Help.....please

[bethaliz]

Hi guys,

We're having trouble with Biscut and we're hoping someone will have some information.

Biscuit is a 9 year old neutered male (he was neutered in May). A few years ago he was having these little seizure like things. They weren't siezures, that's what the vet said anyway. They thought it was Canine Vestibular Syndrome, but it usually only happens once and this happened often and on for a while. But for the last couple years nothings happened and he's been healthy, happy, normal dog.

When we left for work/school this morning Biscut was a little quite and slow. We didn't really worry about it too much, because he does this old man slow routine every now and agian, espeically when he's been playing with the younger dogs. However when we got home tonight we just think theirs something off about him, you know "not quite right". He's quite, wouldn't sit or lay down. Very very quite. He tries to shake but doesn't. So we thought he was having a mild version of his dizzy off balance siezure (not seizure) things he used to have. But normally they cleared up in an hour or so. Also if a dog walks by or you pet him the wrong way he bark/whines. We brought him down stairs with us to the living room. When my aunt went upstairs he tried to follow with the other dogs. He was slow, but his foot up to go up stair, but didn't and he just stood their. When one of the other dogs started coming down the stairs he acted scared, like he got low to the ground and curled up. Once the other dog came down he moved away.

Now he's just sitting staring into space. He's been out and done his buisness, he's been eating and drinking. He wont laydown. Like he'll try, but when he goes to put his head down he stops and sit's or stands up. We're not really sure what to do for him. Obviously, if it persists we will take him to the vet first thing in the morning. It doesn't seem to be an emergancy to go to the after hour vet........who will probly charge us $150 to tell us to wait and take him to the vet in the morning anyway.

Has any one experienced anything like this? Any idea's about what it might be? We thought maybe he's neck is sore, or he pulled a muscule or something. does anyone know if dogs get things like Menigitis? I know that a stiff/sore neck is a sign of menigitis in people.

Anyway thanks for any infor you may have.

[Deb's Tiny Dogs]

Wow, that sounds scary. I don't know what it is and we would only be guessing anyway. If my dog was having symptoms like that and seizures were remotely possible, I'd be at the emergency vet. At a minimum I'd give them a call and tell them what's going on.

Keep us posted!

[bethaliz]

In all honesty, I would never take a dog to the emergancy vet here unless they were in severe distress, like hit by a car, emergancy c-section, ect. because here, you have to pay upfront, they always tell you to bring the dog in and 9 times out of ten they tell you to wait and go to the vet in the morning and you've waisted half the night for nothing. We had a bitch in for an emergancy c-section (well the breeder, and I was with her), the bitch was in obvious distress, she had been in hard labour, crying with each contraction, she was losing energy. She had been in mild labour for several hours (4 or 5, by labour I mean, off food, pooping a lot, dropped temp, no contractions, but mild digging etc) and she had been in hard labour (actual contracts) for about 1 1/3 hours when we decided to take her to the emergancy vet. This was 3 in the morning. They didn't even look at her until 6am (she was crying with contractions in the waiting room). The ER vet told us to wait and take her in to our regular vet, when they opened at 9am.......9am. The dog was tired, only had enough energy to whine softly with each contraction. We fought with them to do the section and they didn't even do it until after 8am. So she had been in HARD labour for 5 hours and in obvious distress and they wouldn't do anything.......because they didn't want to tie up the surgery in case a "real" emergancy came in...........This isn't the first time it's happened.

The breeder almost lost a bitch ealier in the year to ER vet because refused to treat the bitch because it was only 4 hours until her vet opened. But they took her $150.00........The bitch started to hemorage on the way to her own vet. She received 5 blood transfusions and had to stay at the vets for a week before she was strong enough to go home and they lost a pup. It's not just pregnant bitches either (even though that's the majority of my experiences with them).

2 years ago, their was an accident in the morning and one of her dogs eye popped out of it's socket. So obviously we rushed her into the Emergancy vet. They again took our money to look at her, they saw her and send us back to the waiting room with her while they decided what to do with her. They made us wait 2 hours. By then our vet was open and they were closing. They sent us there. The dog was luck she didn't lose the eye. It's back in, but she has trouble seeing out of it.

Anyway........We will take him in the morning to our vet. He's not having siesures. He use to......well according to the vet they weren't, it was like he was dizzy. We only thought that's what it might be earlier, becuase that's the only time we've seen him what to shake his head and not be able to. We're thinking it's like his neck or ears, but who knows. I just thought some one might have some input or have delt with something like this before.

[alexis rose]

It almost sounds like a stroke to me. Or possibly nerve damage of some kind like maybe a slipped disc or something. I really don't know............ Keep us updated!

[Moo]

Now he's just sitting staring into space. He's been out and done his buisness, he's been eating and drinking. He wont laydown. Like he'll try, but when he goes to put his head down he stops and sit's or stands up. We're not really sure what to do for him. Obviously, if it persists we will take him to the vet first thing in the morning. It doesn't seem to be an emergancy to go to the after hour vet........who will probly charge us $150 to tell us to wait and take him to the vet in the morning anyway.

This part is obviously a pain response. This is exactly what Kirby is like after his surgeries... but with reason and simple explanation. It's how he responds to extreme lower back/bum pain. At one time he sat, yes sat, still, staring at nothing, for over 16 hours.

But I have no idea what this might be. Please keep us updated, I hope you can find the cause.

[bethaliz]

Thanks for your feed back. He seems a little more chipper this morning, but we're still going to take him in to our vet this morning. He's still slow and he's cautious ect. We figure it's best to have him looked at anyway just to be safe. I'll let you know what's what when we get back

[alimel]

I am sorry Biscut is not well, I know it is very scarey not knowing what is wrong. Please let us know what the vet says.

[borzoid]

I hope your vet finds the issue with poor biscut. Aside from the possible siezure or stroke I also thought about inner ear infections - can cause dizziness and pain when moving the head or changing position.

I personally have had inner ear problems and when the dizziness gets to bad all I want to do is remain perfectly still.

[~Astral~]

Good luck at the Vet and I hope your guy is better soon. It does sound like he's in a lot of pain. I hope he's better now.

[gsdjordyn]

If its his back check into an animal chiropractor and not just medicine...good luck