# Charlie had a seizure-need feedback please



## JCChaplin (Oct 2, 2007)

My 3 1/2 year old Hav Charlie woke up this morning, made on our carpet right in front of us, which seemed odd and proceeded to have a seizure out of the blue. This NEVER happened before and , needless to say, we were terrified. He was flailing and stiff when I went to pick him up. He was shaken up afterwards, but now he's fine. What could have caused this? Has anyone else experienced this? I took him to the vet and his reflexes and coordination are fine. They are running bloodwork to check for anything obvious. If anyone has experience with this I would appreciate any information that you have.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

It happened to Milo back in the late fall as I recall. It was terrifying. I thought he was dying. I took him to the emergency vet because it was in the evening (of course). They ran blood work and nothing alarming was going on. The vet there told me that he probably had a seizure disorder. I will tell you I had a poodle with a seizure disorder and his didn't show up till about the same age. BTW, Milo just turned four, so the age of onset would have been the same.

Milo has had two more after that, months apart. I thought I caused the first one because I gave him a little piece of my bialy (which had onions - I'd forgotten). I know the terror, but hang in there. Keep us posted.


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## JCChaplin (Oct 2, 2007)

I am waiting for the blood test results. I hope they don't find anything. I thought it was usually older dogs that got seizures. My gardener came yesterday so I thought maybe he got some chemicals on his paws and ingested them. I did wipe his paws after the walk and I tried to keep him off my yard. The vet didn't think it was that. It was very scary and I felt so bad for him. He was shaking afterward and didn't know what happened. In the meantime, my older dog, a collie/retriever mix who is 12 had emergency surgery for a spleen tumor 3 weeks ago. Pathology was inconclusive but it might have been cancer.
We will have to wait to see how she is over the next few months. Then this with Charlie which came so unexpectedly.


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## Jplatthy (Jan 16, 2011)

This has been 15 years maybe longer but I used to have collies...male and female...my male started having seizures after he turned 3..my vet Dr. Giraurto in FL at the time told me it was really common in males between the ages of 3 and 7 and there were meds but unless they became really bad the side effects of the meds were bad ..more so than the seizures...because we lived in S FL he said the only thing we needed to be careful of was that there was no way he could fall in the pool if he started having a seizure......Cody had them on and off over the next few years ...very infrequently and nothing I could figure out that triggered them...that said I KNOW it is a horrible thing to watch and very frightening until you know what is going on....after that all I did was sit with him and pet him and talk to him until it was over.....hope that makes you feel a little better............


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

I have seen this a few times at the vet clinic I work at (emergencies that have come in). The outcome has varied just as widely as the dog breeds themselves. 

Hopefully,you will not have any more seizures....(this has happened before too) and everything will turn out okay.


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## JCChaplin (Oct 2, 2007)

Thanks. I have read that you just need to hold them and remain calm until it's over. I suppose I will feel better if the blood work is normal.


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## Pipersmom (Jul 27, 2009)

How frightening! I hope everything comes back ok for Charlie and this is a one time thing. I hope your older dog is ok too. You've had a rough couple of weeks.:hug:


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I'm so sorry you're going through all of this. As far as the seizures go, I do hold him in my arms and pet him and talk to him quietly, telling him it will all be over soon and he'll be fine. Thank God, so far we haven't had many.


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## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

My elderly Lhasa Apsos both started having seizures at about 15 (they were related).looking back, they both started walking in circles for a few weeks before the seizures started. The Vets, including a Veterinary Neurologist, told us that the likely cause was a benign meningioma, a brain tumor. 

Did your dog exhibit any symptoms besides defecating prior to seizing?

I know how terrifying it can feel. You feel so helpless, too. Best of luck to you and your pup.

Starr, Buffy, and Buster


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## Lizzie'sMom (Oct 13, 2010)

I am so sorry for you and Charlie. I am sure that was so scary.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

this is so frightening. I am hoping for the best.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

We are all sending him kisses and hugs!!! HOw scary for you! You are a very strong person to go through this for your special pup!!


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## JCChaplin (Oct 2, 2007)

Charlie did not exhibit any other symptoms that I saw but I was just waking up and he might have done something strange before I saw him. Thank goodness, the blood work all came back normal. When the Dr. examined him, his coordination and reflexes were normal as was his sensation to touch and his pupils were reacting properly as well. He didn't mention checking the brain and I forgot to ask. Probably, there wasn't anything that led him to suspect that, especially with Charlie's age at only 3 1/2 years. I suppose I will have to watch him and hope it never happens again. Thanks to everyone for your support. It is greatly appreciated!


