I need your advice/knowledge please!

Kellys Heroes

Kellys Heroes

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 May 2010
Messages
3,396
Location
Manchester
Visit site
I've come back from uni for the weekend and wasn't told that my Golden Retriever had had an 'episode' as my parents didn't want me to worry.
Apparently my mum came downstairs at about 2am and found our GSD running back and forth frantically but my Goldie was nowhere to be seen.

My mum found her in her bed shaking with her head to the left hand side really glazed over like she couldn't focus on anything and didn't know where she was. She shouted my dad and they managed to calm Misty down. This lasted about ten minutes and then she vomited and then tried to kiss my mum and has been fine ever since. They stayed up with her the rest of the night (of which she was fine) and took her to the vets in the morning and the vet said it could either be a mini stroke (in which case, to 'expect' another in 6-8 weeks time as its likely) or something-vestibular syndrome? aka old age syndrome. She's been out for a good walk today (pics in AAD!) and has been a star.

On the same day, my 17 y/o Sect Dx had a seizure too. She's been diagnosed with Cushings and has been on meds since about December. She's been up and down but was really doing well up till this seizure - they *think* she had a couple over 48 hours as she was down a few times and couldn't get her up, she was all glazed, and almost couldn't work her legs. She had 2 about 12 months ago - could this be to do with the Cushings? She is absolutely fine now, shouting to us this morning, went for a walk, eating fine etc
TIA
K x
 
Lots and lots of hugs cos I know how worried you must feel. We are privileged to have these wondefull animals as our friends for only a short while. Try not to let worry cloud the joy you get everyday from them.The simple fact is ,that we all get old.
 
Mike007 said:
Lots and lots of hugs cos I know how worried you must feel. We are privileged to have these wondefull animals as our friends for only a short while. Try not to let worry cloud the joy you get everyday from them.The simple fact is ,that we all get old.
Click to expand...

I'm truly privileged to have found such wonderful animals and they've had such problems already in their younger years and come through it. Misty's only 9 but in a way I'd rather it be 'old age' and not become any more serious, than her having another severe episode in 6 weeks time, as I know strokes often don't leave them with much quality of life.
I just hope that its an 'episode' and we don't see another one for a while...as for Kelly, I'm hoping its just the meds balancing out as the vets couldn't find any reason for it last time they said we'd either see them regularly or never see one again but they weren't going to investigate as she brings herself round very quickly.
K x
 
I am confident thatv you are a truely caring "owner" (I used inverted commas because my horse definately does not consider me his owner or master)You will do what is best for your partners and that is all anyone could ask for.Hugs again.
 
I am really sorry to hear about both animals! Hope they feel better soon.

Coincidentally this was posted recently in another forum (Total France) which might be of interest to you:

"I recently posted on the subject of a close friend's german shepherd who was diagnosed with Vestibular Syndrome. Please read this post through to the end as it may save your own dog's life.

One week ago my friend returned home to find his 11 year old dog lying down with his head lolled to the side, his eyes were perpetually twitching horizontally, he had a 'tic' in his right eyebrow, one ear was raised the other flacid and he was unable to hold his head up. The dog had been perfectly fit and healthy just a few hours earlier.

Our initial fear was that the dog had suffered a stroke so I went online to research the symptoms whilst we waited for the vet to return to his surgery. Vestibular syndrome was one of the first responses I found when I typed in 'canine stroke symptoms'. Every symptom listed matched perfectly. I then looked up 'Syndrome Vestibulaire' in order to print out the page in french for the vet to see.

When we carried the dog into the vet's surgery, the poor thing had no coordination whatsoever. He couldn't stand, he was panicking and he was totally disoriented.

The vet checked him over and told us that the situation was very bad for the dog, that he seemed to have suffered a severe cerebral haemorrhage. Seeing the fearful reaction on my friend's face I handed over the page I'd printed to the vet and asked if there was any remote possibility it could be this - and could he at least be treated for it if there wasn't a more optimistic diagnosis.

The vet read the paper (which annoyingly didn't mention the side to side twitching of the eyes in the french version) and said he'd seen other dogs with this condition but never with the eye twitching which he felt was more likely to be a stroke.

The vet then rang a colleague who specialises in canine illnesses and asked for a second opinion. The colleague confirmed that it was definitely a sign of vestibular syndrome - huge sigh of relief and fair play to the vet for seeking a second opinion!

The vet prescribed Sibelium (flunarizine) which was to be taken for one month and to be repeated for one further month if necessary.

For three days he had to be fed by hand as he couldn't work out how to move his muzzle to his food and fluid was squirted into his mouth by syringe. At the pharmacy my friend discovered they have 60cm x 90cm plastic backed padded paper mats which save washing towels every few hours. By day 5 he had regained control of his head movements, then he could rise to his elbows and could eat and drink if the food was placed nearby.

Yesterday was my friend's birthday and his dog took his first wobbly steps! What a fantastic birthday present!

It doesn't bear thinking what could have been the outcome if this dog had been misdiagnosed as having had a stroke. I hope that by relating this story other dogs might also be given the chance to recover from what initially seemed to be a devastating illness.

If you'd like to read more about vestibular syndrome, here is a link... http://www.suite101.com/content/what-is-canine-vestibular-syndrome-a51752

Thank you for reading."
 
I have seen a couple of older ponies develop seizures having been successfuly managed on pergolide for some years. What you have to remember is cushings is caused by a pituitary tumor which is a brain tumor. It may be benign but it does continue to grow despite the meds and eventually can get so large it start to press on the mid and forebrain and cause seizures. You have to ask yourself; is she safe if she has a seizure and falls down when there is no one there to help her? It is far more problematic to manage as seizuring horse compared to a dog, unfortunately they are just so big and liable to hurt themselves.
Good luck
 
Yeah that seems likely Sam, thanks tbh I never thought of it like that - we check her over when she has had one (and the other thing is we have never actually seen her having these seizures we only seem to catch her when she's come round from it!) and she seems to be fine - just wants her haynet!
I will definately read on Vestibular syndrome - it was the first thing our vets mentioned but they have not prescribed anything except 24 hours rest (she is a very bouncy dog) - this was 3 days ago now and she went out for a walk in the woods today, got very muddy, wet and curly and seemed fine!
She didn't seem as bad as your friend's dog though, bless him, she came back to normal within half an hour
K x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top