Foster dog had a seizure I think...front legs went stiff
 

Hi...looking for anyone with experience with seizures. This morning my foster dog began to shake and when I picked him up his front legs went very stiff and curled...he was un-responsive to me calling him name. It lasted about 2 minutes.

On this past Monday something similiar happened....I thought he had slipped on my hardwood floors and hurt himself..once again his front legs were stiff and bent weird...I immediately jumped in my car and headed to my vets by the time I got here he was fine...I figured he just stunned himself with the fall..now I realize he must have had a seizure that made him fall...he also seemed to be crying that time..


Does anyone have any experince with seizures and one of the symptoms being stiff front legs?

Any advice would be great... I am going to take him to the vets tomorrow but would like any information I can get before I go.... and what tests if any I should have run......

Thanks..

I am sorry your foster dog is having seizures. I have no advice for you, but to get him to the vet ASAP, as you have mentioned your going to. Keep him warm and make him as comfortable as possible. Decrease any kind of stress he might be having, and if there are any other animals in the house, keep him away from them, only to help him feel less anxious. I hope this little guy is going to be ok and feel better.

I know how scary it can be to witness a seizure. It is important to stay calm and be comforting during and after as they are afraid of what is happening too.

It will also be important to keep a record of the events surrounding a seizure...
*how long since eating?
*any stressful situations going on?
*how long it lasted?
*what happened during seizure?

It is good to see a vet ASAP to make sure there isn't poisoning or something involved where immediate treatment is imperative.

Please give us an update soon.

Hi...

Thanks...

1st seizure was at night.... around 6:00 pm had not eaten dinner yet...was coming in the house after being in car with me...I thought he slipped on the floors because I had just had them cleaned...and waxed....as soon as I picked him up and saw the stiff legs...I jumped in the car and rushed to my vets...I called and they knew I was on my way.... brought him to vet and they checked him out...everything was fine...but I thought he had slipped and stunned himself... seizure was over by then I guess

Second time was this am 7am had let him out to use the bathroom he came in and was wobbling weird (he does have neuro problems (head wobbling) but this was different) I am sure if I did not pick him up he would have fallen to the ground... I knew it was a seizure so I held him and stayed as calm as I could.... my vet is not open today and I have no faith in the ER vet here in town... so I will be calling at 8am tomorrow...

After the seizure he was fine wanting to play with the other dogs...there was no stress that I could figure out.... and both times he had not just eaten...I had his BATs tested when I first got him and they are normal...I have a MVD dog and this is different.....

I have a notebook to write anything down... and he has been fine all day

My Lady has had epilepsy since I adopted her at age four. That could be what your foster has.

What kind of neurological problems does he have? The seizures might be related.

As long as he is coming out of seizures, don't worry that you can't get him to the vet today. There really isn't anything that can be done.

This website has been my "bible" for dealing with Lady's epilepsy:

Canine epilepsy and diseases that cause seizures in dogs

This sounds like the exact same symptoms my Alfie has , he has had quite a few seizures now , each time with the stiff front legs , sometimes he drools as well and is very tired after them. Like you at first I thought he had slipped or something . He has had blood test at the vets and nothing shows up , he does not want to put him on any kind of medication just now as the fits are coming about every 6 weeks or so. I have thought of everything Iam giving him, like food , frontline etc I even changed what I use to clean my floors.Sorry I dont have any answers but I know exactly how you feel.:(

Does your foster walk funny before the seizure? Also you mentioned he/she cried out before the first seizure. YOu can have a xray done to check to see if your foster has Altonoaxial Instability. This is a congenital defect (or aquired) in the vertebra in the neck C1 and C2. Please if you would like more information on this PM me. I have a lot of information on this because My little guy has been dealing with it for over 3 years now.
How old is your FOster?? Weight of him/her?

Great advise...I wondered about the crying before the seizure myself...like maybe he's hurt and in pain. Hope you find out what's going on...

Thanks for all the advice and understanding....... it is nice to know I am not alone.... I have been so bad today I don't want him sitting or being on the stairs incase he has another seizure

The neurologist could not pinpoint his exact neurological issues but did rule out a bunch of diagnosis...including Altonoaxial Instability we had full body x-rays done on him. He is 10 months old and weighs 4 1/2 lbs. The neurologist felt he was delayed but should catch up. His only real symptom for his neuro issues has been his head wobbling at times and his quirkiness....

