So one of my little rescue doggies -9.5lb, F, 6 year old rat terrier(we think) started having “seizures” pretty much as soon as we brought her home. They are infrequent, happening probably every 6 weeks or so, sometimes months apart, and are really strange. She is coherent and responsive during the episodes, does not lose control of her bowels, and they only last for 30-90 seconds. Additionally, she gives the appearance of being “stuck” in an odd position, kind of like my foot will feel if it gets a cramp in the middle of the night, if you know what I mean. She doesn’t tremble or foam, just kinda walks around or stands vey oddly with a nervous look on her face and unable to untwist her little pretzel self. I always pick her up and hold her until it ends, which seems to soothe her.
I have talked with the vet about it and he says it sounds like this Canine Epileptoid Cramping Syndrome, which is NOT epilepsy, since she doesn’t lose her senses and is resposive throughout the seizures. He recommended a diet change, as this is a relatively “new” thing usually seen in border collies, and the only other route of treatment is basically prozac or diazapam (sp??) and the diet changes tend to work just as well. Also, since i have yet to be able to catch an episode on camera to show him, and we cannot recreate it in the office, he is reluctant to prescribe anything especially since the episodes are so infrequent and aren’t really affecting her quality of life, which I agree with.
So, this has been a really long winded post to basically ask if anyone here has any experiences with this syndrome, and if you have any tried and true homeopathic type remedies. Vet said go gluten free and hypoallergenic with the food and see if that helps. brand ideas? My other dog is already on a prescription diet for other issues, this is getting complicated, lol.
TIA!!
My rat terrier did the same, was stuck with a foot stiffly out there, or any other such.
I did take pictures and videos, our vets put them up on VIN.
Specialists looked at them and on their recommendation we put her on phenobarbital and they stopped.
Two years later, we weaned her off the medication and she has been seizure free since then, but they probably will show up again some day.
My computer crashed and I lost all the pictures, sorry.
Our vets seemed to think they were plain seizures, just small ones.
They started when she was two and had several a day most days, for just a minute or two.
Sometimes those kind are sugar metabolism related, so if you feed your dog several small meals a day, they don’t show up.
Since my dog had several a day, we went with the medication, but she has been on free choice dog food since anyway.
Thanks, bluey- dud the phenobarbital make your pup cranky? I know it can do that in horses and people.
No side effects for her, she was the same dog on or off the medication.
It was a small dose, not like is used for dogs with serious, debilitating, minutes long epileptic seizures.
Mid walk my dog suddenly and for the first time had a neurological event. It had resolved by the time we got to the emergency vet’s, but we stuck around for an eval (I was there anyway…) and she had another one while they were getting her vitals.
I think it may have been CECS, after reading about it and watching videos online. When I described her “seizures” to the triage people, and even the vet, were disbelieving (no, that’s not the right word. Wary? Uncertain?) of my description of what happened. Now I see why- seizures and what my dog did are kind of rather different.
They’re doing a full panel of labs and monitoring her overnight- I’ll know more tomorrow morning. But part of me hopes it is this and not regular epilepsy… the prognosis/course seem more manageable. She’s a mutt, but we’re almost certain she has Boarder Collie or something like that in her (4 white feet, stripe/snip of white, 50lbs, athletic little running bugger).
Obviously I will advocate for my pet, etc, but how much of a fruit loop may I been seen as if I ask the techs to leave the vet a note about my idea? I thought a nice neutral way would be to say I saw a video on YouTube of a dog that was having an event kind of like my dog’s, if they want to see it to get a better understanding of what I saw.
I definitely would bring this up, your vet should be interested and follow thru if it is not aware of this differential diagnosis, even if it does fall under epilepsy.
Your vet will have to rule all else out, it could be anything and some of that may need other treatment, like some kind of liver problems.
If it is idiopathic epilepsy, of this kind or any other, a few months of medication may do it, giving your dog’s system time to mature and change past that glitch, as mine did.
It is very strange and my dog did that some times up to three times an hour, where she would be playing or walking around and seemed to get stuck with one leg, front or back, stuck out stiffly and could not move for a bit, then back to playing.
I may find some pictures printed at that time, my computer crashed and this new one doesn’t has those any more.
Dogs do the strangest things, do they.:eek:
yes, Bluey- my dogs (and horses) are always coming up with creative ways to cost me more money.
But Jaideux, any vet worth their weight will welcome insight that you may have- i think it shows that you are a compassionate and thoughtful owner. I don’t think they’ll think you’re a fruit loop at all:)
I am starting to feel lucky that my critter only has these “episodes” very infrequently…if she were to have 2 in one day i’m sure i would be distraught.
