My 5 year old Aussie had an eplileptic episode

[Breakaway500]

I was away Thurdays and came home to a greeting from my wife that Al,the 5 year old healthy Aussie Shepherd, was having some sort of bad neurological problem.Al then greeted me, 3 sheets to the wind!! It was scary.

When she had retrieved him from the garage at noon, he seemed a bit wobbly on his feet but ran to the house. At 2:30 he started to shake uncontrollably and then snapped out of it in about 20 seconds. He then seemed OK..until 4: 30 and started to shake and his eyes rolled into his head. It lasted 3-4 minuted and afterwards Al could barely sit up. His voice was slurred and his head was bobbing back and forth. She thought of calling me but knew how that news would devastate me and a wild ride home would only ensue. Bless her decision.

She tried the vets but could not reach anyone but receptionists.
Since Al wasn't bleeding or in any direct pain she waited for me.

I arrived home about 6 to a dog that seemed very drunk or drugged. It was a shock.

I thought at first he may have gotten into something in the shop but I am very very careful of not making that mistake and I found nothing.

After talking to people on the phone we started to believe he had a stroke or seizure.
Since strokes are not common in healthy young dogs a seizure seemed to be the most probable cause.

By midnight Thurdays he was walking almost normal but still the voice was off and he was scared. Still having trouble controlling his bladder.

By early morning on Friday his voice was normal and walking was straight. Still somewhat confused. Who wouldn't be.

By 8am Friday we went for a walk and he was able to run.I kept a very close eye on him. By noon Friday..24hrs after the episode,he seemed back to normal.A little reserved and cautious.

This Saturday morning he is 100% his old self.

God bless small miracles.

I will do some follow up tests at the vets but on the phone they told me it was probably some sort of epileptic incident.

Welcome back, Alphonse.. you sideways dog..

 

[johngalt]

Prayers that he is ok. Definitely follow up with the vet. My sister had an Australian Cattle Dog that started having seizures, the doc put it on a anti-seizure med. It seemed to do the job.

 

[KalamazooKid]

Awe, welcome back Alphonse! Prayers for a full recovery. From a family full of blue Merle Aussiedoodles! [emoji3590]

 

[Kenna]

Hope all works out for your dog and family.

 

[Grayfox]

With some dogs this is just something that happens now and then. Years ago my little furball mutt suddenly just stretched out in the floor and went into a seizure. Scared the hell outta us and we rushed him to the vet. He checked out fine. Vet said that some dogs just do this from time to time. Over the next month or two he had a couple of more of these seizures, but then they stopped and never happened again. I can't explain it, but he came through it just fine.

 

[M29since14]

We had a Saint that was epileptic and had to take the pills every day, which he never seemed to mind. That’s not the end of the world, I guess. He still had seizures now and then but they did not last long, and he recovered from them quickly. He was a great family dog. He certainly did not “deserve” such a malady, but we play the cards we’re dealt. I still miss him. I hope you follow up with your vet and get your buddy whatever treatment seems wise. Best of luck to you and Al.

 

[F4phantom]

We had a dog that had seizures. We were showing her at the time and she had a number of vaccinations. One we stooped all the "medications" for heat worm and various diseases, the seizures stopped. The only thing we do now is rabies vaccination for our dogs. Now they are mostly house dogs and we control where they roam. We treat the yard for fleaa and ticks. They don't run in the wooded areas where the deer roam.

 

[mckenney99]

I had a Siberian Husky that started having seizures when he was fairly young and was ultimately diagnosed with Epilepsy. I made it a game with him getting a treat after taking each pill and eventually all I had to say was "pill time" and he would run to me, stick his head through my legs from behind and stick his nose up and open his mouth. Major did continue to have seizures, even when on his meds, but when he felt one coming on, he would run to my wife or I to be held. Later on we adopted an older female Husky and she would sense when he had a seizure coming on and she would "hover" and "mother" him when the seizures occurred. Major lived a long healthy life (14 or 15 years) other than the seizure issue.

 

[16thVACav]

Best wishes for your pup.

 

[jimmyj]

Many eons ago when I was a small lad in the rural community we lived in, a certain time of the years dogs would have "Fits". They would start howling/barking and run around jumping like they were crazy. This would scare us kids BIG TIME ! Our normal defense was to run inside the houses until the "Fits" were over.

 

[Breakaway500]

"Once we stopped all the "medications" for heat worm and various diseases, the seizures stopped."

Interesting...3 weeks ago Al went in for a variety of inoculations. Whether it's related or not..I"ll probably never know.

Thanks for all the good wishes and stories as I was not really sure how often this happened to other dogs.

Al was out today chasing rabbits..his favorite hobby .

I have to say..this sure scared the Hell out of me and the wife. We lost our 13 yr old Aussie girl Zorra suddenly in July to a "burst tumor" and my best human friend in May (Dan) to the evil Pancreatic cancer. I don't want 2022 to be remembered as the year of death.

 

[Marshwheeling]

"Once we stopped all the "medications" for heat worm and various diseases, the seizures stopped."

Interesting...3 weeks ago Al went in for a variety of inoculations. Whether it's related or not..I"ll probably never know.

Thanks for all the good wishes and stories as I was not really sure how often this happened to other dogs.

Al was out today chasing rabbits..his favorite hobby .

I have to say..this sure scared the Hell out of me and the wife. We lost our 13 yr old Aussie girl Zorra suddenly in July to a "burst tumor" and my best human friend in May (Dan) to the evil Pancreatic cancer. I don't want 2022 to be remembered as the year of death. [/QUOTe

What kind of tumor was it? My toy Aussie Gracie, 14, gave in to a mammary tumor last may. A number of her ancestors have gone down the same way.

 

[GaryS]

I'm glad your pup is doing well. They are very good looking dogs.


My daughter is dog sitting an Aussie this weekend, handsome dog. He has even bonded with her jerk cat who doesn't like anyone. They've been eating each others food and there has even been some butt sniffing going on.

 

[Doug M.]

Several years ago, one of our dogs had two seizures in a short period of time after being boarded (at a kennel we have used many times). The vet could not find anything wrong with him, and we had him on some medication for a month or so after that. He never did have another seizure and we never understood what happened.

 

[Breakaway500]

"What kind of tumor was it?" (Zorra,my 13yr old Aussie that died in July of this year)

The Cat scan showed a shadow on Zorras liver, but without actually "going in" it was just their best theory. Her white cell blood count was off the chart. There was NO indication of a problem before the day it "burst".

I did not want to leave her there for them to dissect after they put her down as I always bury my pets in the big field. So I got the $50 cardboard coffin.
It was a very sad/bad day.

Thank GOD I didn't have to repeat it on Thursday with Al.