasix were started. She also thought Tif might have congestive heart failure but later, that turned out to not be the case. 
Tiffany rapidly improved and i was relieved.
A couple days later, Tiffany walked up to me, put her front paws on the side of my leg and fell over on her back, convulsing. She lost control of her bladder and threw up while on her back. (The yellow stuff i had been seeing for the past 3 years) I immediately called my new vet and told her i thought Tiffany had aspiration pneumonia, secondary to seizures and inhaling the vomit when she threw up. She agreed and since Tif was having so many seizures , we had no choice but to put her on medication.

Tiffany lived 3 more years after that. I loved her so much, you guys, it makes me cry as i type this. Tiffany died from Cushings disease and it was related, more than likely to the seizures. I mean, she had Cushings all along and that was what caused the seizures. The late diagnosis didn't kill her. She lived far beyond what a dog with Cushings usually lives. With Dr Dunn's help Tiffany lived to be 11. And i will never get over her death.  But she visits me in my dreams from time to time and i know she's waiting for me on the other side.


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## Rachael Polachek (Feb 19, 2005)

Cindie, I know Tiffany's waiting for you too. She's young and healthy and free of fear and just having a ball til her mommy arrives. I'd like to think she's with my Gracie and the two of them are tearing up the place until we get there.


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## JOLIE'SMOM (Jul 15, 2005)

Rachael Polachek said:


> Cindie, I know Tiffany's waiting for you too. She's young and healthy and free of fear and just having a ball til her mommy arrives. I'd like to think she's with my Gracie and the two of them are tearing up the place until we get there.


 :lol: Oh Rachael! That's probably true! I know my Tif would be getting that place in order just like she wants it! :lol:


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## chihuahua-lady (Apr 13, 2005)

i know it must have been horrible for you to have seen my ack russel has epilepsy and before she was on medication for it she used to fit quite a bit and i hated seeing it i just used to hold her still and go to a dark room that seemed to help hope all is well with your chi


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## nabi (Nov 25, 2004)

Hopefully your little one will not have any more episodes...but as Rachael suggested..keeping a journal is a good idea...make note of any strange behaviors with or without seizing. Such a scary situation for you and Bevo .


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## Rachael Polachek (Feb 19, 2005)

nabi said:


> Hopefully your little one will not have any more episodes...but as Rachael suggested..keeping a journal is a good idea...make note of any strange behaviors with or without seizing. Such a scary situation for you and Bevo .


In keeping a journal, these are the things I have taken note of regarding Lily's seizures:

Time of day or night?
What was she doing immediately before the seizure started?
How long did it last (I look at the clock to be sure because 30 seconds can feel like 30 minutes)
Did she lose control of any bodily functions? Pee, poop or drool?
Was she able to stand/sit/lie down during the seizure?
Did she make any noises during the seizure?
Was she aware of her surroundings during the seizure?
If not, how long after the seizure ended did she seem to become aware of her surroundings?
How did she behave a few minutes after? An hour after? The next day?

I hope this will be useful to you.


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## LiLBevs (Oct 7, 2005)

foxywench said:


> i dont knwo much about seizures in dogs, however im epileptic and know a thing or two about them in humans and from what im told it seems everything seems to be the same for all involved.
> during a seizure, whether the person is flailing crying out or just frozen we dont know whats going on usually, its like a black out, no pain, no fear just a moment of darkness (upon the end we awake, sometimes with a little bit of a headache or a little shakey on our feet, but usualy as if nothings happend...and dogs are usually the same.
> dogs like poeple can suffer 1 seizure and never have one ever again, i know its scary to watch, but the best bet for you is to stay calm, if it ever happens again, if hes violently seizing make sure hes on the floor (he could fall off the bed or couch and hurt himself, and if possible try and move him away from any object he could knock against...and then just try and keep calm, he'll come out of it, itll seem like forever but he'll snap out and when he does, give him a fuss, and a treat and let him know how special he is...
> 
> hopefully this is a one off occasion, but make sure to keep an eye on him, and if you se any weird behavioural patterns (licking lips an unusually large amount is usually a given sighn as dry mouth is common in seizure patients) keep a note...if its going to happen again there might be patterns you can watch for. but i personally wouldnt worry hes young, prolly just low blood sugar or something


Thanks for the heads up. It was scary to watch and I tried my best to keep calm. I just held him in my arms and was tryin to get him to calm down. what disturbed me the most is that his eyes seemed to be dazed as if he did not even know I was there. It was as if he was staring off into space right past me.  Believe me, I have not left his side since. I have kept my eyes on him and all seems to be back to normal. Thank God!!


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## LiLBevs (Oct 7, 2005)

Cooper said:


> Well darn... Cooper needs a playmate his size so badly (all his friends are big dogs)!!
> 
> We will be going to the chi meetup tomorrow but those are just once a month.
> 
> I do love the name Bevo though - that's really cute!


Awww lil Bevs would love to have friends!! Too bad we dont live in that area  

Off Topic- Red River Shoot Out- Go Horns!!! 

\m/Bevs


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## LiLBevs (Oct 7, 2005)

Well you all, I'm glad to hear that I'm not alone. It is good to know that there are people out there that care just as much about their animals as you do!! I am sorry for your losses  and we can only keep one thing in mind...ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN :angel7: :angel7: and I truly believe that we will all be reunited with our loved ones in due time! Thanks once again for all of your support and advice. 


It is greatly appreciated by both Bevo and I  :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:


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