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

That is so frightening! I hope you get to the bottom of it. Kisses for Charlie


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Lawn chemicals and fertilizers can certainly cause seizures, I wonder why your vet dismissed it and so many vets do.

http://www.ehow.com/about_6557692_dog-seizures-caused-lawn-products.html

http://www.dailypuppy.com/articles/...-in-dogs/ff424d9b-1dfd-c4b8-7dad-179fa1e331ed

And this time of the year is the absolute worse, even if you do wipe their paws, you still have to make sure they don't get a big whiff up their nose right to their central nervous system.

I hope he's alright and it doesn't happen again :grouphug:

Kara


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## Ninja (Nov 1, 2010)

Wow I can't imagine how scary this can be. I really hope it doesn't happen again give him an extra hug :hug: 

Kara- thank you for posting up that information. I never even thought about that!!!


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## JCChaplin (Oct 2, 2007)

Kara,
Thank you sooo much for those articles. They really confirm my suspicions. It was too coincidental because the gardener came around noon and I walked my dogs within an hour of them coming and even though I didn't walk them on my yard, they were all working in the neighborhood nearby. The next morning he had the seizure.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

YW, it is scary stuff. I did the same thing and had a $1000 vet bill and I was scared I was going to lose her, Spring is beautiful and we all want to get out and enjoy it, but we have to keep the pups in mind.

And honestly, I don't even trust everyone who says their chemicals are 'safe' (gardeners and neighbors) I think some people just say what they think you wanna hear
Kara


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## LilyMyLove (Jul 11, 2009)

There is no blood brain barrier in between the nose and brain, so anything that goes up the nose goes directly into the brain and into the nervous system, it really isnt so far fetched. 

Kara, I think that if Vets started to admit that pesticides were an issue then they would have to take a long look at the pesticides they sell on their own shelves (Vectra, Frontline, etc.) that are a huge money maker for them. 

Meghan


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

How scary for you. I'm glad Charley is better. I've never experienced this with my dogs, but it has happened to my son's cat. She has had a few seizures and they can't figure out why.


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## clare (Feb 6, 2010)

Hope that you and Charlie don't have to go though that again.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

LilyMyLove said:


> There is no blood brain barrier in between the nose and brain, so anything that goes up the nose goes directly into the brain and into the nervous system, it really isnt so far fetched.
> 
> Kara, I think that if Vets started to admit that pesticides were an issue then they would have to take a long look at the pesticides they sell on their own shelves (Vectra, Frontline, etc.) that are a huge money maker for them.
> 
> Meghan


That's true and then they wouldn't have to run a extra tests or sell seizure medicine, not saying all vets are in it to make as much money as possible, but I"m sure some do. Interesting point about the flea/tick medicine, another multi million dollar industry, ehh?

So its like a sniffing drugs but its poison, it effects the brain on contact and could last several hours after ingesting

Kara


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## Winston's Mom (Mar 13, 2021)

JCChaplin said:


> My 3 1/2 year old Hav Charlie woke up this morning, made on our carpet right in front of us, which seemed odd and proceeded to have a seizure out of the blue. This NEVER happened before and , needless to say, we were terrified. He was flailing and stiff when I went to pick him up. He was shaken up afterwards, but now he's fine. What could have caused this? Has anyone else experienced this? I took him to the vet and his reflexes and coordination are fine. They are running bloodwork to check for anything obvious. If anyone has experience with this I would appreciate any information that you have.


HI: I hope you and Charlie are doing better. Scary stuff. Not sure if Charlie had any exposure to Ice Melt but it can cause seizures and it takes very little ingestion to trigger reaction in small dogs. Having said that, it probably would have shown in the blood tests.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Winston's Mom said:


> HI: I hope you and Charlie are doing better. Scary stuff. Not sure if Charlie had any exposure to Ice Melt but it can cause seizures and it takes very little ingestion to trigger reaction in small dogs. Having said that, it probably would have shown in the blood tests.


Just wanted you to know you are responding to a post from 2011, so I’m not sure you will get a response...


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