My cocker spaniel had a weird fit!

[fugue]

Since I'm getting no responses in the Pets Group, I thought I'd put a pointer here to there.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=243&topic_id=106&mesg_id=106

Please, if you've seen anything like this let me know.

[kittycat1164]

1. seizure maybe?

sounds alittle like it. how old is he?

[zanana]

2. Is your dog epileptic?

It does happen. You should have a vet take a look at him.

[MuseRider]

3. Sounds like a seizure

Our old lab had them a lot even with meds. My first dog was a Cocker and they told us that they were very prone to seizures. Just remember if he does it again leave him alone, don't even talk to him until he is coming out of it. I don't think they remember them. Hope things are OK.

[Komrade _azul]

4. Heard about several breeds that do this..

Some breeds have nueromuscular weaknesses related to inbreeding. If this is a purebred animal try the vet or do a Google, Sounds like something that happened to an inlaws terrier.
Good luck

[elf]

5. Zeisure!!!

my parent's cocker had the same. It was not treated by an doctor, there was none, living on an German island. The dog lived many years with it, only later in his age he went deaf. He was a happy dog!

6. Cocker Spaniels are known to be susceptible to epileptic fits

Hi, I have two female buff cockers, full blood but not papered. They have since they have gotten older, they are 11 now, had them every so often. One of them starts feeling kinda funny and starts mild tremors that go on for 15 min to 30 minutes with no major fits. She gets them at least every few weeks now. The other will only occasionally go into a fit and fall over and have a seizure with eyes rolled back. I just hold her in my lap until she gets over it. It usually lasts about 2-3 minutes, not much more and then after a few minutes she is back to her self. A vet told me that they could do some tests on her but I have not gone for that as a student and cannot pay the vet bill. They seem ok otherwise, although have a lot of other problems related to cockers. You should just call your vet or check out the pet program on NPR that is on some evenings every week. Hope that helps a little. GG

[RebelYell]

7. Is he on any kind of medication? n/t

[DemoTex]

8. My 2 y/o mixed-breed schnauzer had a "fit" a few weeks ago.

He was in the bedroom, jumping and turning in circles. He was yelping and foaming at the mouth. I got up close to him and saw a wasp, stuck in the hair of this beard, repeatedly popping him on the lower lip. Poor guy.

My 11 y/o had a "fit" a few years ago after being stung by yellow jackets on a walk in Highland Park (Dallas). I had to leave him with my wife and run home to get the car. He couldn't move. By the time I got back in the car he was fine.

[fugue]

9. More info

Gee, I didn't know cockers were suspectible to seizures.

I don't know much about them. He was an emergency rescue (his next stop was the pound). His previous human said he was purebred. He certain looks it.

The best evidence is that he is four. He may be six. His previous human told me that he was three when I adopted him three years ago. Her kids told me he was only one and then magically changed their story later. Her ex (who I saw a few months ago, for the first time since I adopted the dog--he wasn't ex when she got the dog) says he's four now. My guess is that his previous mom was worried that I wouldn't take a just grown puppy. (Dopey her. Could you say "Go to the pound!" to the face in my avatar?)

Something back from my pre-vet days (never made it to vet school) sounds a bell. Isn't it between two and five the age for the onset of epilepsy in dogs? But he didn't lose consciousness; I thought that was part of epilepsy.

He's not on any medication other than his heartworm meds. He got that a couple days ago, but he's been getting the same one every twenty-eight days for the past three years.

It's winter here now (central NYS); we had our first snow Tuesday. All the bugs are dead, and I haven't seen any of the wasps in our nearby wasp nest in at least two weeks. I grant my little guy is fascinated by them when they're active.

Did I miss anything?

[madrchsod]

my cs has a fit at least once a year

nothing really abnormal for this breed-if it happens regularly see a vet

[tridim]

10. That's definitely a seizure

My dog has epilepsy, and is on Phenobarbital for the rest of her life. I waited to take her to the vet until her third seizure which was so bad I thought she was going to die. I think it's working because she's only had one very mild seizure since starting the medication.

[n2mark]

11. Sounds like a seizure

I have two cockerspaniels. It is true cockerspaniels are prone to this. My male had two seizures in16 years. My female did not. Another thing about cockerspaniels the older they get they more warts they get on their body so don't panic, this is normal. Oh, how I love my babies/seniors. My cockers are 15 and 16 years old. They are my shadow.

[n2mark]

12. Sorry I didn't edit my email

[fugue]

14. Thanks for the heads-up on warts!

I know he got a lump on his lip shortly after I got him and I panicked, but the vet said it was a normal thing for a dog between two and five and that I shouldn't worry about it unless it got bigger than a dime. It didn't and finally regressed.

[DemBones DemBones]

13. Two of our Labs, including the Lab in Residence, have

had seizures. Vets say they are common in dogs but many owners just never happen to see them. Lucky us, we've seen each dog have several seizures and they are so scary. :scared:

We always get down beside the dog and pet him/her and speak soothingly while the seizure is happening. It may not help the canine but it helps us!

Our first epileptic Lab lived to be 11, which is pretty old for a Lab. He still romped like a puppy and had no health problems except the occasional seizure until one day when he apparently had a stroke. Within a few days his kidneys failed so we had to have him put to sleep. :cry: :cry: :cry: The current epileptic Lab in our lives is 7 and frisky like a puppy when the mood takes her, which is often.

[fugue]

15. Thanks for the responses, all!

I will definitely have him to the vet. I planned to anyway; it was more whether I should call her weekend service right away about it. Sounds like he just suffers from the inbreeding we humans have inflicted on his kind.

Personally I believe in adopting mutts, but at the time I wasn't really planning on adopting a dog. I just happened upon my neighbor bawling because her last chance of a new home for him had fallen through, and I couldn't let him be taken to the pound.

We've had a rough three years and we're definitely an odd couple (he's intensely social and with humans I'm intensely not), but we both work at accomodating each other. Even if I knew how hard it would be, I would adopt him again. Some trials are worth it.

Thanks for responding, folks. He's my baby, and I want to take the best care of him that is possible.