seizures - YorkieTalk.com Forums

taren · 11-29-2010, 10:09 AM

a few weeks ago i had to take my harley to the emergency vet. i was so scared and sad because i didn't know what was wrong with my baby. i had given him a bath and did all the regular things,shampoo, condition, leave in conditioner and the only thing i did a little different was put some tea tree spray(paul mitchell for pets conditioning spray) on some of the red spots on his skin. then i blow dried him as usual.... and then shortly after the bath i had noticed his movement was not the same. while standing in place his legs wobbled, sitting would fall to one side, his back legs would stumble. and the look in his eyes were different. it seemed as if he were almost intoxicated. i decided to take him to the emergency vet after my husband had observed him after getting home from work. of course our regular vet had just closed 10 min prior to taking him in. there was no foaming, drooling, convulsions, or anything like that involved. the emergency vet and my regular vet seem to think it might have been a mild seizure. i had all the tests run on him the following monday as suggested by my regular vet and he is healthy as a lark! i just wonder what might have caused this. the vets said it could be anything, but really i cant think of anything unusual or different that might have triggered this. i hadn't used any products on him that i hadn't ever used on him before. i was just wondering if anyone else has had something like this happen. harley is my EVERYTHING!!

i was so sad to see him in that condition because he is so full of life and energy. he didn't even want to play fetch when daddy got home. he tried, but couldn't.

the vet says it may or may not ever happen again.

AllDogBoots · 11-29-2010, 10:20 AM

I'm sorry you witnessed that. There are a few of us here who have seizure babies, with all different types of seizures. My Max was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy/head bobbing. Idiopathic meaning there is no known reason. With Max there was no foaming, drooling, convulsions, etc and he would only do it while sitting. His head would shake and his legs would slip from under him. It would last anywhere from 2-5 seconds.

How long did Harley's episode last.

It may or may not happen again. If it does, please know that there are members here who will support you and medicine that can help Harley. I haven't seen a seizure in my boy since his meds have been regulated.

taren · 11-29-2010, 10:51 AM

i can't say for certain how long it lasted. he wasn't completely back to normal until the next day. by the time i got him to the emergency vet she said he seemed normal, but my husband and i knew he wasn't quite himself yet. thank you for your support! our babies mean everything to us!

his regular vet said to just keep eye on him and journal the episodes. he said he wouldn't put him on meds unless they were more severe and frequent because of the possible side affects. with this being his first and as mild as it was, to just keep an eye on him.

nvnvgirl · 11-29-2010, 11:38 AM

Taren~ my Max has had similar episodes since he was about 2 or 3 yrs old. The first one, just started out of the blue; he'd been sleeping on the floor next to me while I was on the computer and seemed like he wanted me to pick him up, but when I did, he seemed like he wanted down. When I went to put him down, I realized something was weird about his back legs; they were sort of contracted up and when I looked at his face, his eyes were just sort of staring not at me....I was afraid he'd swallowed something and wasn't breathing. I'm a nurse, so I just held him and checked his mouth, massaged his chest, not knowing what was going on, but knowing that whatever it was, we were too far from the vet (of course it was a Sunday) that I had to take care of it now. After several minutes, he came out of it and was perfectly normal. So, by then, I figured it wouldn't do much good to have him see the vet since she/he wouldn't have witnessed the behavior and it was over now.
Since then, he's had maybe one similar episode every few months. Most of the time it seems to be precipitated by something scaring him really badly (once when one of the slats from the vertical blinds fell right in front of him as he was running out, once when he got into a big kerfuffle with my other Yorkie...things like that). He's normal otherwise and I haven't taken him to the vet for it yet. It's been probably 4 or 5 months since the last one, knock on wood.
I have kept a notebook just for his health progress and I have journalled each episode and tagged it for future reference; describing the date (be sure to put the YEAR too, b/c you'll forget!), the time, how long it lasted, what his behavior was just prior to it, what his symptoms were during it, and what he was like afterward. I keep track of what I feed them too, although I feed them pretty much the same thing every day; they do occasionally get into things (the cat's food, stuff out in the yard which is God only knows what, etc). I think it will help to keep track and see any patterns if it becomes something that gets to be more regular.
In my case, I was also in a pretty unhappy relationship and Max is a very sensitive guy; I felt that maybe that contributed to it, so I'm watching to see if it improves or abates now that I'm pretty much out of that.
Good luck with your little guy; I know how stressful it is to feel so helpless when this happens!

taren · 11-30-2010, 07:29 AM

thank you for sharing your story and for the support

Ellie May · 11-30-2010, 07:40 AM

What tests were run?
Probably just a coincidence, but it is definitely possible that tea tree shampoo caused the problem. It has been known to severely affect small dogs and particularly cats. So especially if he licked really quickly and you didn't see it, etc. So many YT members use it with success, but personally I wouldn't let my pup come near it!

