Dog siezure/stroke question

Zach Houvener

Zach Houvener

Active member
Guys,

my female black lab (7) was laying on the living room floor today and my mom said she started having siezure type symtoms on her right side front leg, back leg.

She took her to the vet E.R. and I met her there by then she stoped having the legs fritzing out on her. The vet wasn't very helpful AT ALL but they took a blood sample and told us to get on our way as there was a backup of other dogs and cats there.

She still walks funny as her right side can't really support her sometimes but then 2 minutes later she walks better.

Has anyone had this happen with there dogs? Anyone know what the best thing to do would be... The vet gave us valium and told her to give her asprin so we did and just trying to keep her in the shade and away from any stairs...

THanks guys

Zach
 
I'm no vet, but I am a neurologist. If your dog was having shaking of just her right limbs that is a focal motor seizure and would indicate a structural abnormality of the left side of the brain. Strokes can cause seizures, but they also leave more permanent deficits that don't fluctuate. It could be something rather benign like an old scar from trauma, or something more serious like a tumor.

The treatment for seizures is anticonvulsant medications. I think vets use phenobarb and maybe bromine. Valium is a great medicine to stop a seizure if she is having one, but can be sedating to just to take daily. I agree with getting a second opinion from you nearest vet school. They will have vet neurologist.

They might recommend a CT or MRI, which cost several thousand dollars. I guess the question you would have to answer for yourself is, what would you do about it if it were a tumor. Is it worth the money to find out, if you wouldn't then have surgery.

I hope this helps a little. Maybe one of the vets on the forum can contribute. Best of luck.

James McKinney
 
I had a lab that at age three developed generalized tonic clonic seizures. A variety of vets treated him over the years until he deveolped status epilepticus- non stop seizures and had to be put down at age ten. One vet had him on phenobarb which is cheap and controlled him for the most part, another put him on mysoline which was more expensive but did no better. As to cause, the best and I think most plausible explanation was a scar from hyperthermic birth injury. I would have expected a tumor to have ended his life earlier. i never had imaging done as it would not have altered his care.
 
One vet had him on phenobarb which is cheap and controlled him for the most part, another put him on mysoline which was more expensive but did no better.

mysoline is an old anticonvulsant that is thought to break down to a barbituate (like phenobarb). the generic is called primidone, which would be cheaper.

the reason i brought up a possible tumor, is the focal onset of the seizure (as opposed to generalized seizures) and the age of the dog. although trauma, from birth or otherwise, is just as likely.

like i said, i am not a dvm and i would recommend seeking a second opinion.
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