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Could this be episodic falling?

Matte

Well-known member
I asked this on a general dog chat list and no one had any insight, so I thought that this might be a cavalier thing--I hope that I'm not violating cross-posting rules.

The other night, after I came home from a business trip, the dog was very excited and thrilled to see me (oh, so flattering). She raced around and jumped up and down for about 15 minutes and finally settled in my lap. After a few minutes she wanted to get up so I put her on the floor and she walked around, completely calm, but like she was a little kid on ice skates for the first time. She just couldn't get her footing, her legs were going in all directions as she walked around the room, but otherwise was completely normal--not stressed or upset, responded to us, knew where she was, didn't drool or have a bowel movement, etc. She didn't fall down, didn't pull her head to one side, nothing like what I saw on the videos on the episodic falling website. After about 10 minutes she lay down in her basket, rested there for a few minutes, and then popped up like nothing happened.

The next morning we had to take her to the vet for something else. We asked about this and the vet was baffled.

Does anyone have any insight?
 
Oh dear! I wish I could shed some light onto this but have not encountered anything like it before, maybe she pinched a nerve or her legs simply "went to sleep" you know like when you tuck a leg under yourself for a while you get "pins and needles"?? Just a suggestion?

Will watch this thread and see what any-one else suggests, but in the meantime am thinking of you! :hug: :flwr:
 
I know so little about EF, so I too can not shed any light on this. I am sorry to hear that your dog had this episode. I sure hope it turns out to be a one & only. I too will keep an eye on this thread.
 
I'd go and talk to a neurologist if you can. It sounds like some kind of seizure or something neurological affecting motor coordination. It is hard to use videos as a gauge to decide what a dog *doesn't* have, as symptoms with these conditions can be so variable. They tend to be more helpful for people whose dogs have those symptoms and they haven;t been able to figure out why they are showing the video'd behaviour. With neurological conditions there tend to be some typical behaviours and lots of other possibilities as well. For example I have a couple of videos that show some *possible* SM behaviours but certainly not all or even most of what might be possible. I always wonder if I should post videos at all as a lot of people clearly decide their dog does not have SM if it isn't acting exactly like the videos and it may take a lot longer for the dog to get a helpful diagnosis. But on balance I think they do help people understand a condition a lot better and are worthwhile if they help anyone in any way. Also at an early onset point of some of these conditions, the symptoms may be a lot milder than they get later -- or it may just be a very mild case of the condition and will never get worse -- or might be a once off as sometimes seems to happen with EFS.

A specialist will likely be more helpful than a vet in helping to determine what this is, if the symptoms continue. Hopefully they won't. For other possibilities I'd be thinking mild epilepsy or possibly the ataxia/lack of coordination that can be associated with SM sometimes. I hope it turns out to be none of these things.
 
Thanks for the help. I need to check into a neurologist--there certainly isn't one around here (this is a rural area)--I wonder if there's one up in Stockholm. The vet didn't think epilepsy since Asta was entirely "there" during the whole thing.

My husband is going to call the breeder and see if she has any experience of this with her dogs.
 
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