dog acting weird. epilepsy? something else?

[~Astral~]

hi everyone,

i have a 3 nearly 4 yo min poodle. hes very underweight & he's had numerous blood tests & xrays under anaesthetic & everything is normal. we have no idea what's wrong with him. the vet thought it might be his metabolism & we've changed his foods so many times but still no improvements. he eats literally everything & anything in sight.

anyway yesterday he did something very strange & unusual for him. he was in the kitchen with me & started walking around the kitchen like he was lost or possibly even disorientated. this lasted about 15 seconds. after this he was walking funny with his back legs. it was almost like his legs were stiff or weren't going the way he wanted them to. it actually reminded me of a seizure.....well prior to a seizure when the dog starts looking around & then proceeds to collapse to the floor. this lasted about 10 seconds max & then he was back to normal. none the worse for wear & seemed completely fine. i checked him over throughly & couldn't find anything wrong with his ears or pain/discomfort anywhere & his legs were fine. its unusual.

anyone know what this could be? im going to see if he does it again & if he does i'll take him to the vet. im starting to wonder if it could be epilepsy.....a very mild form of it. but will a dog lose weight with epilepsy? but he does shake several times a time but its like hes cold......strange. anyway thank you.

[EmmaGirl]

Originally Posted by ~Astral~

hi everyone,

i have a 3 nearly 4 yo min poodle. hes very underweight & he's had numerous blood tests & xrays under anaesthetic & everything is normal. we have no idea what's wrong with him. the vet thought it might be his metabolism & we've changed his foods so many times but still no improvements. he eats literally everything & anything in sight.

anyway yesterday he did something very strange & unusual for him. he was in the kitchen with me & started walking around the kitchen like he was lost or possibly even disorientated. this lasted about 15 seconds. after this he was walking funny with his back legs. it was almost like his legs were stiff or weren't going the way he wanted them to. it actually reminded me of a seizure.....well prior to a seizure when the dog starts looking around & then proceeds to collapse to the floor. this lasted about 10 seconds max & then he was back to normal. none the worse for wear & seemed completely fine. i checked him over throughly & couldn't find anything wrong with his ears or pain/discomfort anywhere & his legs were fine. its unusual.

anyone know what this could be? im going to see if he does it again & if he does i'll take him to the vet. im starting to wonder if it could be epilepsy.....a very mild form of it. but will a dog lose weight with epilepsy? but he does shake several times a time but its like hes cold......strange. anyway thank you.

First, may I ask what the previous blood tests and Xrays were for? This seems to have occured before his abnormal behavior yesterday.

As to the unusual behavior, it's way to hard to hazard a guess as to what was going on. If he does this again, I would seek a vet's advice. It could have been a number of things and diagnoses are usually made through ruling out various disorders in an attempt to pinpoint the trouble. No, eplisey will not ususally result in any weight change. Now, thyroid troubles are another matter.
Blood glucose levels can also affect the dog's behavior.

Please keep us posted and Best Wishes,
EG

[gsdjordyn]

OUr boxer did the same thing when he had seizures..his legs would get stiff, he'd be disoriented and still try to walk...we just had to hold him until it was over-then he was on meds the rest of his life-well until he was stolen...but thats a whole other thread..
They told us if it happened often to put him on the meds, if not just watch out and make sure he's ok while having the seizures.

[~Astral~]

Hey and thank you for your replies. He was tested for Diabetes, Thyroid, Kidney & Liver function were also checked & his white & red cell count. He was also given a abdominal Xray. Everything came back normal.

I have heard of mild seizures causing stiffness in the legs which is why I asked. My other dog who is Epileptic & has full blown seizures, acts similar to the way Coco did prior to a seizure which set off alarm bells in my head. I think I'll keep a eye on him & if it happens again, make a appointment at the vet. Can hyperactivity sometimes be related to Epilepsy? Or can a Dog with Epilepsy just shake like hes freezing cold & this be a seizure? Thanks again.

[EmmaGirl]

OK...Normal is good! Petite Mal seizures ( now called Focal seizures) can present in a hundred different ways. I know how you feel ....I lost a kitty to full blown seizures, then a totally different kitten had a focal. The kitten is now 9 years old, on no meds and thriving. But it was a scare. It was hyperthermia (fever) induced. Keep an eye on him. Abnormal hyperactivity that elevates the temp can produce a one time seizure but this is not Epilepsy. As I said, seizures can come in all shapes and forms. Best to document the behavior as to the symptoms, time of activity, awareness (or not), time taken to regroup and regain normal functioning. Frequency of events and triggers (if any).

Best wishes,
EM

[~Astral~]

Hey Emma. Thank you. I'll document it all down & keep a very close eye on him. The "episode" he had just came out of the blue and the whole thing must of lasted less than 1 minute. I don't know if he was aware of his surrounding but he did keep walking around like he was lost. Thanks again.

[EmmaGirl]

Originally Posted by ~Astral~

Hey Emma. Thank you. I'll document it all down & keep a very close eye on him. The "episode" he had just came out of the blue and the whole thing must of lasted less than 1 minute. I don't know if he was aware of his surrounding but he did keep walking around like he was lost. Thanks again.

Just jot down what you can. During the 'episode' can you distract him or does he seem unaware of what's going on? I would definately keep an eye on him.

Please keep posting.
EG

[~Astral~]

He did seem unaware. I called his name & he didn't respond but seemed to walk over to where he thought I was. If it was a seizure it was a very mild one & I hope it doesn't happen again. If it does Vet trip for my little guy. Thanks again.

[EmmaGirl]

It's sounding more like a seizure but a vet visit would help to clarify things.
Best Wishes and please let us know how he's doing.
G