Chihuahua Having Seizures

[Silverduck]

Our 14 year old chihuahua is having seizures. When she first started having them about 2 years ago, they were about 6 months apart, then she started having them about a month apart, she had one last week and just now had another one. The vet thinks she has a brain tumor. How long should we wait to have her put down? I don't won't her to suffer. Has anyone had a dog that had this. It is so pitiful to watch her have a seizure, there is nothing that we can do, the vet said he could give her something for the seizures, but, it would make her sleep.

 

[featherfinder]

If they are getting more frequent and she is in pain then i would do it as soon as you are ready. Its never i good day when you have to make that decision but sometimes it is better then letting them suffer. I would wait another week or so and see if she gets another one and if so then i would make your decision. If not and it goes to being months out again then maybe you can give her a few more months of a great life! I sorry you have this horrible decision

 

[bossynbella]

When I was younger I had a small mix breed terrier/beagle/ ? and at about four years old he started to have seizures. I don't think it was because of a brain tumor though I think it might of been epilepsy? I was to young to really understand. The vet gave us Phenobarbital in the beginning (like the first year) he would just take a half a pill twice a day. He was such a good boy it was easy to give it to him. It didn't make him sleep all the time, he was the same dog as before. It didn't stop the seizures completely, but controlled them, instead of having one a week he could go a month with only one. It was still scary when he had them, but he was his happy self in between. After a year he started to have them more often so they upped it to one pill twice a day. This worked for about a year and a half. One night he was outside and I went to let him in and he was having a seizure, I sat with him for almost two hours (they would usually only last 10 minutes or so) We called the vet twice and the third time they had us bring him in. I never saw him alive again. He passed away the next day at the vets. I still miss my sweet Buster, but would never give up those two and a half extra years the Phenobarbital gave us.

Good luck with your girl, she has had a long life with you and I am sure whatever decision you make will be the right one for you and her.

 

[angie3881]

Quote:
I would do the medicine and see how she reacts. We had a maltese that had seizures all the time when I was a kid. I would be running out the door late for school and have her to leave her alone during one. But, she lived a long and happy life.
Also had a beagle that had them and hers would be often for a month or so, then none for 6 months.
It is hard to decide. You just have to evaluate her quality of life and make the best decision for her.

 

[AinaWGSD]

I'm sorry, it's never an easy decision to make. Seizures in young dogs is usually caused by epilepsy or some environmental factor. However, in geriatric dogs it's more commonly caused by a tumor, particularly in cases where the seizures worsen gradually over time.

It comes down to a quality of life issue. From my understanding, the seizures themselves are not generally painful, but they can be frightening and disorienting. Treating with medication is always an option. Yes, seizure control medications can often make some dogs a little drowsy. However, it's not like the only thing she'll do while she's on the medication is sleep (and, quite honestly she's probably spending a fair amount of time napping and sunbathing as it is anyway with her advanced age). And some dogs don't get drowsy at all on the medication. If it were me, I would probably at least give it a try, maybe just a week or two, and see how she does on it. If you feel it makes her too sleepy to the point that she is missing out on the things she enjoys in life then you're back where you are now. But if it doesn't decrease her quality of life, then it could buy her some more quality time. When to make the decision to let her go really depends on what kind of quality of life she has between seizures and how long she seems disoriented and/or distressed after the seizure.

 

[KDailey]

My mom just recently put down her standard poodle who was somewhere around 10 years old. She started having seizures about a year ago I guess. We didn't realize that was what was happening because we never actually saw her have them, she'd just come inside and her side would be totally dirty, she had a lot of slobber around her mouth and all kinds of leaves stuck to her. She seemed a little "slower" too. We finally saw her do it and took her to the vet and he confirmed them as seizures.

We finally made the decision to put her down when she just layed on the floor and never moved all day. We'd try to let her outside to tinkle and she'd just stand on the deck and stare at the ground. Then when we'd bring her inside she'd just lay around and pee on herself. It was heartbreaking...

 

[Silverduck]

Thanks to everyone who responded. It is truly one of the hardest things to go through. She is like our baby. I did call the vet, he is supposed to call me back. She seems a little disoriented for a while after she has one. She sleeps a lot since she is an older dog. Thanks again, everyone is so nice.

 

[watchdogps]

My advice is to ask her. It may sound odd, but have a little heart to heart and let her know you love her, but you're concerned that maybe she doesnt feel good and would she like to leave? That you will miss her but if she needs to go, it's okay. She'll tell you, you just have to be willing to listen.

 

[Shayna]

I lost my chihuahua to seizures a couple years ago. I had a bond with that dog like no other. I know what you're going through and no one can make the decision better than you on when is the time to let her go. I just wanted to offer my condolences, I know how difficult it is.

 

[Silverduck]

Thank you so much. I cry everytime I see her have one. She is still eating, but sleeps most of the time. She also drinks a lot of water. My DH and I have never had a dog that we were this crazy about. We had a Sheltie 17 years, I still miss her, it has been 10 years. She didn't stay inside. I think because this is an inside dog and she sleeps with me it will be extremely hard. We have decided not to get another dog, we are in our 60's.