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01-08-2009, 09:23 AM | #1 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Mississippi Gulf Coast
Posts: 17
| Jack's attacks I have an 8 pound, 7-year-old Yorkie. He has "attacks" of not being able to move, shaking, like his muscles will not work (though kind of locked up). He is totally cognizant throughout these attacks. As he starts to come out of the attack, he will get up, take a couple of steps, fall over. He pants like crazy, his tongue turns a bluish color. These attacks last about 10 minutes and afterwards, he is fine, back to his normal self. He had one attack 2 years ago - it was hot and we had been outside cutting grass. So I thought he was hot or had low blood sugar. Vet thought the same thing. He had another attack about a year ago, I thought it must be low blood sugar (he can't cut grass anymore, which he loves to do). I put him in the car to carry him to the vet 6 miles away, but before we got there, it went away. So I went back home (it was closing time for the vet's office anyway). Every time I take him in for a checkup, I mention it to the vet, and the say it is just probably low blood sugar, maybe a seizure (the totally cognizant part makes me doubt this). Then a month ago, he had another attack. We had been Xmas shopping, came back, gave him a quarter of a child's McD's hamburger. About 30 minutes later, he had an attack. About a week ago, he had another attack. Nothing going on - other than he had another piece of fastfood hamburger. I called the vet and the vet was in surgery, all the techs were in surgery. The receptionist said I could come in their next available in 3 hours. I wanted them to "see" the attack. The only thing I do to treat these - on the advice of the vet - is give him a couple of tastes of Karo light syrup, which he will lick just fine, in the middle of the attack. I feed him table food and Purina Pro Plan for small breeds dry food. The increase in frequency is scaring me. I love this dog dearly and if I need to do something, I want to do it. Any ideas? What should I do? |
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01-08-2009, 09:30 AM | #2 |
Donating Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Upstate, NY
Posts: 2,015
| I would take him to another Vet, for a second opinion. He may say the same thing as your Vet, but at least you would feel satisfied that you have looked in to all possibilities. Also, I am sure that everyone on here will say.....don't feed table food! Good luck! Welcome to YorkieTalk!
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01-08-2009, 09:34 AM | #3 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Welcome to YorkieTalk. Yorkies are very prone to pancreatitis. Fast food is way too high in fat for them and it can trigger this. Fried hamburger could put his life in danger, so I wouldn't give it anymore. Yorkies are also very prone to liver issues (liver shunt and microvascular dysplasia). Microvascular dysplasia (MVD) is small shunting throughout the liver. When the liver can't process things properly, toxins can build up and cause neurologic symptoms (hepatic encephalopathy). That would include seizures. Red meat (hamburger) produces the most ammonia or toxins and it would not be surprising for a dog with this disease to be effected like this from red meat. If this happens an hour or two after he eats, it is not very likely hypoglycemia. I would get his bile acids tested (two blood tests around a meal) to check liver function and rule LS and MVD out. If it continues to happen and this isn't the issue and your vet doesn't seem too interested, I'd probably go to an internist. Other symptoms would be shaking for no reason, walking around in circles, walking into walls, head pressing, lethargy, depression, inappetence, urinary issues (uti's, stones), drooling, gastrointestinal issues, etc.
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
01-08-2009, 09:58 AM | #4 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Mississippi Gulf Coast
Posts: 17
| Walking in Circles Usually if Jack wants to go out, he will come in my office (I work from home) and turn circles in the doorway. In the last six months or so, he has gotten into the habit of doing this, but when I go to the door to let him out, he is still standing in my office doorway staring at me - so this is not about going out. He walks in my office, looks at me. I keep typing, so he starts spinning. He'll spin a couple of times, stop, look to see if I'm paying attention. If I am typing a case, I try to finish it before I take him out, so I just ignore him. Then he'll spin, stop, stare, start spinning, and will do this about five times before he will just lay down or the spinning drives me crazy enuf I go outside with him just to get him to stop. (It's hard to concentrate on your work when that is going on in your periphery.) He still does not want to go out, but if I go on out the door, he'll follow me because he always has to know what I am doing. When we come back in, he's content again. So... is that the walking in circles you speak of? |
01-08-2009, 10:06 AM | #5 | |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Quote:
If he is staring and walking in circles (blank staring is another symptom) and doesn't really respond when you tell him to stop, then that could be an issue. Either way, any Yorkie who has anything that remotely resembles a seizure really does need a bile acids test unless it is hypoglycemia and that probably wouldn't happen after eating.
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 | |
01-08-2009, 10:10 AM | #6 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Mississippi Gulf Coast
Posts: 17
| Thanks I'll request that be done. Is that a test they do at their facility or is it one that is sent off? |
01-08-2009, 10:13 AM | #7 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Some vets do the SNAP bile acids panel at their office but it is a waste of money. I wouldn't do the urine test either. He will have blood drawn, eat a meal, blood wiill be drawn again in two hours and it will be sent to a lab.
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
01-08-2009, 10:17 AM | #8 |
No Longer a Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Posts: 36
| Check out "dogfoodanalysis.com" The dog food you mentioned is rated very low. I have found Orijen Dry is a superior dog food. Grain free. |
01-08-2009, 12:06 PM | #9 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Mississippi Gulf Coast
Posts: 17
| I would have thought Eukanuba and Royal Canin would be good foods. I have spent a hour or more reading about dog food on this site! |
01-08-2009, 12:14 PM | #10 | |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Quote:
That site is partly opinion though, so make sure to double check with other sources. Euk and RC are really use some questionable ingredients.
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 | |
01-08-2009, 03:53 PM | #11 |
No Longer a Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Posts: 36
| It really is quite incredible isn't it. I did alot of research on the net regarding food. I thought at one point Royal Canin would be good, but after looking at the ingredients I chose differently. I went with Wellness at first, but my dog did not do well on it at all. When your dog is feeling unwell, in Odie's case, loose stools and very frequent too, foul smelling gas and it semed most of his poops were at 1 and 4 in the morning, so he wasn't getting a good night's sleep at all. I'm happy to say I did become very diligent in finding the right food for him. He is on Orijen and within 1 day he poops began to return to normal. He seems so much happier. I think the problem is that we are not as obsessed as we should be with choosing the right foods for both ourselves and our animals. I know that by doing some research I saved myself a vet visit and a couple hundred dollars or more. |
03-05-2009, 11:57 AM | #12 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Mississippi Gulf Coast
Posts: 17
| Results of Jacks BAT - Pre 1.3 - Post 25.4 The vet also did a pulse ox on him and it was 97% with him spazzed out and panting even, so that was really good. Turns out Jack is 1.5 pounds overweight. He needs to lose weight. The vet recommended starting Jack on Science Diet L/D. She said if he misses a meal or two because he does not like the change in diet, it's not going to hurt him. I had just changed Jack to the Chicken Soup food, which he loves. I stopped giving him people food. He and I are now on a walking program to get him out for exercise. Though he is a quite active dog, he probably needs more exercise. With all the knowledge you fine people have, what would you do? If this were your Yorkie, what steps would you take? |
03-05-2009, 12:11 PM | #13 | |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Quote:
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 | |
03-05-2009, 12:11 PM | #14 | |
Donating YT 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Texas
Posts: 7,982
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