Ladymom · 11-30-2010, 07:45 AM

Did your vet do a bile acids test? Since Yorkies are 36 times more likely to be born with a liver shunt than all other breeds combined, it's important to rule that out as seizures are a symptom.

If his bile acids are normal, just keep a journal of his seizures.

taren · 11-30-2010, 11:42 AM

ekg, thyroid, and a complete blood panel. everything was normal and the vet was so impressed with harley and how good he felt and looked! 14.5 pounds of muscle he said!

i had thought i was ok with the tea tree spray bc i had used it before, but i don't think i will risk using it again.

Ladymom · 11-30-2010, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taren

ekg, thyroid, and a complete blood panel. everything was normal and the vet was so impressed with harley and how good he felt and looked! 14.5 pounds of muscle he said!

i had thought i was ok with the tea tree spray bc i had used it before, but i don't think i will risk using it again.

A bile acids test isn't part of a CBC. You have to ask for it specifically. Some vets aren't that familiar with liver shunts and how common they are in Yorkies so they don't suggest it. It involves two separate blood draws, one before, one after a meal.

http://www.ytca.org/health_biletestproced.doc-1.pdf

taren · 12-01-2010, 10:34 AM

i know they ran some test on his liver because he ruled out the shunts, but he did mention this being common in yorkies.

yael_21 · 12-02-2010, 09:16 AM

Hello everyone,

I have a 4 month old Yorkie, and lately he's been having these episodes that are making me really worried. This usually happens after he's been running around, i.e., physical activity.
He would be sitting or standing still, and suddenly his head would tilt back and start moving back and forth involuntarily.
When he does this standing up, he would then lose his balance and fall.
I have asked the vet about this, and he's running a few blood tests but no results yet.
I am very worried and would appreciate your input, if you've experienced anything like this or know what might be the problem... :-(
Thank you for your comments.

11-29-2010, 10:09 AM	#1
taren Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: central, tx usa Posts: 49	seizures a few weeks ago i had to take my harley to the emergency vet. i was so scared and sad because i didn't know what was wrong with my baby. i had given him a bath and did all the regular things,shampoo, condition, leave in conditioner and the only thing i did a little different was put some tea tree spray(paul mitchell for pets conditioning spray) on some of the red spots on his skin. then i blow dried him as usual.... and then shortly after the bath i had noticed his movement was not the same. while standing in place his legs wobbled, sitting would fall to one side, his back legs would stumble. and the look in his eyes were different. it seemed as if he were almost intoxicated. i decided to take him to the emergency vet after my husband had observed him after getting home from work. of course our regular vet had just closed 10 min prior to taking him in. there was no foaming, drooling, convulsions, or anything like that involved. the emergency vet and my regular vet seem to think it might have been a mild seizure. i had all the tests run on him the following monday as suggested by my regular vet and he is healthy as a lark! i just wonder what might have caused this. the vets said it could be anything, but really i cant think of anything unusual or different that might have triggered this. i hadn't used any products on him that i hadn't ever used on him before. i was just wondering if anyone else has had something like this happen. harley is my EVERYTHING!! i was so sad to see him in that condition because he is so full of life and energy. he didn't even want to play fetch when daddy got home. he tried, but couldn't. the vet says it may or may not ever happen again.

11-29-2010, 10:20 AM	#2
AllDogBoots Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Delray Beach, FL Posts: 7,984	I'm sorry you witnessed that. There are a few of us here who have seizure babies, with all different types of seizures. My Max was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy/head bobbing. Idiopathic meaning there is no known reason. With Max there was no foaming, drooling, convulsions, etc and he would only do it while sitting. His head would shake and his legs would slip from under him. It would last anywhere from 2-5 seconds. How long did Harley's episode last. It may or may not happen again. If it does, please know that there are members here who will support you and medicine that can help Harley. I haven't seen a seizure in my boy since his meds have been regulated. __________________ I'm Karen - Devoted Mama to the Drama Boyz - Cooper & Max www.alldogboots.com

