0
   

Emergency Seizures Help!!

 
 
Chumly
 
Reply Fri 20 Jul, 2007 06:08 pm
My Chow Chow had a two or three medium to milder seizures today, each lasting about one or two minutes, each weaker in succession, and each separated by about three to five minutes. Her body jerked spasmodically, her legs moved as if trying to run, and she foamed at the mouth.

Now it could be from the heat as Chows are sensitive to the heat and it has been very hot as of late. I put a fan by her and it seems to have helped a lot.

Or it could be the food, "Kirkland Signature Lamb and Rice" but it's not on any recall lists that I'm aware of, and I have been feeding her this food for 10 years.

Or it could be that she is getting old, as she 10 years old now, and Chows are not the longestest living breed, and I've read that they are more prone to health issues than other breeds, especially as they age, and she has a number of increasingly larger cysts that the vet insists are not unusual and very likely benign.

Note she has often foamed at the mouth when in contact with other dogs (gets her stressed I would imagine) so the combination of stress and heat causing this foaming would not be wholly unexpected.

I am think that taking her to the vet would simply cause increased stress, but getting her off the "Kirkland Signature Lamb and Rice" dry food and onto an all natural cooked diet in combination with the cooling fan might be my best bet.

BTW although it has been particularly hot as of late, today is not overly hot, but I suppose the effects of excess heat on an older dog with such long hair might be cumulative. She has never been happy in the summer despite the fact that I shave her down every spring and has only been truly happy temperature-wise when her belly is resting on the snow.

I suppose also she could have been suffering from a heart attack.

Oh I forgot to add, the last few years she has slowed down immensely (and she was never that active a dog to start with) and it's clear she has arthritis (and related joint pains) so much so that some times she cannot get up to walk. And yes I have tried various remedies to no great avail, but I wonder if it's related to the seizures?

I am very saddened over this turn of events for my wonder-dog Daizey.

I Goggled "dog seizure" and got this:

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=dog+seizure&meta=
  • Topic Stats
  • Top Replies
  • Link to this Topic
Type: Discussion • Score: 0 • Views: 2,725 • Replies: 34
No top replies

 
sozobe
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Jul, 2007 06:32 pm
Re: Emergency Seizures Help!!
Chumly wrote:

I am think that taking her to the vet would simply cause increased stress,


Can't you just call the vet, Chumly?

Best of luck...
0 Replies
 
ehBeth
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Jul, 2007 06:33 pm
I'm sorry to hear that Daizey's not doing well right now, Chumley.

Keeping her cool's probably one of the best ideas. Make sure she's got lots of water (but not too cold when it's hot out - you don't want the added complication of bloat).

If you're planning to switch her diet, don't do it 100% at a time. That'll be rough on her innards.

If she's on dry lamb and rice kibble - make some nice (unsalted) chicken broth for her - add some cooked rice - and give her a couple of tablespoons of that with a half or one third portion of her regular kibble. See how she feels about that. If you're feeling like a particularly good doggie daddy, give her a couple of cut-up cooked baby carrots as well. Ease her tummy into the change.
0 Replies
 
Chumly
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Jul, 2007 06:47 pm
Re: Emergency Seizures Help!!
sozobe wrote:
Chumly wrote:

I am think that taking her to the vet would simply cause increased stress,


Can't you just call the vet, Chumly?

Best of luck...
Oh yep I've called a few now, getting the general consensus.
0 Replies
 
Chumly
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Jul, 2007 06:49 pm
ehBeth wrote:
I'm sorry to hear that Daizey's not doing well right now, Chumley.

Keeping her cool's probably one of the best ideas. Make sure she's got lots of water (but not too cold when it's hot out - you don't want the added complication of bloat).

If you're planning to switch her diet, don't do it 100% at a time. That'll be rough on her innards.

If she's on dry lamb and rice kibble - make some nice (unsalted) chicken broth for her - add some cooked rice - and give her a couple of tablespoons of that with a half or one third portion of her regular kibble. See how she feels about that. If you're feeling like a particularly good doggie daddy, give her a couple of cut-up cooked baby carrots as well. Ease her tummy into the change.
Makes sense!
0 Replies
 
ossobuco
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Jul, 2007 06:56 pm
Sympathy, chumly and Daizey..
0 Replies
 
Chumly
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Jul, 2007 06:56 pm
This site seems quite to the point

http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/overview.html

Quote:
Diet:
Diet plays an important role in the management of Canine Epilepsy. It is very important to feed a kibble that is preservative free. Preservatives such as Ethoxyquin and BHT, BHA should be avoided as they can cause seizures. Many "Supermarket " foods are loaded with chemical dyes and preservatives, buy a high quality kibble made from "human grade" ingredients or better yet cook for your dog or feed a raw ( BARF) diet.


