Need help please

[Love my Cavaliers]

We experienced this with Oz, my youngest, when he was about 4 months old. He looked very similar to Jaspar in that he kept trying to get up but couldn't. He was also very aware of what was going on at the time so I know it wasn't a seizure. Like Jaspar, he recovered very soon and acted like nothing had happened. He has not had an episode since that young age. Sometimes I believe they grow out of it (as Oz did), sometimes it stays with them. I took him to my neurologist since I already had a relationship with one as I have a dog with SM. He examined him - no neurological deficits and said to just watch him.

Since Jaspar is having 2-3 a week, I would definitely go to the link Margaret suggested and try to get in contact with someone who can give you better medical information about what you should be doing. Good luck.

[JazzyJasper]

well he hasn't had an episode for the last 2 days

[Teresa]

My Barney had similar last year, never before though and he's eight tomorrow!! He collapsed on several occasions when excited over food (now there's a surprise!!) I thought he fainted the first time but he was aware. He lies on the floor and twitches a bit. His episodes only lasted about thirty seconds, then he'd leap up like nothing had happened and eat his food.
The first time was very scary though, I also thought maybe he was fitting.

He doesn't roll though so maybe just similar.

He was checked out thoroughly at the vets and even stayed in to see what would happen but they found nothing wrong.

In the last year it hasn't happened as badly but ever so often he twitches a little strangely for about ten seconds then is fine again.

Weird thing eh?

[JazzyJasper]

well i gave him a dog treat this morning and it triggered an episode

[Love my Cavaliers]

Oh too bad. I would think about going to see a neurologist since Jasper has several episodes a week. There may be some medication that will slow down the process.

[Karlin]

Hi and welcome to the board .

While you would want to get a professional opinion on Jasper's case, I think it is important to note that having him checked by a neurologist would be pretty urgent, I think. Episodic Falling can be fatal and can be a very serious problem and giving how many episodes he is already having, I'd get him to a neurologist right away to ask whether he should be placed on one of the seizure medications that have been found to help some dogs. Some dogs have a few episodes then never again. some recur on and off, some, as with epilepsy, get gradually worse. It affects dogs very differently. When they have these seizures they need to be supervised and the seizures can grow worse over time or may get better or even stop entirely. Sadly I do know of several dogs who have had to be pts due to this condition at a young age so I cannot stress enough that this does need medical supervision if the episodes are happening this frequently. It would be very urgent to inform his breeder as well as the parents should never be bred again if they have produced EFS. Any responsible breeder will want to know they have produced a case so they can take ethical decisions about their breeding programme.

Along with the EFS site, there is also detailed information here:

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

You are incidentally (and fortunately!) not too far I believe from the world's leading expert on the condition, Jacques Penderis, so that is who I'd go see:

Dr. Penderis, Clinical Neurology / Neurosurgery Service, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Bearsden Road, Glasgow G61 1QH, Tel: +(44) 0141 330 5738 (office), Email: j.penderis@vet.gla.ac.uk

The EFS website is a great resource and full of advice. You can see from information there that there is a spectrum of affectedness. Very little is really known about this condition except that it only seems to occur in cavaliers.

On an entirely anecdotal and personal note, while I have not read that it affects a particular colour more than any other, almost every single case I have known about has been a ruby so I would wonder whether there is some genetic predisposition more common in rubies.

The very best of luck in managing this and let us know what a neurologist recommends.

[JazzyJasper]

Hi,

Sorry I haven't been on in a while, Jaspers breeder was shocked but is adamant the illness didnt come from her dogs wonder how he got it then?

Anyway, have been in regular contact with our vet (who cares for our dogs when we go away) and I am happy to say he is hardly having any attacks at the moment. he's having maybe 1... or 2 a month max and they are getting shorter too, only lasting a few seconds.

So things are looking up for now