Posted on 05/30/2008 6:20:50 PM PDT by sushiman
I live in the boondocks of Kumamoto with my Japanese wife and our two Boston Terriers Toto and Momo . There is only one vet in this area and we have used him since the dogs were born and they have always had regular check ups , shots , etc...
A couple of weeks ago , Toto ( now 11 ) and I were outside in the garden . In order to scare away some pesty crows that live in back of our house , I shot a cap gun . As soon as I did , Toto fell over on his side , wet all over himself , and didn't move . I massaged his chest , and after about a minute he recovered . I thought he had collapsed from shock from the noise ( he hates thunder , fireworks ...) , but my wife took him to the vet the next day . From what I gather he didn't give Toto an ultrasound or do any other involved examination . After hearing the info we gave him about the incident , and listening to Toto's heart , he prescribed a drug we are to give Toto daily . I'm not sure exactly what it does , but my wife appears to trust the vet and thinks " it can't be helped " . I am not sure I trust the vet . I can get more info from my wife when she gets home .
Anyway , Toto has had two more incidents since last Sunday . One time he was running around the garden for a few minutes and collapsed . Yesterday , he dropped as soon as I let him out . Both times he recovered after about a minute .
I know he is old , but I want to do right by my buddie and do everything I can for him . I am going to suggest that my wife take him to another vet about an hour's drive from here . I know she is going to say it's a waste of time ( she really does trust our vet ) , but I'll give it a shot .
In the meantime , I'd like to hear from any vets out there in Freeperland who have an opinion or any advice , etc...
By the way , he has no cough , but does pant a little more than he used to . Otherwise , fit as a fiddle as far as I can tell . Super appetite !
Thanks in advance !
I have a dog who has seizures - they are much like what you describe. Noise is major trigger for her. In fact, thunderstorms are the worst. I give her Phenobarb once daily and more when there are storms.
Toto was ok with thunderstorms when he shared space with his brother Max . Max died last March , and ever since he goes nutso when we get a thunderstorm or when the local kids set off fireworks .
Also known as Vasotec, an ACE inhibitor, used in humans to treat hypertension, congestive heart failure, and cardiomyopathy.
I suspect your dog has a weak heart....excitement is causing his heart to beat fast...too fast to effectively pump blood in its weakened state. His blood pressure plummets, he becomes unconsious and shows seizure type activity caused by a sudden lack of bllod to hte brain. Once laying down, effective blood flow is restored to the brain and he waked up after a couple of minutes, initially a bit wobbly but then seemingly as normal as he gets.
No...not a vet...a paramedic :)
Raisins or grapes, either one is deadly. So are onions and chocolate. Potatoes and garlic are also not good for dogs. A small amount like licking a plate is ok, but not any sizable amounts.
Your description sounds like epilepsy. My former dog had grand mal seizures. We had to give him phenobarbital and another drug which aided in the absorption of the phenobarb. He was a lot slower, but he lived another 5-6 years after his first seizure.
When your dog falls over, does his body become stiff with an arched back? Do his legs flail like he is running? Does he urinate?
My dog’s seizures came on suddenly when he was 7 or 8 years old. There was no prior indication of any medical situation. One the vet had his medication balanced, he would only have one or two seizures a year.
There is nothing wrong in seeking a second opinion from another vet. Sometimes another doctor will see something the first missed. If nothing else, the other vet can confirm the diagnosis.
” When your dog falls over, does his body become stiff with an arched back? Do his legs flail like he is running? Does he urinate? “
Yes , somewhat stiff , but no arched back . He urinated the time I set off the cap gun , but not the following two times .
I had a beagle once that looked healthy as could be but would have a seizure if she ran for a few minutes. Vet wanted to put her on medication. I thought about it for a couple of days and realized that some of my other beagles were having other problems so I changed to a different brand of dog food. Problem solved.
Now, this doesn't mean you should change to a high protein dog food. That can cause kidney problems from what I understand. Try a good name brand dry dog food.
Except that once my Border Collie unwrapped and ATE an entire can of Almond Rocas one night — full of chocolate — it looked like cocoons all over the floor. He was FINE...
You gotta figure its neurological or psychological. You have a rictus and an unconsciousness. You have a trigger.You could spend buck on an MRI of the brain and a cardio workup. Or you could live with it.
I agree with Dave. If Toto is collapsing and not moving and then getting up after one minute, it might be narcolepsy. Go to YouTube and do a search for “Narcoleptic Dog” and see if this similar to what Toto does. Good luck!
I am not a vet, but from other animals I do know I’d say possibility is:
1. Sometimes when you move too quickly blood pressure drops and the brain doesn’t get enough O2 and you can pass out or get really dizzy/fall. Older people suffer from this getting up out of a chair too quickly. B vitamins help people.
2. Inner ear infection. The vet could check his blood (a CBC test) and see if his white blood cell count is high.
3. Epilepsy. Rather mild, although it is freaky to watch. If he is recovering in a minute, that is really good.
And just for his overall health, as he is an older dog, get dinovite (excellent dog vitamin). www.dinovite.com Will definitely help his general health.
He looks like Winston Churchill! :)
” 2. Inner ear infection. The vet could check his blood (a CBC test) and see if his white blood cell count is high. “
My wife said that a blood test was done , and nothing unusual was found .
Where are you located???
Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan .
So sorry to hear about your buddy's troubles. Hopefully, it will be the kind of thing that can be managed for years to come.
I feel compelled to ask if the vet told you to come back for follow-up blood testing. We had a dog who went on this drug also when she was about 10 or 11 years old. The veterinary cardiologist was adamant that she had to have regular blood work to make sure that the drug was not damaging her kidneys. They demanded the same thing when they prescribed the drug for a friend's cat. It seems to be the standard of care in the U.S. with this medication. My impression is that it is a very effective drug for the heart but can be hard on the kidneys.
Our dog developed kidney failure a few years later. I'm told this is the most common cause of canine death so it could have been perfectly natural. However, our family vet felt that it was the price we paid for taking the stress off her heart with the drug.
There is a lot of info online about the drug. You might want to do some reading.
Nice brindle. Looks like he’s getting a bit chunky! Bostons love to eat. Great dogs.
My first dog when I was a boy was a Boston named Bobo. Bobo went everywhere with me, even to the beach and down to Mexico. A couple times I even put him in my newspaper bags and took him on my route.
I don’t know what advice to give. It wouldn’t hurt to get a second opinion. And enjoy the little guy while while you can.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.