Also I forgot to mention I have been using a some zippy solvents the last few days to clean some music gear components and fireplace parts, the house was full of it. I've also removed her newer flea collar.

Quote:
Environment:
It is important to keep your epileptic dog as free from chemical pollutants as possible. Think about the environment your dog is living in. Do you use chemical sprays on your lawn? Dogs will sometimes seize only when the lawn is sprayed for weeds. How about the cleaner you use for the floor? Some dogs have been known to seize after the floor has been washed with a pine scented cleaner. Flea and tick medications can also cause seizures.
0 Replies
 
Chumly
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Jul, 2007 06:58 pm
ossobuco wrote:
Sympathy, chumly and Daizey..
Thank you my dear, I know you're had your troubles too, it's heartbreaking, it is.
0 Replies
 
ossobuco
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Jul, 2007 07:04 pm
Chumly/Daizey(sp?) hugs.
0 Replies
 
ehBeth
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Jul, 2007 07:25 pm
Can you do a vinegar and water rinse, get rid of some of the chemical left-overs in Daizey's environment?
0 Replies
 
Chumly
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Jul, 2007 07:44 pm
Sure and I could give her a bath too 'cause she kind'a smells. As we speak I'm feeding her some white rice, boiled chicken with a dash of milk. Pretty benign me hopes.
0 Replies
 
ehBeth
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Jul, 2007 07:46 pm
Watch out for that milk. It can lead to tummy wobbles in dogs.
0 Replies
 
Chumly
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Jul, 2007 07:48 pm
OK no more milk.
0 Replies
 
ehBeth
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Jul, 2007 07:56 pm
If you think she's having trouble with the heat, give this a try

Quote:
* Rub alcohol under the toe pads. This helps to cool the body.


(I'm thinking this is useful information for all of the dog lovers around here)

http://www.pets.ca/articles/article-heatstroke.htm
0 Replies
 
littlek
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Jul, 2007 07:59 pm
yikes! Chumly, Daizey - good luck!
0 Replies
 
OGIONIK
 
  1  
Reply Sat 21 Jul, 2007 08:32 am
MY LITTLE DOG was having seizures and she has tumors too. The seizures went away but i cant do anything about her tumors.

shes 13, best of luck, my dog perked up a month after the first seizure but she hasnt exactly been energetic.
0 Replies
 
littlek
 
  1  
Reply Sat 21 Jul, 2007 10:16 pm
Chumly, how's it going?
0 Replies
 
Chumly
 
  1  
Reply Sun 22 Jul, 2007 01:06 am
Not too bad all said and done! I gave her a mega-bath and tried to air out the house as best I could. We had about 15 house guests over tonight for snacks and such and Daizey wandered about with some attention but not like she used to a few years ago.

There is no question she is "losing it" to some degree and she now has a tendency to find quiet dark spaces to escape to. But all in all I suspect it's the best I can hope for under the circumstances of an aging best friend.

I don't look forward to her death.

You're very kind for asking.
0 Replies
 
Montana
 
  1  
Reply Sun 22 Jul, 2007 01:29 am
((((((((((Chumly))))))))))
0 Replies
 
Eva
 
  1  
Reply Sun 22 Jul, 2007 02:20 pm
I'm sorry to hear your furbuddy isn't doing so well, Chumly.

Give her an extra belly-scratch for me.
0 Replies
 
 

Related Topics

Feline Leukemia - Contagiousness - Question by CDobyns
A big hound dog killed BBB's little Dolly dog today - Discussion by BumbleBeeBoogie
Tigers and Pigs... - Discussion by gungasnake
Fertilizer - Discussion by cjhsa
The Imaginary Garden - Discussion by dlowan
Informed Consent? - Discussion by roger
Me a cat hater? - Discussion by Craven de Kere
Dressing dogs - Question by TooFriendly112
My pussy getting weaker.. - Question by pearl123
Choosing good dog food? - Discussion by roycovin
 
  1. Forums
  2. » Emergency Seizures Help!!
Copyright © 2024 MadLab, LLC :: Terms of Service :: Privacy Policy :: Page generated in 0.03 seconds on 04/24/2024 at 05:05:30