I Think My Collie had a Seizure, HELP AND ADVICE PLEASE!

[EweSheep]

Collies and shelties are notorious for having seizures, depending on the bloodlines. One line would be affected more than the other. My parents used to raise show collies back in the 80's and they were aware of seizures in collies. Some will lead long lives with treatments and others were so severe that they had to be put down because the meds were so expensive. We take all of our puppies to U of I for complete tests for eyes, hips and genetic problems that might crop up later in their lives.

Also flea medications and heartworm meds can bring it up as well. They are ultra sensitive on those kind of drugs. Your vet will have to swish meds if your dog is taking them and getting reactions from it.

Borzois are bad on that one too as well as strokes. I used to have three Borzois and one had a stroke and his brother died of tumor cancer in stomach.

Have your dog tested out and your vet would advise the best way to get him the help he needs.

 

[dixiechick]

May want to time the seizures too...if they happen for a long time (5-10 min) they are more serious. You collie is likely to want to run to you for comfort as he will feel it coming on too....happens with our pets from time to time....I inquired about meds but very expensive and the long term effects were not good either (to treat short, occasional seizures).

Our vet said to watch, time, and offer comfort for the smaller ones....

But I would check with my vet too....

Very scary when you see the first one....praying for your collie that this is only isolated!

 

[supdude]

well he got groomed and they said he some sores on his back so my mom put some neosporin on them. thats the ONLY thing diffrent he doesnt go on adventures or eat diffrent stuff. hes is totally fine now hes walking around like nothing happened. i don't know, it could have been only 1 seizure, the incident lasted maybe 30 -40 minutes - first he growled and layed down i could see all his paws were TENSE like having a charlie horse, he tried to stand 3,4 times but his legs wouldn't bend, then he vomited and defecated, about 20 min he got up, walked drunk and layed down agian, then 5 min later got up and pooed ALOT on the kitchen floor then layed down agian a little tense and drooling for 10 min, now hes walking around just fine, like i said, he never shook or spazzed out, just layed there all tense

 

[seminolewind]

My Boston started having seizures 4 years ago. He started meds a year ago cause he started seizing over and over again. A few months ago, he started seizing again, and they were really bad. He had a few grand mal seizures in a row, and in between, he was having petit mal ones. His tongue turned blue. They don't breathe during seizures. Then he couldn't walk. I took him to the vet and they added Potassium Bromide, he seems fine now.
I didn't want to start meds, but changed my mind. It was just too awful, and I worried that he might think he was being punished for something. I could cry, it's really awful to watch one.

 

[Sparrow]

The drooling sounds like he got into something toxic. I have never seen a dog have an epileptic seizure inperson, but they always seem to drool when they are poisoned. Also, the fact that he pooped a LOT, maybe he was trying to clear something bad out of his system?

 

[seminolewind]

Seizures are usually accompanied by drooling, foaming, urinating and pooping.

 

[go-veggie]

Quote:
Sparrow---your Steve Irwin quote is GREAT! He was a good man...the animals of the world lost a huge voice when he died. I'm reading "Steve & Me" right now actually.
You know, my Sebastian, who I wrote about in this thread a little bit ago, had epilepsy with severe grand mal seizures. He totally drooled and foamed at the mouth with every one-it just seemed to pour out of his mouth, (I had a bag of about 20 bath towels designated just for him) and he defacated with almost all of the seizures too...and it was a large amount. He also urinated every single time. I think watching him have a seizure was torture on our family. I hope he was out of it enough during each one that he never experienced the horror that we saw. I think he probably was. I agree with you that this collie could have gotten into poison....without a visit to the vet to rule things out, only time will tell. I am just praying that the seizures will stop and that he gets in to see the vet in the morning.

 

[sammi]

could he have eaten raisins?

they are toxic to dogs.

 

[Ugly Cowboy]

I had a dog eat a whole chocolate cherry cake with homemade fudge icing once (my 10th B-day cake, mind you) and had seizures for a while, but she lived. That was the last time we ever left food out though! So make sure he didnt eat chocolate. Someone once told me that avacodo aint good for 'em either, I dont know if thats true or not.

 

[ziggy]

My 4 year old Aussie had a seizure six months ago.

He was paddling with his legs while on his back/side and knocking things over in the living room. When I got to him, he couldn't stand up. I sat with him for a couple of minutes and he got up and wobbled outside, went potty and drank a lot of water. The whole thing only took maybe 5 minutes.

The vet did all the tests. Nothing stood out. They told me that at under 5 years of age, it was probably idiopathic - basically they can't figure out why they have epilepsy and decide that the dog has a genetic predisposition to seizures. Older than 5 years they usually have an underlying reason for the seizure.

I took a look at the ingredients in the food that I was feeding them. Even though it was not affected by any recalls, I didn't feel good about it since I couldn't find out where the ingredients were coming from. So I switched our dogs to foods from manufacturers that were more upfront about their sources. Sometimes I add plain chicken, beef, eggs and some fruits or veggies to their food.

So far so good. No more seizures and he is not on any medication.
One of our vets seemed to be leaning towards medication, the other said that she felt good waiting to see if it happened again.

I would get the tests done and see if anything shows up. It may be something that can be treated. Good luck. I know how shocking it is to see a seizure in you pet for the first time.