# Yogi is not getting better...may have had a seizure



## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Yogi’s UTI has reoccurred with pain on pooping with small traces of blood. We have an appointment on Tuesday of this week. On the weekend we were driving to a show and go Yogi is always stressed in the car, if my DH comes along it is worse and Yogi whines the entire trip. This trip DH came of course the whining started and DH’s annoyance makes even me tense (I am calm person), so bad this time that I ask to be let out about a ¼ of a mile from the place, it is a gravel road very deserted. Often it helps calm Yogi’s anxiety to walk it off, I also took Khloe as she cues from him, and Misty stayed with DH.

Yogi was very reluctant to walk, he would stop and hold his ground and his hind area does this ripple thing when he has to poop (he had pooped in the morning… moaning and whimpering); He kept stopping and refusing to walk, then with coaxing we would resume. Just before the building he stopped slumped down, had slight tremors, then his body became stiff, his back arched and one hind leg came up, he could not move and his eyes were glazed with the white parts showing, his mouth was open like he wanted to cry out, he did not respond and seemed frozen. I checked his gums they were pink. I had to pick Khloe up as she was barking and circling, she was very anxious. It was only maybe a minute or two; it seemed longer, I know it was not. When he recovered he walked but he seemed twisted and stiff his leg was up like it was injured or had a rock in it. After a few steps his leg went down and he looked lame. Very shortly he was his old self.

Yogi stayed in his crate for about 20 minutes before we did a run, he was a bit off on his concentration…he preformed well but did not focus on me; instead he was watching other dogs. Yogi has always had behavioral issues, reactivity, resource guarding, lack of impulse control, and during certain situations extreme anxiety, the anxiety is stress related this also includes excitement stress…fun things. So always, when I go to a strange place I crate him for the first 20 minutes so he settles. We are training open he does well, I have not competed with him yet even in novice, as we learn what makes him less stressed and comfortable…I am in no hurry. With training and patience Yogi’s issues are very much in control, he can be diverted easily if an issue arises, and I am always watching for triggers before they happen. 

I am very concerned that Yogi had a seizure, his was not like what I am use to, the kind I have seen are usually where the dog falls down limbs stretch out, shaking and drooling or foaming from the mouth. One of my club members lost one of her dogs two weeks ago to status epilepicus. My Shih Tzu had these a few months before he died from heart arrhythmias (he suffered from the same condition as the Cavalier Spaniels), his were a variation on the usual, and he would loose consciousness and stop seizing. 

Yogi has already been on two courses of antibiotics, prednisone for inflammation, had x-rays, ultrasound, blood work, stool, urine samples, and digital exams by two different Vets in the practice. Anal glands were ruled out first. I do not think the stress is the reason for his seizure but it can trigger one, so maybe it is good it happened. He still has a healthy appetite, plays, has energy and loves to go to training. I just have no idea. Wish our pups could talk.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

I'm sorry to hear about Yogi I would have lost it myself, good thing you are the calm type. I hope you get to the bottom of it tomorrow. Hugs and kisses from the fur gang.


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## Pipersmom (Jul 27, 2009)

So scary! I hope they can figure out what's wrong and it's nothing too serious.

We"ll be sending good thoughts Yogi's way.


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## Cailleach (Jan 30, 2010)

Oh dear...that sounds very scary for you and him. Hopefully whatever is causing him problems will be found and fixed soon.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

gosh Robbie, you go through so much. Definitely hard to guess on this one. Let us know what you hear from the vet.


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Wishing the best for Yogi. How worrisome.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Poor Yogi and poor you! Has a disk problem been ruled out? I'm thinking that if he had either a lot of sudden back pain, or else sudden loss of feeling, either could have been distressing enough to cause him to react the way you described. It could also explain his discomfort while eliminating.

Another thought... Have they ruled out the tick-borne diseases?


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Robbie, how frightening! I hope you will get some answers today. Prayers for you and Yogi.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

How did the vet visit go? Any word?


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

The Vet seems to think he has a drug resistant infection, it is a UTI, but it has spread causing the inflammation in his rectum. His liver enzymes were moderately elevated but not really worried about that. He is back on a different antibiotic and a small amout of prednisone for the inflammation. We are now waiting for convulsion antibody titers and culture and sensitivity results. The C&S takes about 10 days at that time we may need to change the antibiotic. These are being done at NC State.

As for the seizure, it is not uncommon for dogs to have a few in their life time, if he gets another and it is short I am to keep a log. If they were to happen on a daily basis or they increase in time, or recovery time is long then he needs to go right back. The Vet thinks it was brought on by stress, right now for Yogi he has his usual anxitey stress plus the stress of pain, UTI plus inflammation he says is extremely painful. As for Yogi's lifting up his foot and the arch of his back it is not unusual. It is a smaller seizure but they can progress.