My concern is he had one on Monday and another already today...so that is not even a week apart.....


Isn't it so scary....this poor dog I just feel he has alot going on and we might never figure it all out... I will look at the website now....

Thanks again....

How is your Foster dog doing today. Did you get him to the vet. Let us know...

And you said he did have a bile acids test? Paired samples around a meal? His symptoms sound like classic shunt symptoms.

This article from Dr. Center explains exactly how a bile acids test should be done. If you think there is a possibility it wasn't done according to this protocol, I would repeat it.

PSVA and MVD Research Summary

No seizures today...my vet was closed due to the snow storm we got hit with...she did call me on the phone and discussed the symptoms...I am going to bring him in tomorrow for her to look at him... and decide what if any testing should be done....

He is acting perfectly normal.....


Yes we did a bile acid test with the drawing blood, feeding, wait two hours and blood drawn again....it was normal....

My Quinn has MVD and my vet has done bile acids on him a few times and he is under her care...so I am confident they did the test correct. Luckily only one time Quinn has had an episiode and this was different from Emerson. Also Emerson's head wobble is different....they called it an intention tremor meaning it wobbles more when he is focusing on something....

The first test I had run on him was the bile acid test because of his size, he was ony 2.8lbs when I got him, and the head wobble..

Kerri

I am sorry this baby is going through this! It is so hard...I know, I lost my baby boy yorkie Pepper at 3 1/2 to an illness called Cerebellar Abiotrophy, a neurological illness. In the beginning Pepper would have bouts of looking almost drunk (I called it his dingy spells...head wobbling, stumbling, couldn't walk across the room without falling over, couldn't pee without me to hold him up or eat and so on. The vets did all of the tests and by a process of elimination because every test came back good we figured out it HAD to be CA. if you are interested in the info I found out about this please PM me and I will send it to you. Pepper had seizures toward the end. Now, for him because we KNEW how bad his CA was we didn't even try medication....I doubt very seriously that your baby is in that catagory so I don't want to scare you! For Pepper his illness just got so bad...he had his "dingy" spells everyday and they lasted for hours..his life became a burden to him. I am not saying any of this very well and have probably scared you half to death...please understand that what Pepper had was very rare so it is unlikely that your pup has it! Anyway, if I can help in any way please PM me!

Has your vet considered GME?

Hi...

When I first got Emerson I went on the internet right away and GME came up in my search, I joined their chat group....and found out I am lucky to live in Boston and be very close to Dr. Sisson (the guro)....I had already brought Emerson to one neurologist who really did not give me any answers or rule anything out...so I ended up taking him to Dr. Sisson who ruled out GME and a couple of other neuro issues....

At the time Emerson was not getting worse infact his head wobbling was getting better...this of course was before he had the two seizures.... if my vet cannot come up with anything and the seizures continue....I could always consult back with Dr. Sisson.....

I also did look up cerrebular abiotrophy...because his issues appear to be in his cerrebulum....the one thing with Emerson is that he has had these issues basically since he was born...and really only had the head wobbling till now...it is so hard because sometimes you never get an answer....

He is playing right now with another foster...he is so full of energy...

Well it sounds as if Emerson has the best of the best as far as vets are concerned. I do hope you are able to figure out what's going on with him. The not knowing and constant worrying and wondering can drive a person crazy. I've never been able to find out why Winston at 2 years old, he's now 5, started having hypoglycemic seizures. All the test he's had revealed nothing out of the ordinary...other then dangerously low glucose levels. He eats very well and is far from tiny...he's pushing 9 pounds now...from frequent feedings trying to avoid another episode. I feel your frustration...I really do. I will keep your baby in my thoughts and prayers.

Hey, I'm sory to hear about the seizures. My Sophie has had siezures for the past year. I have her on Phenobarbital twice daily and it helps so much. I've also found that if they come to you before they get really stiff in the limbs, my Sophie does this before a seizure, sets really unsteady and comes to be by me. I give her a fairly rough massage and it calms her down so she doesn't go into full on seizures. She went from having them almost every other day to maybe once a month or once every two. The vets call them idiomatic seizures and doesn't know why she has them, anyway massage and pheno has helped her substantially.

