# Epileptic seizure ?



## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

A very mild seizure. Darken the room, pet them, talk to them... is about all you can do for the occasional seizure.

Hugs!


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Countryboy said:


> A very mild seizure. Darken the room, pet them, talk to them... is about all you can do for the occasional seizure.
> 
> Hugs!


Glad to know it looks mild ! I was quite upset with it. I had seen it once or twice before, but it always freaks me out and I end up hopelessly crying as if she was dying in front of me...


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Thank goodness she was in her bed so she had bolsters all round her to protect her. It is also good your son was there to help. Countryboy has experience with dogs having seizures so I would take his advice to heart.


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

lily cd re said:


> Thank goodness she was in her bed so she had bolsters all round her to protect her.


Exactly... the only danger a dog is in during a seizure is wounding themselves. Mostly, keep them from bashing their head against something hard.
For hard, frequent spells, sedative suppositories are available. They'll bring a dog out of it. But they're usually only 2 - 3 minutes long anyway. 

'Soothing Nurse' is the best persona to deal with it. 

Do not, not, not, not, not, try to 'stick something in their jaws'. During a seizure they are completely blacked out in another world. Bite inhibition might rely more on instinct.

They good thing is, they'll never remember that world.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Hugs to you and Tamara. I know it's really scary to watch  My sister's Chihuahua, Lilah, has epilepsy and had many seizures until they figured out the correct dosage of meds. She has been seizure free now for a long time, though, so there is hope. Also, our Maltese/Poodle mix had epilepsy that was well managed and she lived 16 years.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

That must have been so frightening. Hugs to you and your level-headed son!


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Awwwww Dechi, I'm so sorry. It really is very disturbing isn't it. I've been through it too. Both my kids had febrile seizures when they were babies. My daughter's lasted a good 15 - 20 minutes...very frightening even though I had medical training. It was long lasting and when it's your own child or dog...very upsetting. 

My Lab, Bonnie had them connected to her liver disease. My Dobe with liver disease never had them. Your little one there looks like an absence seizure. (petit mal) Yes, just what you were doing...is all you can do. Definitely nothing in the mouth. If it happens often, I would see about putting her on an anti convulsive drug. But one seizure here and there shouldn't hurt. But they're funny...it's like once they start having them, the brain can get in the "habit" of having them and they start having more and more seizures. They are quite common in dogs actually. 

Have you checked with your vet for any other underlying possible cause? How are her liver enzymes and so forth? I'm sure sorry she's having this difficulty. 

And very sorry for you because I know how upsetting it is. Jose` seemed to have something like that too last summer. Not only one episode of what I think was vestibular but also a weird looking seizure. At least I'm pretty sure that's what it was. I only saw him coming out of it but he was able to walk! So, it may have been something mild or some inner ear thing again. But he was not with it at all so that makes me think seizure. He didn't show any nystagmus though. Do you see that in your Chi? That rapid eye movement? Did she show signs of that post ictal stage? (confused, disoriented, uncoordinated or weak after) 

Well, I sure hope she doesn't have too many more of those darn episodes and hope she's okay.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

PB, I didn't see any rapid eye movement. As for being uncoordinated, I can't tell, because she layed in her bed for quite a while after. Maybe 2 hours at least. Then she started whalking slowly, around 5 o'clock. I Helped her up amd down the stairs bit now she's okay. Still slow but okay. Now she is eating. I gave her a bigger portion because I figure this must have been really calory consuming.

I am glad my daughter was working this afternoon or she would have freaked out, especially that I wasn't able to contain myself. This little dog is her baby !

She has been checked by the vet after her fist episode, many years ago. They said that there wasn't much we could do and that it could never happen again. It does happen about every 2 years, so I Wouldn't want to medicate her for something so rare.

I'll show the video to the vet at her next appointment.


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

Ah poor little thing, I would have been in the same shape as you. Dog mommies just cannot stand to see them hurt or have fear.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Such a scary thing to have to watch and to feel helpless about. .......my heart goes out to you and Tamara. I am glad to hear her seizures are so infrequent and hope it stays that way! Good thoughts wished to you!:love2:


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Dechi said:


> Tamara has had a few epileptic episodes in her 11 years. We were aware of 3 or 4, but she most probably had more than that.
> 
> A few minutes ago something happened to her. I think it was an epileptic episode but when it happened I thought she was dying and it was quite panicking. I woke my teenage son because I didn't know what to do and the vets are closed. He turned off the light and closed the blinds, he was trained for CPR. It helped me relax a bit.
> 
> ...


Oh Dechi, I'm sorry for Tamara, and for you. Yes, that was a mild seizure. Just keep watch on her of course, but hopefully she won't have anymore. All seizures are concerning, but thank goodness, this one was mild. I totally understand how something like that can freak you out, especially when you haven't seen it much. I dealt with Trina having seizures all of her life, so I totally understand how scary it can be. Unfortunately it was something that we had to get used to.

So good that you got it on videotape to show the vet.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

Awww, she looks so much like my Pablo. Breaks my heart when they have seizures. I know how scary it is! If it continues there are drugs they can try. Also look at any flea products/heartworm treatments you are using. My pug Tippy was on Potassium Bromide but that was many years ago. My Jack Russell was able to go without meds.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Countryboy said:


> Exactly... the only danger a dog is in during a seizure is wounding themselves. Mostly, keep them from bashing their head against something hard.
> For hard, frequent spells, sedative suppositories are available. They'll bring a dog out of it. But they're usually only 2 - 3 minutes long anyway.
> 
> 'Soothing Nurse' is the best persona to deal with it.
> ...