Karen, I ask about disk or back problem, he has no signs of either, a dog with disk problems are generally very sick and will not move. Also we had Orthopedic testing and x rays done on Yogi at NC State over a year ago, so we know it is safe to jump him. My Vet says he is low risk (he has a copy on file). Of course any dog can have an injury.

So now I wait and hope he improves and at least with the prednisone, I know the swelling and pain go away. I feel so bad for him, I walk him down the block to help him go and he just looks at me and whines the whole time he's going.

Thanks for all your kind words and support. You all are the best!


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

Hoping that Yogi's himself soon, and feels better.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Poor guy! Hope this round of treatment solves the problem!


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Poor Yogi! I hope the meds work quickly and that he won't be in so much pain. I know it is hard for you to see that.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

oh my gosh, how heart breaking..... praying for sweet Yogi and for you :grouphug:


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## lise (Sep 1, 2006)

*Seizure*



The Laughing Magpie said:


> Yogi's UTI has reoccurred with pain on pooping with small traces of blood. We have an appointment on Tuesday of this week. On the weekend we were driving to a show and go Yogi is always stressed in the car, if my DH comes along it is worse and Yogi whines the entire trip. This trip DH came of course the whining started and DH's annoyance makes even me tense (I am calm person), so bad this time that I ask to be let out about a ¼ of a mile from the place, it is a gravel road very deserted. Often it helps calm Yogi's anxiety to walk it off, I also took Khloe as she cues from him, and Misty stayed with DH.
> 
> Yogi was very reluctant to walk, he would stop and hold his ground and his hind area does this ripple thing when he has to poop (he had pooped in the morning&#8230; moaning and whimpering); He kept stopping and refusing to walk, then with coaxing we would resume. Just before the building he stopped slumped down, had slight tremors, then his body became stiff, his back arched and one hind leg came up, he could not move and his eyes were glazed with the white parts showing, his mouth was open like he wanted to cry out, he did not respond and seemed frozen. I checked his gums they were pink. I had to pick Khloe up as she was barking and circling, she was very anxious. It was only maybe a minute or two; it seemed longer, I know it was not. When he recovered he walked but he seemed twisted and stiff his leg was up like it was injured or had a rock in it. After a few steps his leg went down and he looked lame. Very shortly he was his old self.
> 
> ...


I can tell you from first hand experience that, that was a seizure. My Scotty who passed away in April had them. He was also a very anxiety ridden dog. I had valium with a syringe (no needle) that I had to give him on the onset of one. He had them a few times a year and usually when he was overstressed. There is nothing you can do during it but make sure there is nothing around them to hurt them and the floor is the best place to be. Keep them cool!! Even tho it looks like they are shivering, its not cold and the heat can make things very much worse. After it is over, they are usually very sleepy for a while. When they have recovered, its like nothing happened. Make sure there is alot of cool water near by as they tend to sweat a lot of fluid off or drool it out. 
If you need to know anything else, please don't hesitate to ask. I have had both doggie and humans in my family with seizures. I'm good at this subject!


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## Momo means Peach (Jun 7, 2011)

Sending best wishes of returning health to Yogi.


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## sashamom (Jan 12, 2009)

In re the seizure another thing to watch out for is that your other pets do not attack during a seizure. I had a Golden and a German Sheppard the Sheppard was raised from very young puppy and very attached to the Golden. When my Golden would have a seizure she, the Sheppard would attack her. The vet said it is the way of the animal kingdom to eliminate the weaker member. We had to keep them apart unless we were at home. The antiseizure medication helped for many years but we finally had to make the decision we all hate. Good luck – I know watching a seizure is very frightening and such a helpless feeling. Linda


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

good points Lise and Linda. yeah one percent of dogs have seizures.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

I'm hoping Yogi will improve with each day. Glad to hear the vet thinks the seisure was just stress related. Sending healing vibes and belly rubs!!


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Sorry to read about yogi Robbie. Hope things continue to improve.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Ah Yogie I'm sending lots of love and kisses your way and hope you get over that awful UTI very soon. I'm also extremely sorry about the seizure and I hope it was just a one time thing.
PS was that a real bird in your mouth?


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Lise, Your little Scotty was adorable and to watch him have seizures, must have broken your heart. I know you must have a hole in your heart. Hugs

About a year ago I kept a Jack Russell for three weeks that rescue had for a year, he had epilepsy and would seize many times a day...the rescue was too stressful, it is a kennel environment. The only reason they let me take him home was giving him meds was a pain in the butt for them, yet they rejected all the applicants. I had to crate him, and keep him away from my other dogs when he was out of the crate (he was a JR after all, feisty creatures if not properly socialized), he did well had maybe two seizures the first few days, I believe they were not giving meds regularly. I believed he would never get a home, I know a nerosurgeon in town socially, I remembered he had Parson Russell's and had taken them to private specialists for some surgerys one a difficult eye surgery. So I told him about the dog...of course he made the mistake of 'just taking a look'. Do you know the head of the kennel did not want to rehome with him? I went to the excutive board (we all know each other socially), I am happy to say he has the dog and it fit right in, he also told me he changed meds to a newer more expensive drug.

