Dog with Seizure or Panic Attack. Not Sure Which

[jlorme]

I have a 9 year old Retriever Beagle Mix Female dog that we have had since she was a puppy.  For the most part she has been healthy all along.  In the last 2 years, she has occasionally either a Seizure or Panic Attack. We arent sure which. And since it doesnt last long enough to get her to a vet they cant really figure out what it is either.  The first episode happened after she slipped coming in from outside.  She kinda goes all stiff, shakes and pants really bad with saliva just dousing the floor. she cant walk. The second episode again happened after a bit of a shock, she fell off our bed in the middle of the night.  but in the last year, they have gotten more frequent with no shock or trauma before hand.  We have also noticed lately that she basically goes blind during the episodes. Her pupils dilate very large. She has on 2 occasions lost bladder control but not always. We have had her checked out by the vet and other than being overweight, there is nothing they can find.  
Do you have any ideas that could help us figure out what is wrong with her?

[eaglei22]

I have a ten year old Beagle that would seizure at least 2 times a year starting at age 3. When she was about 8yrs, we stopped giving her her shots.. she's been fine ever since.

[Wowwowwow]

Either way. Try CBD oils, or better yet since they are already measured out, dog treats with CBD oils already in them. They are non psychoactive and are safe for your pet. They help with seizures and have many other natural benefits. Research it. Don’t use man made seizure medications, they are bad for your pets organs.  

[AbbeyRez803]

I believe this may have just happened to my chihuahua puppy. She climbed into the laundry hamper and it fell over, I went to investigate the sound and saw her rolling over and over on the floor like she couldn't stop, I picked her up and she continued rolling in my arms, her front legs stiff, back legs limp, eyes looked hazey. Then after she was calm she was very shakey on her feet. My brother says panic attack. Does this sound like a seizure as well? And if so should I be taking her to the vet asap?

[Honeys_Mom]

The same thing happened to my 5 yr old chihuahua tonight! After a few minutes of stiff legs and trouble breathing I rushed to the vet. By the time we were a minute away she was normal again. All her vitals came back good. So no clue if it was a seizure, panic attack or pinched nerve. Or maybe one that lead to another ?

[eaglei22]

Sounds like a seizure to me.

[KaylaD]

If she is losing bowel control at all it is a seizure. That is a classic sign of one. I would bet that even thought she isn't losing bowel control in all of them they are all seizures they can suddenly develop with age. I had a dog  that the same thing happened too.

[jlorme]

Thank you everyone.  I am enjoying my experience on here so far.  
Yes we did get bloodwork done on her and nothing came back abnormal.  The vet said that she was probably having seizures but the medicine they have for that causes more harm than good if they are not frequent seizures.  
Everytime it does happen, we do the soothing and have everyone leave the room and just help her to keep calm and still until it passes.  I just hate to see her go through it, even if it is just once every few months.  

[chihuahuagrandma]

Look up Cushing's Disease, or contact also another vet and explain and find answers, dogs do not convulse, tremor, seize w/out a underlying medical problem...
You've done bloodwork on this dog??? and Vet says no problem???
During any future seizures, pet and calm the dog soothing, and the people around the dog stay calm, the dog does not understand...
Too many seizures over period of time,,,,not good, not good at all....
Get help!!
Welcome to the dog forum,,,,and hope your able to locate some answers and help...

[Jaybay]

I can't imagine why your vet doesn't understand what's happening: your dog is having seizures.  It's that simple.  Our neighbor's dog gets exactly the same symptoms including loss of bladder and bowel control.  He's been on phenobarbitol for a few years now and although he still has the occasional seizure, he's not having 2 or 3 a week that he experienced before he was medicated.

In your case, I would get a second opinion because it clearly sounds like epilepsy. For an older dog to suddenly develop seizures it usually means there is an underlying problem in the brain causing them. I know seizures tend to happen quickly, but if you can get even a quick video of part of the seizure and the recovery that might help your vet with diagnosis.

[Jesca]

I have a 9 year old Miniature Pinscher that has similar attacks. My guess would be that they are seizures. My dog starts to twitch and shake and his joints get very stiff. Even after the seizure has passed his joints remain stiff for several minutes. My dog has epilepsy, but if your dog's are brought on by some sort of trauma it could be due to a pinched nerve or something. If the injury pinches the nerve that can cause a seizure. My suggestion would be to log everything about the seizure from what brings it on to how long it last. Also, log how long the dog is stiff afterwards. Pretty much anything you can log will help the vet. Also if possible videotape the next epsiode to show your vet exactly what is happening. My vet told me to help the dog during this to take them to a quiet room with no noise or bright flashy lights. They also said to put the dog in a safe place where they cannot bang into anything or fall down stairs, but never to hold them. They can bite you without even knowing what they are doing. However, I have found that if I put a blanket over my dog to prevent him from biting me I can hold him in my lap in complete darkness. This seems to soothe him and make the episode much shorter. My dog does not lose bladder control though so this may not be for your situation. Also, the vet told me that the dog does not know what is happening and afterwards does not even remember. They also said that they are not feeling any pain while this is going on. So that made me feel much better knowing that my dog was not suffering as much as I thought. There really is no cure for my dog's case so I just have to watch him. If they ever increase and are really bad the vet will put him down I suppose, but for now I have learned to deal with it and help him as much as possible when it is happening. Best of luck!

[eaglei22]

In my opinion, the slip, and the falling off the bed, followed by seizure is most likely your dog was starting to go into one.  Usually they start getting disoriented before going into a seizure.

[eaglei22]

Disregard, this was meant for the OP.