Thank you for your support and you are right the hardest part is not knowing and wondering.... I spoke with my vet and he just had recent bloodwork and everything was normal....so we are waiting and watching..... and if he has another seizure I am going to bring him right in for blood work...I am hoping of course he does not have another seizure...

I will def. try massage if I see him acting weird again...I could tell something was wrong before the second one...and I already had him in my arms before the legs got still

Emerson is fmy oster and I have had him for over 5 months now due to the neuro issue and leg surgeries...and I was just bringing myself to come to terms he is ready to move on and have been going through apps...now with the onset of these two seizues...I just dont think he is ready till I see if he has another one and how often....he really is a special little guy

The massage is usually best up around the front shoulders and neck/ears area. My boyfriend is a paramedic and said acidic food and trears can trigger seizures in people (I used to give Sophie apples) I changed her treats to carrots and reducing the acid intake may have helped too.

I am watching everything that he eats to see if this is the cause.... so far he has not had another seizure...but then I am not with him all the time.... so I worry he has had one and I don't know...

He continues to be very playful as usual so that is good..

Just checking in to see how Emerson is doing today.:)

Hi...Thank you for checking in......Emerson is doing well...no seizures or anything else of concern.... just praying it stays like this...

Emerson had another seizure tonight...well actually two. I had just got home from work and was cleaning a pee spot when I heard him whining and moaning...he was flat on the ground....front legs stiff again...

He came out of it pretty fast...and began to play with one of my dogs... I called the other person in my rescue to let her know I was on my way to the vets for blood work and he then had another one which was different from the other one...

When I got to the vets he was just coming out of it, this one lasted longer and he seemed more dazed after than others......she labeled it a petite mal seizure.... had all tests run on him...full blood work, glucose....and everything was normal...

I am going to have his BATs redone..they were a few months ago and maybe something has changed...but his ALT was normal....

Please say a prayer for this little guy...

Thanks...

Being that they are coming that frequently, he should be put on medication until the cause is found. How is he doing now?

My vets wants to wait and see what his bile acid levels look like again before considering medication....she would prefer not to medicate him.....he is on a low protein diet noe and we will have his levels tested next week... to see how his liver is functioning....

He is fine right now.... running around and playing with my other dogs...

Im so sorry he had a seizure again. Are you a member of the Yahoo support group for liver shunt and Mvd. There is so much info they send you that may help ease the seisures. My Manolo would seisure just like that. He would get stiff and just whine. I changed his diet and he is a different dog. Except the other day I gave him a Heartguard and I think he had a mild seisure. Hours later he just layed and whined but not out of it or stiff...Weird. I think Heartguard is meat flavor..Please keep us informed ..

Hi Kerrianne Im so sorry that Emerson has had another seizure. Alfie also had one on Tuesday night and did not want to do much for a day or so . we are in the same situation as you bloodtest all come back normal and vet does not want to start him on any meds. Good luck I hope litle Emmerson is OK.:animal-pa

Was a CT or MRI done on his neck/spine :confused:

I am doing research right now for my Mom's pup Cole and I am wondering if he has a spinal issue :confused:

I do belong to a liver?MVD group as my Quinn has MVD...but never had a seizure...I will write to them and see what they suggest..thanks for the idea..

Does Manalo have MVD or liver issues? All of Emerson's blood work points to his liver being fine..

Emerson has only had x-rays done on his spine, and there was nothing noted of concern...all his vertrbreas are attached and lined up....

Sorry to hear about Alfie...it is just so sad...Emerson was still basically seizing when they took his blood and ran all the tests... and still nothing....

Yes he does have a mild MVD and does not have a shunt. I hope everything works out for you guys. You sound like you are doing your homework...Did you by any chance change his food to low protein? Just wondering...Manolos bile test was 18/60 and his Biopsy showed no shunt. You know whats so funny, I gave him his heart guard the other day and hours later he had a mild seisure. I think they are meat flavor..Not sure...I hope everything works out. Please keep us posted...