Why was my Black Lab having a seizure?

Question

She was in the kitchen when she slowly backed up under the table (very random because she NEVER goes under the table) and then she laid down and began shaking violently like she was having a seizure. I called her to me and she slowly walked to me but she was walking really weird, I got on the floor and pet her while she continued to shake... After a few minutes her front legs stopped shaking and it was just her back legs, after another minute or two she stopped completely. Then she went and got her ball like nothing happened... I can't take her to the vet today so I don't know what to do. She has never done anything like this and I don't know what to do, what could have caused this?

Answer 1

I'm sorry that your dog had a seizure. I have a dog with a seizure disorder. There are a number of reasons why your dog had a seizure. There most common reason is if your dog has epilepsy. I don't know how old your dog is but epilepsy usually shows up at an early age. If your dog is a puppy, he may have epilepsy. You will need to watch your dog to see if she has anymore seizures until you can get her to a vet.

Other causes of a seizure are if your dog has another health problem, such as liver disease, kidney disease, brain tumor, distemper, lyme disease, gastrointestinal blockage, etc.. This usually occurs in older dogs. The best way to determine if your dog has a serious health problem, then your vet would have to thoroughly examine your dog, do blood work, x-rays and if necessary ultrasound or cat scan. Your dog may then be referred to a specialist who may be able to offer you better treatment options for your dog.

The less serious and more common causes of epilepsy are hypoglycemia(low blood sugar) or hyperglycemia(diabetes). If your dog had not eaten in a while, she may have had low blood sugar which could have triggered a small seizure. The best treatment if this is the reason is to give your dog something to eat. Peanut butter is a great choice because it is protein and has some sugar which will raise your dog's blood sugar levels fast. Also, you may need to feed your dog 2 small meals instead of once a day. This will also help maintain your dog's blood sugar levels. A vet can also do blood work to see if your dog has a blood sugar problem.

No matter what the cause, you need to take your dog to the vet as soon as possible. They can do a thorough exam and do tests to determine what caused your dog to have a seizure. If this is the first time your dog has had a seizure, that's good. That's a sign it may have just been a blood sugar problem. Also, if your dog has a seizure disorder, the vetcan put your dog on a medication to control them, such as phenobarbitol. My dog's seizures have been under control for years on this medication. also, mention to your vet to test your dog's liver and kidney function. Sometimes vets don't test for them because of they are not common, but should be checked in cases of a dog with seizures. It's just better to be safe.

The best thing you can do for your dog is to watch her until you can get her to a vet. If she has another seizure, hold her and comfort her. Talk to her to let her know that you are there. These things help comfort your dog and she will come out of the seizure sooner and it won't be as severe. This has worked with my dog. Hopefully she won't have another seizure.

Give your dog some extra love and attention. I hope she will be ok and have no more seizures.

Best of luck with your dog. Hope I helped.

Answer 2

If you can't get to a vet today, just keep an eye on her. Seizures are difficult to assess anyway because in between times, the animal acts normally, as you've described. Write down everything you can remember about how it happened, how long it lasted, what she was doing beforehand, how strong it was etc, as the vet will need to know all these details in order to suggest treatment.



Valium is usually given to an animal that is fitting, if that is possible, but otherwise, it is simply a case of making sure that she does no damage to herself or others while it is happening. If it occurs again before you see the vet, put blankets down around her on the floor to cushion any sharp edges that she might bang against, but do not touch her yourself. She won't know you and might be injured. Once the fit stops, give her time and space to come around the way she did before and she should be okay.



Certain breeds are prone to epilepsy, but fits can be caused by toxins too, so do bring her to a vet as soon as you can to be assessed. Good luck.

Answer 3

a siezure can be the result of many differant factors including poison or toxins,deseases, if your dog was hit in the head, the end stage of heartworm desease, calcium deficiences in nursing mothers or epilepsy (primary and secondary).

Primary epilepsy is inherited, or passed down meaning it is true epilepsy. The first siezure caused by this is usually between the ages of 6 months and 5 years. There isn't a way to give a strait diagnosis so this label is usually given when everything else is ruled out.

Secondary epilepsy is where the cause of the siezures can be determined(list of possible causes above).

I would when you get a chance go to the vet just to see if it's primary or secondary epilepsy and maybe to work out a treatment or care option together. Right now just remain calm and try keeping an eye on your dog.

hope this helped and good luck!

Answer 4

If she is an old dog, then she might have gotten nervous. My poodle is nine, and has had several seizures. For example all the booming and noise of the fire works gave her a seizure on new years eve because it scared her. Or it really depends what kind of dog she is. There are some diseases that only labs can get. You should go to your local pet store, and pick up a black lab book and see if any of the disease/syndromes match what happened to your dog. Good Luck! I hope shes OK!!!!

Answer 5

Record this event on your calendar.



If its an Old dog it's extreme cause for concern and a scheduled appointment as soon as possible.



If the dog is young-say about two then most likely its just an idiopathic seizure. A common ailment seen in Backyard bred Labradors.



A vet will usually wait until you record a pattern of seizures before putting them on medication.



Obviously if your dog starts seizuring again and shows no sign of stopping you must seek emergency medical treatment.