I'm worried about my dog.

Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS)
#1

I love my dogs, they are the best animals I’ve ever seen. But the little one got sick.

Yesterday, he started gagging, I was in the other room and my son came to get me. It looked like he was foaming a little bit, maybe throwing up ? So we took him outside. A few minutes later, he was fine and we brought him back in the house.

For the rest of the day, no problem. Then last night, he started gagging again, but this time it was really bad. Foaming at the mouth, growling, teeth showing, he was almost frozen standing up, but crouched over, he lost control of his bladder and bowels. We called his name and he didn’t respond. We picked him up to take him outside again and he still didn’t move.

We tied him out again, I have kids and I wasn’t sure what was going on. I don’t know much about rabies, but he’s had his shots and he hasn’t been bitten or scratched by anything. I looked it up on the net, but he’s not showing any other symptoms of that.

We kept an eye on him and he slowly came out of it. He started shaking first, then walking, he seem disoriented, and it took a little while before he responded to his name. Then he was fine. He ate all of his food and he was trotting around like normal. It seemed like a seizure.

We called the vet, but the only one that is 24 hour is about 100 miles away, they said it sounded like it was a seizure. She told us to bring the dog to the vet in the morning, but of course, we’re getting hammered with snow and will be unable to travel today or maybe tomorrow.

He was fine for the rest of the night, and so far he’s acting fine today. I’ll take him to the vet as soon as I can, but I’m worried about my little dog.

#2

So sorry to hear about your pup.

IANAV but I believe rabies is pretty rare. Especially since he has had his shots. It does sound like a seizure.

The good news is that he is eating and drinking, don’t ya think?

What is he? I have a Lab that is getting on in years. I built a 16 foot long ramp so she can get up and down from the deck. Got two doggie doors and 4 dog beds.

The things we do for love.

#3

Boone is a mutt. The vet thinks that he’s part Irish setter, not sure about the rest though. He about 8 years old.

#4

IANA veterinarian, but I do have 2 dogs with epilepsy. My #1 dog, Sasha, has grand mal seizures. In those seizures, she usually collapses, foams at the mouth and shakes all over. She frequently makes paddling motions with her front feet. She usually loses bladder control. When I read your description, the first thing I thought of was “seizure”, except for the standing-up part.

You do need to keep an eye on him. A single seizure is scary to watch, but isn’t usually life-threatening. What you have to watch for is continuing groups of seizures, like when the dog starts having seizures and doesn’t stop. The animal can overheat and end up with brain damage that way. This is NOT all that common, so don’t freak out – just keep a eye on him.

Check the Canine Epilepsy Resource page. They have tons of good information, as well as a supportive email group if your dog does turn out to have epilepsy.

Get your dog checked out by a vet as soon as you can. Some seizures are caused by thyroid problems, or food allergies, or genetics. Most epilepsy in dogs seems to be “idiopathic,” i.e., no known cause. The dog just starts having seizures. After a seizure (the “post-ictal” phase) the dog is frequently hyper and sometimes disoriented.

The other thing I thought of is maybe he has some kind of blockage? Watch for normal pooping too.
Good luck, and let us know how it comes out. Epilepsy can usually be managed pretty well.

#5

I had a white german shephard that developed epilepsy at around one year of age. When it started, his symptoms were similar to what your dog experienced - mainly some foaming at the mouth, body tremors, and being disoriented. He’d be fine after a few minutes, though I’d always worry about him when it happened. All I could do was watch and make sure there was nothing around him that he might bump into. Some dogs will snap if touched during a seizure, so it’s best to just let them ride it out. Medication is available to help control the seizures, just like with humans.

If it happens again you should note the symptoms and duration so your vet can use this as an aid in diagnisis.

When you can get him to your regular vet, they can check for that, run some tests, whatever (they will probably be extensive and expensive). Another possibility is that he ate something, possibly poisonous, that caused the reaction. If he’s an older dog, he may be developing cardiac problems. I’m assuming he’s not being treated for heartworms (which usually results in episodes of gagging and coughing).

Just in case epilepsy is diagnosed (and to get more info on symptoms of epilepsy and other problems that cause a similar reaction):

http://www.canine-epilepsy.net/
http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/

#6

how’s the puppy doing? has it happened again?

#7

Not a vet, but my sister’s dog has seizures quite frequently and they are exactly how you described. Depending on the breed of the dog, seizures happen for different reasons. They can come from several problems and even allergies. When the dog is having a seizure keep your children away. The dog is scared (it doesn’t know what’s going on either!) and it could change the dogs reaction to the kids, such as by biting them.

Try and relax until you can get to the vet. I know this is upsetting but I’ve seen it in so many dogs and it is not as uncommon as some may believe it to be. Dogs, once diagnosed are treated much like humans and given medication. I don’t know if picking your dog up and taking it outside is such a good idea and I think your vet could at least tell you that over the phone.

My dog (Aussie Shepherd) is two, almost 2 1/2 and still may have an accident or vomit in the house. The new Woolite Oxy Deep Carpet Cleaner is FANTASTIC! I suggest you get yourself a bottle so your carpet doesn’t get ruined. Your dog will be fine, just get to your vet as soon as your roads are clear. These may not happen for quite some time, but they will happen again so don’t dismiss it as a one, two, three time happening. Good luck! Keep us posted!