Seizure? Sroke? 12 years old
 

Last Monday my 12 year old yorkie, Zuzi had some type of episode around 2AM in the morning. My husband went to let her out and she could't stand without stumbling or walk straight. It was like all four legs wanted to go in different directions. She looked like a drunken sailor.

Scared us to death so we called the emergency vet. He said he didn't think it was an emergency to bring her in but suggested we give her some Kayro syrup just in case she had low blood sugar. She did recover in about 5 minutes after the syrup but she might have already been getting better any way.

We brought her to the vet this past Thursday for her regular check up. They did a full "Senior Wellness Checkup" which included 2 vials of blood for tons of tests. They also did a urine test where they used a needle to get the urine right out of her bladder. Now she has a HUGE bruise on her belly because she moved while they were doing it. :(

I'm waiting for Monday to hear how her test are. The vet said it might have been a small stroke or a seizure. She also now has a heart murmur and some kind of growth in one of her anal glands. (I hope it isn't cancer.) She has cataracts now too and is night blind.

Other than all that, she is a happy senior citizen and pretty lively and full of love. It's so hard to see your little pal get old.

Wish us luck for good results on her bloodwork.

Shelley

I'm wishing you tons and tons of luck. It's hard to see them like this isn't it. Your in our thoughts and prayers.

Wow, that episode was very scary. I will have her in my prayers for good results. Please keep us updated. Hugs.

Hi
Zuzi will be in Our Thoughts and Prayers. :hug:
It is super hard to watch them grow old.
I'm happy to hear she's lively and full of love.
Please keep us posted on her tests.
Hus to you all. :hug: :hug: :hug:
:2hearts2: :2hearts2: :2hearts2:

I have a couple of senior Shelties, and it is hard. Good luck with your little Zuzi. I hope its all good news tomorrow.

:) I hope things go well for you Shelley. I know how hard it is, my Tango is 13. He's deaf, going blind but otherwise healthy and still a happy little dog. However I lost his sister Tori in August last year so I do worry about him. Hopefully yours and mine will still have some good years, they do become very precious to us don't they?

Kathy, Tango and Gypsy

I hope it's good news tomorrow. It ias so hard to watch them age. They are never with us as long as we would like.

Good luck with the test. Sure hope all works out well.

UPDATE on Zuzi
 

Thank you all for your kind thoughts.

Our vet called today with Zuzi's results on her blood tests.

Her bilirubin is mildly elevated. This indicates there is a possible problem with her gallbladder and/or liver. I will be taking her back in for a follow up blood test in about 4-6 weeks to see if this is a real problem or a temporary one.

Her blood sugar levels are all normal so she doesn't have diabetes which I'm relieved to know. I guess my little girl is getting old and her body is starting to break down. I can't help but worry about her now that I know she has a heart murmur, some kind of growth in one of her anal glands and now the abnormal bilirubin.

From the outside, she is still the same old happy dog, so as long as her quality of life is good we are happy. Right now she's happily knawing on a huge beef knuckle so she's happy as a pig in mud. :) :animal36

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. It really means a lot to have the support of this forum.

:thumbs up
Shelley

wow scary well i wish u well

I have a 12 yr Lhasa... i know how you feel... Its hard to see our babies grow old and slow down... I hope all the tests come back okay...

I will keep her in my thoughts and prayers.

Seizure? Stroke? 12 years old
 

We had the same thing happen to our Silky Terrier at about 12. It was the same...about 2 a.m. the first time it happened. We had just arrived in Florida. Jasmine had received one of those 6 month heart worm shots the day before in Chicago. Our vet in Florida informed me that they just took that shot off the market and it could have been the cause. It's unusual for a dog to become epileptic at that age...usually that shows up at a much younger age but it wasn't impossible. They put her on phenobarbital. She had a few more episodes over the next 2 years but I know the phenobarbital helped because after they "Upped" her dose they stopped. We lost Jasmine this year due to other age related problems....not the seizures.....and now have a very busy little Yorkie named Taylor. Has your vet suggested phenobarbital? The seizure episodes are very scary and they do lose their coordination and vision until they come out of the seizure. Good luck.

glad to hear that only her BUN was only slightly elevated and nothing else was amis. Hopefully its just a false alarm adn the next blood test will show it to be normal. The heart murmur shouldn't be anything to worry about too much, unless you need to put her under anesthesia for any reason. And i have no idea what to tell you about her anal gland. maybe they can take it out if it starts causing a problem. i've assisted in this weird surgery and the dog (who was much younger) came out a-ok and is doing wonderful now. Good luck with ZuZi!

Phenobarb should only be given if the dog has had more then one or two seizures in a short period of time or the seizure has lasted more then a couple minutes. You can't really be sure what is causing seizures in an older dog. Tests would have to be run, scans done, x-rays done, etc to make sure its nothing more serious before calling it epilepsy and prescribing phenobarb.

ahhh poor baby. it is very difficult to see such a thing. how is she now??

Good luck with your baby and we wish you well....

Seizure? Stroke? 12 years old
 

Hi Kelly,

Jasmine had 3 seizures in one month and many tests were run. It was then that the vet started Phenobarbital. They didn't start the medication after only one seizure. It seemed to work for her.

that's good. glad to hear that the phenobarb is working with your girl. I wasn't saying anything against you. I just didn't want Shelly to think that phenobarb was gonna fix whatever is wrong with Zuzi after having a possible seizure. Alot of people see a dog have a seizure and immediately assume the dog has epilepsy but what lot of people don't know is that epilepsy is basically the term used to describe seizures with no given cause. If tests are run and the doc can't seem to find something wrong, they'll just call it epilepsy and hope the phenobarb does the trick. for some dogs it does. and it works really well. but for other dogs they can take the meds every day and still have a couple seizures a month.

Oh! I'm sorry to hear that! I hope all her blood work comes back normal! Lots of kisses and hugs for your furbaby!


Francie

My mom's cocker spaniel had a seizure just like you described in your first post in the middle of the night. My mom took her straight to the vet the next morning to see what is was wrong with her. Well all her test results came back normal, so the vet said that we would have to wait and see if she had another one. He also said if she does have another seizure to give her peanut butter to bring her sugar levels down. She has been acting normal ever since it has happened, so we just wait and see. I hope you baby is feeling better!!!!

zuzi is doing well
 

Zuzi's blood levels all came back normal, I'm happy to say. She has not had another seizure that we know of.

Now her hearing is going fast and her eye sight is getting pretty fuzzy, but she seems healthy & happy. Thank you all for you concern & insights. :animal36

Right now she is working on getting treats out of her kong. Life is good:thumbup:

Shelley & Zuzi

Glad to hear that!

i know how you feel as i have two 12 year old twin yorkies, they are both very different zac is just like he was as a puppy and has no problems but tye is showing his age he has fluid in his lungs and asthma (not sure how you spell that) also a heart murma, he still loves to play though. the only problem zac had was one night he had fits and the vet run tests which showed problems with his liver, it turned out he had eaten a plastic toy which was toxic, he was fine in a few weeks and his liver went back to normal. sasha there mum started having fits when she was about 2 and over the 12 years i had her i coped with them but when she was 12 they got worse and the vet said she had a enlarged heart which made her fits worse so it might of been to do with your yorkies heart murmer. i hope she gets better soon bless her.