URGENT!!! What just happened? Seizure, cramp, stroke???

[Petra]

I was watching TV, Bennie was in his bed a couple of meters away from me.

Suddenly he just got up, he was walking stiff, back humped, claws clinched out, head almost down on the floor, stumbling like he was going to fall.

I rushed up to help him and he kept walking forward for another couple of meters before laying down, he didn't collapse, he just laid down, he was laying for a few seconds and then he got up again to lean against the wall. As he was leaning against the wall he started to become less tense and now he's normal again.

It all lasted for about a minute... I was on the phone with the vet from the start, she says I should monitor him today and if he does something out of character I can bring him in right away.

He was looking into my eyes a few times during this session, he didn't seem "gone", he was aware.

It was so scary, I thought I was losing him but now he's sleeping in his bed like if nothing happened... he seems perfectly normal. No panting, no more stiff walking or anything...

He has gotten Rabies vaccine in preparation for the trip to Sweden in March...

On October 4th he got micro chipped, base rabies shot, yearly vaccine and Milbemax de-worming.

On November 6th he got the followup rabies shot.

But these things shouldn't cause any issues by now right?

 

[Ftse 100]

Petra, my pug had a stroke and he couldn't walk stand up or anything but that's not saying Bennie hasn't just that's how Pugsley was I pray it doesn't happen again, maybe it's a reaction to one of the meds he has had keep us posted

 

[Petra]

Thank you Julie [MENTION=4573]Ftse 100[/MENTION] <3 He's still fine, he's sleeping now and I'm just sitting here staring at him so he's breathing... It's almost a month since my Pug Lycka died... and I'm still a mess after that. If I can't hear them breath or see movement I freak out, it's horrible. I tend to overreact but I don't think I did this time, it was terrifying.

I really don't know what to think of it... If it happens again I won't be able to have him fly to Sweden unless I can get a cause and a cure. Hopefully it was just cramp... but what if it wasn't :'(

 

[ddnene]

Oh gosh... I'm not sure, maybe it was a reaction to the rabies. I know that Jim had issues w/Chumley after he had his shots... I would keep an eye on him today, and see if he's acting strange.

 

[Petra]

Oh gosh... I'm not sure, maybe it was a reaction to the rabies. I know that Jim had issues w/Chumley after he had his shots... I would keep an eye on him today, and see if he's acting strange.

It's been four hours since it happened and he's acting completely normal... I'll call the vet soon to tell her so she knows before they close for the day. I also want to ask her to see if she's got an idea of what it could be. I know she'll never suggest that the rabies shot could cause this cos... well... that's the way she is... and it has been 3 weeks since he got the shot... I'd think he would react sooner if it was that?

My childhood dog once had a seizure type of episode, it only happened once and she was fine after that, but she fell to the floor and was laying on her side being unresponsive. We never got to know what caused it.

 

[oscarmayer]

FWIW, something to run by your vet...

You might consider a heart workup....even an EKG. Some episodes like this can be attributed to a diminished blood supply to the brain. He may have experienced a short period of tachycardia. It gives now warning and can start stop at any time. If so this can usually be managed with meds.
I hope all goes well...you could use a break, or two.

 

[RiiSi]

Hopefully it was a one time thing, but do you have a video camera on your phone? If so, keep it handy and get on a video if it happens again.

 

[Petra]

Hopefully it was a one time thing, but do you have a video camera on your phone? If so, keep it handy and get on a video if it happens again.

I was thinking about it but I was on the phone with the vet while it was going on so I couldn't

 

[Petra]

FWIW, something to run by your vet...

You might consider a heart workup....even an EKG. Some episodes like this can be attributed to a diminished blood supply to the brain. He may have experienced a short period of tachycardia. It gives now warning and can start stop at any time. If so this can usually be managed with meds.
I hope all goes well...you could use a break, or two.

Thanks for the info I talked to the vet, she says I should take him in if it happens again... but the vet here can't do anything of the above, for these things we'll have to go to the capital.

We're scheduled for the rabies antibody blood test on the 6th of December so I'll talk to her then about it... if it doesn't happen again of course, then we'll take him to the capital for testing.

 

[Vikinggirl]

You've already been given great advice to watch and monitor him, and you've been in contact with the vet, so you're doing all you can. I don't know what could have caused this to happen to Bennie, but my dads dog developed epilepsy and had similar symptoms. He was okay on medication. I hope it doesn't happen again and he's okay. Please keep us posted on how he's doing. Sending hugs and prayers that Bennie is fine.

 

[helsonwheels]

From what you discribed sounds like a mild stroke. It's exact same movements and then the relaxation as the human. Last approximately 10 mins Like mentioned above a vet for sure and EKG. Hang in there im sure Bennie will be fine.

 

[2BullyMama]

No words of advice.. gang gave dome great insight. Sending you lots of hugs and praying he is fine.

Keep us posted


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[Lalaloopsie]

From your description I can presume : It's definitely not a stroke, as there are no consequences. It could be some kind of heart issues, which caused temporary shortage of brain blood supply, but then you most probably won't be able to diagnose it without Holter ECG monitoring, what means that small ECG thing takes data for 2-3 days and catches all mistakes in heart rate. So, when you plan your visit to Joburg check with vet clinic if they have Holter.
To my human doctor eye, it looks like a tonic epileptic fit. They can be partial, or focal. In this case he will be alert.
For sure it can be caused by rabies vaccine. The action of vaccine developes slowly, not overnight, so 3 weeks is actually very normal time to develop seizure. But you mustn't panic, it can be just one episode which will never repeat. So, you have to watch him closely and wait.

 

[Petra]

From your description I can presume : It's definitely not a stroke, as there are no consequences. It could be some kind of heart issues, which caused temporary shortage of brain blood supply, but then you most probably won't be able to diagnose it without Holter ECG monitoring, what means that small ECG thing takes data for 2-3 days and catches all mistakes in heart rate. So, when you plan your visit to Joburg check with vet clinic if they have Holter.
To my human doctor eye, it looks like a tonic epileptic fit. They can be partial, or focal. In this case he will be alert.
For sure it can be caused by rabies vaccine. The action of vaccine developes slowly, not overnight, so 3 weeks is actually very normal time to develop seizure. But you mustn't panic, it can be just one episode which will never repeat. So, you have to watch him closely and wait.

Thank you, I'm luckily always home so I've been able to check him nonstop since yesterday. I can't see anything different with him, and trust me I'm looking for issues, I barely slept during the night...

We recently got a new vet, he's a specialist in brachycephalic dogs, he's working at Onderstepoort veterinarian academic hospital. It's a veterinary university but they have tons of specialists there to teach the students. They're also the only place in South Africa that has developed a special replacement joint for bulldogs with hip dysplasia, as their joints are a bit different from a "normal" dog. I think that's pretty cool. I'm sure they'd have the equipment needed there...

I was thinking... this couldn't be caused by some type of diabetes? My vet here says she thinks Bennie is overweight... I'll post some pics of him now.

 

[Petra]

He's born 24 May 2010, and he weighs 29kg (64lbs), he's also neutered which makes them a bit less fit...

Is he too fat? The vet here in town thinks so, but we're the only ones with bulldogs probably in the whole province... so she wont see one basically ever...

I don't know how diabetes symptoms work