Panic Attack...

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Dazed'n'confused

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I'm just wondering if any of you have had any experience of panic attacks in a dog?
My 11 year old (will be 12 this year) JRT has had a couple of strange episodes at night that I can only describe as a panic attack.
He wakes me up whining and panting like he's being hounded by wolves - he doesn't need to go out, he just wants to cling to me. He's not trembling, just panting madly and wants to lick a lot.
He eventually calms down after about an hour but I have to resort to taking him up to bed with me where he can press himself against me.
He is fine the next morning (unlike me who has had no sleep!!)

He sleeps in the kitchen with his younger brother who is not disturbed by any of these goings on at all. They have choice of three beds and a chair to sleep in so its not like they've fallen out over sleeping arrangements.
The other two dogs are in the utility and they too are fast asleep.
I can't hear anything that's unusual and he's not bothered by any appliances (the dishwasher has long since done its thing).

He is in great health - fit as a fiddle, runs about on walks, finds 2 or 3 hour walks easy, has more stamina than the 3 yr old terrier, always gets his toys out when everyone else is tired! Obviously at nearly 12 his eyes aren't as good as they were (but he can still catch a biscuit in mid air if it falls!) & he's slightly arthritic in his elbows but nothing that slows him down (he's sounder than I am)!

Any ideas or tips to help him gratefully received...!! Thanks!
 
His need to cling to you sounds exactly like my Dane when he developed epilepsy. May be worth taking him in for some checks - post ictal confusion can be really scary for them!
Good luck. It's horrid when they're so stressed and you don't know how to help them.
 
Starzaan said:
His need to cling to you sounds exactly like my Dane when he developed epilepsy. May be worth taking him in for some checks - post ictal confusion can be really scary for them!
Good luck. It's horrid when they're so stressed and you don't know how to help them.
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Thank you! He has his boosters soon so will mention it then (unless he has another attack beforehand, in which case I'll book him straight in!) He is absolutely terrified at the vets which doesn't make it easy to diagnose things!! He's like a ruddy Tasmanian devil ;)
 
It does sound like some sort of fit. I know you say the others are not bothered but it may be something to keep an eye on, it is not unusual for lifelong pack mates to turn on a dog (or indeed a human) displaying an unusual or disturbing behaviour.
 
Starzaan said:
His need to cling to you sounds exactly like my Dane when he developed epilepsy. May be worth taking him in for some checks - post ictal confusion can be really scary for them!
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yes, it does sound like it-my last wee dog was epileptic and she would be very clingy and disoriented following a seizure. as CC says, if it were a seizure and another dog even went to investigate is could end up with someone getting nipped so keep an eye out.
 
My cat has suffered a couple of seizures over the past 18 months. Twice we were there, she sleeps on my pillow and woke me up kicking me in the head, and the other time our son went upstairs and thought he caught her just after one. She is disorientated afterwards for a few minutes, and will cry, then is back to normal. She is elderly and the vets have told us just to keep an eye on her unless they become more regular, or she starts to not be herself generally.
 
A friends JRT has very similar as did his brother, in my friend's dog they are fits and sound very similar, some times he stops breathing for a few moments as well, he is an older dog, going deaf and only partially sighted now so it has been agreed with the vet to leave well alone as he has very severe separation anxiety and gets stressed just visiting the vet.
I hope your dog is ok.
 
Thank you everyone, much appreciated!
He has only had three of these episodes so far, over a period of about 4 months. Unfortunately they happen at night so I have no idea if anything occurs (such as a fit) which then causes him to panic.
He is perfectly normal during the day, however I have noticed that in the past 6 months he's slightly odd during the evening (can't decide where to sit or just sits at my feet or next to me on the sofa which is something he's never been particularly bothered about).
I will keep an eye on him and he can stay in the lounge if I go out so there's no mishaps with the others...
Poor boy, it's awful getting old!
 
Try and video the behaviour for your vets.It can help a lot to see these things as oppose to be told about them.

It could be old age changes .a sort of doggy dementia as it sounds like the behaviour is only happening at nighy and there are medications that can help in those cases.

It could be post mini mal seizure type behaviour.usually with the larger seizures there will be some evidence they have occured..urination saliva on the ground disturbed bedding etc.
There are a lot of other possibilites...so defiantely worth a check up and bloods.
 
Aru said:
Try and video the behaviour for your vets.It can help a lot to see these things as oppose to be told about them.

It could be old age changes .a sort of doggy dementia as it sounds like the behaviour is only happening at nighy and there are medications that can help in those cases.

It could be post mini mal seizure type behaviour.usually with the larger seizures there will be some evidence they have occured..urination saliva on the ground disturbed bedding etc.
There are a lot of other possibilites...so defiantely worth a check up and bloods.
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Thank you. They're definitely not "big" seizures if that's what's happening as nothing is evident at all.
If (well, when) he has another episode I'll video the panic symptoms and take him to the vet.
He was absolutely fine last night thankfully!
 
It sounds like my dog. She does have epilepsy. When she has a seizure it's always in early hours of the morning. Recently she's been waking me up just being unsettled I let her out and sometimes she does need a poo but often she's just unsettled.
Shes 11 this year.
I'm guessing it may be related to her epilepsy. She's also on medication for arthritis.
I'm going to mention it to my vet but she seems very well in other ways.
 
Sandstone1 said:
It sounds like my dog. She does have epilepsy. When she has a seizure it's always in early hours of the morning. Recently she's been waking me up just being unsettled I let her out and sometimes she does need a poo but often she's just unsettled.
Shes 11 this year.
I'm guessing it may be related to her epilepsy. She's also on medication for arthritis.
I'm going to mention it to my vet but she seems very well in other ways.
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Aww, bless her, it does sound similar - they're a worry aren't they, I just want him to never get old! :(
 
I would hold off of boosters. Look up vaccination for dogs online, many are over vaccinated and lead to problems. My first thought on reading your post was epilepsy.

I have a lab with epilepsy and shows panic/unsettled behaviour before a seizure.
 
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