CB, when you say 2-3 minutes, are you talking about the "total" amount of time before the dog starts feeling somewhat normal again, or are you talking about the amount of time when the dog is having the actual seizure? 

My Toy Poodle, Trina, had seizures all of her life, from age 4 months to when she passed away at almost 14, and by everything that I had read, if the dog is still seizing after 1 minute, then that can be more alarming. Trina's seizures lasted anywhere from 30 seconds to 70 seconds, but of course many times, hers were gran mal seizures. When the dog is seizing, where there is a lot of thrashing and teeth clinching with the head back and the stiff body, then an owner needs to really start worrying, if the dog is still doing that after 1 minute. 

That's why an owner should have the rectal Valium handy, because ( excuse my language here), squirting the liquid Valium up the rectum as soon as possible, really helps the dog to come out of it faster. I remember we would keep the syringe tube with the correct amount of dosage of Valium filled so that if Trina was starting with the real bad seizures, then we could get it into her system faster, to help slow the seizure down, where she would start coming out of it a little sooner.

Also, with Trina, when she finally stopped seizing, it took her a good 10 minutes, maybe a little longer, before she started acting semi normal again. We always had to watch her closely because when she stopped seizing, she would then try to get up, and when she did, she would get very wobbly on her feet ( kind of like what a drunk does ). That's when we really had to watch her so she wouldn't bump into things. 

Then there were many times when Trina did like what Tamara did-- had the mild ones, and she would lay right back down again.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

N2Mischief said:


> Awww, she looks so much like my Pablo. Breaks my heart when they have seizures. I know how scary it is! If it continues there are drugs they can try. Also look at any flea products/heartworm treatments you are using. My pug Tippy was on Potassium Bromide but that was many years ago. My Jack Russell was able to go without meds.


Thanks for tip, I didn't know about that.

I don't use flea products unless my dogs have fleas. I've used it twice in the last 10 years. And since we don't have many ticks around and no reported cases of lyme disease, I don't do heartworm either. I used to do it 25 years ago, but I stopped after a few years. I don't like giving medication if I don't have to.

That's one of the few advantages of having long and harsh winters !


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

I was disappointed with Merlin when the seizures happened. He was lying in bed next to Tamara, completely oblivious of her distress. When I came to check up on her, he did his usual " I am jealous of her, I want you to pet me instead " and would have stepped on her while she was seizing if I hadn't made him to go away.

Dogs are very sensitive creatures. How could he not sense that his friend was disoriented and helpless ? That left an after taste in my mouth.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Aww, he's just being a dog. Don't be too hard on him. Dogs usually think in terms of their best interests. Maybe the seizure scared Merlin and he was looking to you for comfort.


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

I'm so sorry that happened, and hope Tamara will not have any lasting effects from her seizure. Merlin can't help what happened, and I'm sure he was confused and wanted to help make things as normal as possible for you, no matter the circumstances.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Dechi said:


> I was disappointed with Merlin when the seizures happened. He was lying in bed next to Tamara, completely oblivious of her distress. When I came to check up on her, he did his usual " I am jealous of her, I want you to pet me instead " and would have stepped on her while she was seizing if I hadn't made him to go away.
> 
> Dogs are very sensitive creatures. How could he not sense that his friend was disoriented and helpless ? That left an after taste in my mouth.



Try not to be hard on Merlin. Yes, dogs are sensitive creatures, but I'm betting it's because Tamara hasn't had many seizures, and Merlin probably just doesn't know what to think about it. 

By the time we got Kaydee, Trina had already been having seizures, so Kaydee actually grew up in a house with a dog that had many seizures. As Kaydee got older and more attached to Trina, she did many times ( not all of the time), go over to Trina and lay close to her when Trina was having a seizure. She never did anything, just laid close by. I think it was to try to comfort Trina. Of course Trina had no knowledge of Kaydee being there. But I truly think it was the way the circumstances were, was why she did that.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Wow, I have never had a dog with seizures, and that would have scared the heck out of me too!
So sorry that you both had to go through that, both of you, but I am glad to hear that those who have experience with it here say that it is mild.
As for Merlin, I think that is pretty normal, I think they understand when another dog is in pain and will worry about it, but not when they are out of it. A few years ago when I had the girls out in their stroller and Tangee started to go into heat stroke, Teaka was oblivious and was pouncing all over her - since we were not at home where I could move her away, I wound up scruffing her and pinning her down to the stroller with my left hand while I tended to Tangee with my other hand. Not proud of it, but that was the best I could do at the moment...


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Yeah, I know, I temd to be a demanding person, of myself and others. I still love him and he still got to watch tv on my lap.

I figure he's still young and learning too.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Dechi, how is Tamara today? Been thinking about her ( oh, and you too, lol).


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

TrixieTreasure said:


> Dechi, how is Tamara today? Been thinking about her ( oh, and you too, lol).



She's her usual self, today ! Lively and bouncing around and trying to find bits of food on the floor the way she likes to...

Thanks for your concern, TT !


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## NatalieAnne (Jul 23, 2016)

Seizures can be a symptom of hypoglycemia, rare but they happen. And I believe hypoglycemia is not uncommon in Chi's. Another symptom is hunger. If it hasn't been ruled out, it might be something you may be interested in having checked.

It is so hard to see our furry friends in any distress.


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