• If you're a past member of the board, but can't recall your password any more, you don't need to set up a new account (unless you wish to). As long as you recall your old login name, you can log in with that user name then select 'forgot password' and the board will email you at your registration email, to let you reset your password.

injury followed by seizure vet confused??

sahara910

New member
Hey guys I don;t think I have posted on here but like once... But I love to read up. I have 2 CKCS Abby my tri will be 4 on New Years Day (also have a 2 y.o. Blen)
Anyhow we have a very large fenced in back yard. yesterday at around 1:30 hubby heard Abby yelp once outside. Thought I was with her as I didnt answer him (he was upstairs) and she stopped. 9 year old daughter let dogs in and they went in their crate. At 4pm I let them out and Abby was walking a little hunched.. sort of like she had a stick or something matted in her read end.... and I also had a sitter coming as I was leaving the house. But she walked down the steps and I asked the sitter to keep an eye on her. So sitter texts us at 7:00 to say Abby is definitely acting very strange and will not move off the blanket or eat and she is drooling. So we come home (takes us 45 min from downtown) I get home and she has the bug eyes look, will stand but reluctantly, I cant find anything at all on her. Eye is tearing, neck is wet from drool. Wont touch a treat or anything. She starts to walk away and drools again and I decide ok even though I know nothing I am calling emergency vet. As I get up she falls into a seizure (bever had this before)

Now vet is baffled, cant find anything... Did blood work and found low platelets 25,000 and said Cavs tend to run low but more like 50K so she wanted to test for a tick born illness and treat with prednisone and will also xray abdomen as she feels she is wincing and acting tender in that area. This was last night I hang up and find Kim Hamens study on platelet count and larger size and call back and give info to the receptionist as vet said she would look at this further and try to find more info. Im about to call them now and see what the story is this morning.. but anyone have any ideas or insight? My poor girl is a mess, and of course since it was Sat night IM already out $980 and know absolutely nothing! :( Thanks

ETA Follow up xrays show nothing and hand count of platelets showed 12,000 but she didnt see ANY other sign of platelet or clotting issue where they had to stick her or anything so we stopped that chase for now. Im going to go look at her, they said she ate so thats a big sign. I will probably bring her home and see my regular vet in the morning.
 
Last edited:
Drooling is usually a sign of them feeling sick, could she have eaten something she shouldn't? The hunched up walk is what Pippin did when he ate the edge of the rubber door mat (oh, and he drooled like mad as well!), and was probably due to abdominal pain. Luckily he'd chewed it small enough for it to pass through naturally, although the vet could see on x-ray that there was a large mass passing through his intestines.

I know the vet didn't see anything on x-ray for Abby, but it's still something to consider. If you do bring her home keep a close eye on her toileting as well, both to check she is going, and also to see that what comes out is fairly normal, no blood etc.

Have they done a urine test on her? I'm only asking because in young children feeling sick and/or being sick can be a sign of a urine infection, not sure if it's the same in dogs though.

I hope Abby is feeling better soon. Let us know how she's getting on

ETA Have you any plants in the garden that if eaten could cause these symptoms? If you google plants poisnous to dogs then you should find something for you to check against.
 
I have no ideas that may help, but just wanted to sympathise & acknowledge how worrying episodes like this can be.

Please let us know how Abby is tomorrow.
 
I have no advice to offer I am afraid. I hope she will be ok, please keeps us posted.:xfngr:
 
Have you discussed with the vet the possibility that Abby got into something toxic while she was outside or she encountered a snake or poisonous toad? Could she have been stung or bitten by an insect/spider? Drooling and seizure could be related to any of these. Have you recently applied any flea/tick meds to Abby or any other pet?

Sarah Cowan at UT Vet School was the leading researcher on the platelet issue so if your vet has questions about that, I'm sure he/she could phone UT for a consultation.

Keep us posted,

Pat
 
How terrifying!! I'm hoping Abby is better today. Please let us know how she does. I will be wondering and thinking about her.
 
She is not better. Acting scared. Bug eyed and won't walk. If she starts to she wretches and looks like she might vomit but weakly they are starting pred and doxycycline. Her hand count of platelets is 12000 which they think is way low even for a cav....
 
Sending get well wishes to Abby! Hope they find the cause of problem very soon and can get her back to health.

Heather R
 
Have you seen a specialist or emergency vet?

I'd 1) be concerned as noted about a poison/insect/snake bite and 2) if that doesn't seem to be the case, and they are stumped, ask for a referral to a neurologist. Is the vet aware of syringomyelia? The hunched over walking and listlessness are two possible signs of this and heavy drolling could be from pain associated with this. It also can affect the optic nerve. Seizures have been associated with it.

It does sound however as if there was some trigger like a bite.
 
Check her whole body for tick they are often a cause of a low platelet count. I really hope your vets are doing everyhting they can to get to the root of this as it sounds like it may be something serious. I hope you get some answers soon:)
 
Not sure if you are in the US, but I'd seek a consult with a board certified internist at this point. Were you told that doxy is VERY hard on the stomach and often causes nausea and anorexia? It should always be given with food as it can also cause esophageal reflux and actually damage the esophagus causing ulceration. Recommendation is to feed half of a meal, give the doxy wrapped in some kind of food and follow immediately with the rest of the meal. But this can be difficult if the dog is not eating.

This site is for humans, but effects in dogs are similar:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2165217_avoid-doxycycline-side-effects.html#

I presume they are giving doxy because of possible TBD because of the platelets? And giving pred because of suspected thrombocytopenia? I would have the consulting internist speak with Dr. Cowan at UT about platelets. They can also do coagulation tests to rule thrombocytopenia in or out. I'd be REALLY concerned about giving doxy and pred without a really good reason because those drugs have so many side effects.

Were there ANY subtle symptoms of anything before this incident - lameness, limping, anorexia, just "out of it" or listless/no energy? Any bruising on the skin? You did get full blood chemistry and CBC and urinalysis? Do you have past tests to compare? 25K platelets for a Cavalier doesn't alarm me and the hand count could have been incorrect. If coagulation tests are normal, I'd tend to rule out thrombocytopenia.

Read down to find out about a new platelet test by Idexx Labs that might help:

http://www.cavalierhealth.org/platelets.htm

Pat
 
Just to echo what Pat said about doxycycline. None of my dogs have had it, but my daughter took it and did get horrible esophagitis. She wa in tears it was so bad. So that may be one reason Abbey isn't eating. I sure hope they get to the bottom of this. It must be so scary for you. I am assuming she is still at the hospital. If so, is it an emergency hospital with someone there 24 hours a day? At most veterinary hospitals (not emergency ones) there is usually not someone there to monitor the dogs all night. Abbey sounds like she needs to be monitored. I hope she gets better soon.
 
Before they even gave the doxy or pred.. she collapsed on them tons of bloody fluid in lungs, swollen heart compressed trachea... she couldnt breathe on her own... we had to say goodbye,, Its so unfair she was so young...
 
I am so very sorry to hear this. It is terrible to lose one so young. It may be too late but you might want to consider having a necropsy done since you have another dog. They are sometimes inconclusive but you may want to try to rule out anything toxic.

My sincere condolences to your entire family.

Pat
 
Have been following and am so sorry to hear this sad news about your lovely Abby -a terrible shock to you :hug::hug::hug:.
 
Oh. NO.
I am so so sorry to hear this news
Gentle thoughts to you all

Take heart that she was loved and safe with you to the end
 
Back
Top