Yogi's seizure was slight, no drool or foaming, he did not lose consciousness and recovered quickly. If he has more at his age it likely to be epilesy, but the drugs have side effects, so you want to be sure. My Vet told me there is a lot of research on seizures in dogs, older dogs that seize it can be a brain tumor or heart condition, 2 to 5 year olds it's likely to be epilesy and then their seems to be an element of thyroid problems in some breeds. However, it is common for many dogs to seize in stressful conditions a few times in their life and have nothing wrong. They are looking at a link from a virus during a critical growth time and damage to a tiny portion of the brain. A Virus can go unnoticed in a dog or puppy with a healthy immune system. I guess time will tell. 

Suzi, Yes that is a live Dove released unharmed, Yogi gets board and in trouble, he catches Doves waits for them to eat and lay on the ground, then he just picks them up and runs around. He will bring them in through the dog door, he has caught a Cardinal and brought it in...it was not amused and got away flying in to the windows. We have to check on him if he stays out to long...because it means he's found some mischief. Misty tries to copy but the birds fly away...but she still sniffs out the snakes...they are slow.


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## Carefulove (Mar 20, 2009)

Keeping Yogi in my thoughts! Hope the UTI resolves quickly!


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## jabojenny (Sep 18, 2011)

I hope Yogi's feeling better. I have a cat with epilepsy, she's on two meds, (phenobarb and keppra) three time a day. She has knock down drag out seizures, I've gotten used to them but they are still scary. She's been doing great though on her latest drug cocktail and hasn't had a seizure in months (knock on wood). Hopefully Yogi's seizure was an isolated case, but if not, I'm proof that this condition can be managed at least in my case.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

The Laughing Magpie said:


> Suzi, Yes that is a live Dove released unharmed, Yogi gets board and in trouble, he catches Doves waits for them to eat and lay on the ground, then he just picks them up and runs around. He will bring them in through the dog door, he has caught a Cardinal and brought it in...it was not amused and got away flying in to the windows. We have to check on him if he stays out to long...because it means he's found some mischief. Misty tries to copy but the birds fly away...but she still sniffs out the snakes...they are slow.


I totally missed the dove!!! What a riot. The bird doesn't even look panicked. It almost looks like it KNOWS he's going to put it down. Maybe it's one he's caught previously!ound:


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## lise (Sep 1, 2006)

My Scotty didn't have to take any meds as the seizures only happened a few times a year. Just had the vials of valium for when they did occur. Poor Hagers' seizures were very bad and sometimes lasted 10 or 15 minutes. Glassy eyes, drool, shivering, stiffness...it was awful but after he rested it was like nothing happened!


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Wow, I had missed the dove, too! What a cool picture! Yogi is quite a character! Do you wash his mouth out afterwards? :brushteeth:


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## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

Robbie:

What a terrifying experience for Yogi, for Khloe, and for you. As you may remember, both of my Lhasas had seizures probably due to benign brain tumors (they were about 15 years old when the seizures started.), and I was so frightened when my Storm had his first seizure - on a Sunday, of course.

And the darn UTI: poor guy has to go, but it hurts.  I think I would be in tears when he whimpers. You are calm AND strong.

Is Yogi's pain diminishing with the changed meds? I'll be keeping you all in my thoughts.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Starr, It must have been terrifying watching your much loved pups going through seizures. Brain Tumors in elderly Lhasas are not uncommon...thoughts are, they also live longer over all. I have know Lhasa's in India to be 20 a very long lived breed, even with problems. My Vets tell me there is no pain during the seizure but long ones or several together can lead to brain damage.

Yogi's tests came back we are going back to Clavamox from Baytril (stomach side effects with Baytril) as the bacteria is susceptible to both. As his UTI is now considered a refractory infection he will be on Clavamox for one month and then we will do both urine and titers, to be sure it is gone. We also were given UR dog healthy treats, they may help boast the acid in his urine. Also lots of exercise...I am not to let him lay around. I was told in males a UTI can cultivate for a long while before it is discovered and they often take a while to resolve. Yogi had no symptons until he started having pain on pooping.


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## GrannyMouse (Sep 3, 2010)

Robbie, So sorry to hear what you've been going through. Hope you'll see a great improvement soon.


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## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

Poor Yogi. How scary for all. Hope he's all better soon.


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## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

Continuing to send healing thoughts to Yogi to get rid of that infection. Exercise as a road to a cure? What a great idea! Does he like to play fetch or RLH?


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