11-29-2010, 11:38 AM	#4
nvnvgirl Lovin' to the MAX!! Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Yorkieville Posts: 2,774	Taren~ my Max has had similar episodes since he was about 2 or 3 yrs old. The first one, just started out of the blue; he'd been sleeping on the floor next to me while I was on the computer and seemed like he wanted me to pick him up, but when I did, he seemed like he wanted down. When I went to put him down, I realized something was weird about his back legs; they were sort of contracted up and when I looked at his face, his eyes were just sort of staring not at me....I was afraid he'd swallowed something and wasn't breathing. I'm a nurse, so I just held him and checked his mouth, massaged his chest, not knowing what was going on, but knowing that whatever it was, we were too far from the vet (of course it was a Sunday) that I had to take care of it now. After several minutes, he came out of it and was perfectly normal. So, by then, I figured it wouldn't do much good to have him see the vet since she/he wouldn't have witnessed the behavior and it was over now. Since then, he's had maybe one similar episode every few months. Most of the time it seems to be precipitated by something scaring him really badly (once when one of the slats from the vertical blinds fell right in front of him as he was running out, once when he got into a big kerfuffle with my other Yorkie...things like that). He's normal otherwise and I haven't taken him to the vet for it yet. It's been probably 4 or 5 months since the last one, knock on wood. I have kept a notebook just for his health progress and I have journalled each episode and tagged it for future reference; describing the date (be sure to put the YEAR too, b/c you'll forget!), the time, how long it lasted, what his behavior was just prior to it, what his symptoms were during it, and what he was like afterward. I keep track of what I feed them too, although I feed them pretty much the same thing every day; they do occasionally get into things (the cat's food, stuff out in the yard which is God only knows what, etc). I think it will help to keep track and see any patterns if it becomes something that gets to be more regular. In my case, I was also in a pretty unhappy relationship and Max is a very sensitive guy; I felt that maybe that contributed to it, so I'm watching to see if it improves or abates now that I'm pretty much out of that. Good luck with your little guy; I know how stressful it is to feel so helpless when this happens! __________________ Seana and Max and Madison too! Come visit me at: celebritydogwatcher.com

11-30-2010, 07:40 AM	#6
Ellie May And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI Posts: 17,928	What tests were run? Probably just a coincidence, but it is definitely possible that tea tree shampoo caused the problem. It has been known to severely affect small dogs and particularly cats. So especially if he licked really quickly and you didn't see it, etc. So many YT members use it with success, but personally I wouldn't let my pup come near it! __________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶

11-30-2010, 07:45 AM	#7
Ladymom Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 8,317	Did your vet do a bile acids test? Since Yorkies are 36 times more likely to be born with a liver shunt than all other breeds combined, it's important to rule that out as seizures are a symptom. If his bile acids are normal, just keep a journal of his seizures. __________________ http://www.myladysdogbows.com/ http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref...6213341?ref=nf

11-29-2010, 10:51 AM	#3
taren Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: central, tx usa Posts: 49	i can't say for certain how long it lasted. he wasn't completely back to normal until the next day. by the time i got him to the emergency vet she said he seemed normal, but my husband and i knew he wasn't quite himself yet. thank you for your support! our babies mean everything to us! his regular vet said to just keep eye on him and journal the episodes. he said he wouldn't put him on meds unless they were more severe and frequent because of the possible side affects. with this being his first and as mild as it was, to just keep an eye on him.

11-30-2010, 07:29 AM	#5
taren Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: central, tx usa Posts: 49	thank you for sharing your story and for the support

11-30-2010, 11:42 AM	#8
taren Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: central, tx usa Posts: 49	ekg, thyroid, and a complete blood panel. everything was normal and the vet was so impressed with harley and how good he felt and looked! 14.5 pounds of muscle he said! i had thought i was ok with the tea tree spray bc i had used it before, but i don't think i will risk using it again.

12-01-2010, 10:34 AM	#10
taren Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: central, tx usa Posts: 49	i know they ran some test on his liver because he ruled out the shunts, but he did mention this being common in yorkies.

12-02-2010, 09:16 AM	#11
yael_21 YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: brooklyn Posts: 5	"Seizure like" episodes in a Toy Terrier Yorkie Hello everyone, I have a 4 month old Yorkie, and lately he's been having these episodes that are making me really worried. This usually happens after he's been running around, i.e., physical activity. He would be sitting or standing still, and suddenly his head would tilt back and start moving back and forth involuntarily. When he does this standing up, he would then lose his balance and fall. I have asked the vet about this, and he's running a few blood tests but no results yet. I am very worried and would appreciate your input, if you've experienced anything like this or know what might be the problem... :-( Thank you for your comments.