Cavalier seizures, yelping: Why did vet ask about Chiari malformation?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If no diagnostics have been performed yet, I would strongly recommend having Oscar's blood tested and see if there are any abnormalities moving forward. If there are no abnormalities, a neurologist would be the next one to see for a second opinion on why we may be seeing seizures in Oscar. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

In my opinion, it is a long shot to diagnose brain tumor based on one episode like that. First of all, it should be established if the episode was a seizure or not (it could have been a muscle spasm or a bout of neck pain, maybe ?). I assume that neurological examination at the time of your visit at your vet was all ok. If Sookie has another similar episode, ideally you should record a video of that and play it back to your vet. It will help to establish if this is a seizure or not. Even if the episode was an epileptic seizure it is not necessary because of brain tumor. Problems like blood clot in the brain vessel, bleeding from a brain vessel, inflammation of the brain, infection or even diseases distant from the brain (for example diabetes, heart diseases) can result in seizure-like episodes. So, the best approach for confirmed seizure is to run blood test first to rule out diabetes, drop in blood glucose level, liver/kidney function etc. If the results are negative AND your dog is experiencing similar, frequent epsidoes you can consider MRI of the brain. Lastly, brain tumors do not respond well to chemotherapy/radiotherapy therefore this mode of treatment is usually not recommended. However, some brain tumors can be surgically removed.

Cavaliers are prone to some heritable diseases such as syringomelia and heart disease. Syringomelia is a condition that causes pain and scratching in the neck area, which could be aggravated by turning her on her back. Of course, her problem could have other causes, but the signs are to general to be able to pin point a cause. If she does not improve by tomorrow , or if she deteriorates you need to take her to a veterinarian for an exam.

I'm concerned that Charlie is very unwell, and I highly recommend taking him in to a vet immediately, or getting a housecall vet to your home. Do not let your children be rough with him, as it may worsen his condition, and also is not safe for the children, as Charlie may feel forced to defend himself and accidentally injure them. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels can be prone to heart disease and also a condition called syringomyelia that can lead to neurological symptoms. He may also be dealing with infectious disease or trauma leading to his symptoms, but it is not possible to tell without having him examined by a vet, so I recommend having him seen by one right away. See the link below for more information: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952547

An MRI is useful to determine if Smodge is having seizures caused by a primary issue with the brain. This would be caused by a number of considtions for example a mass, or fluid changes within the brain. These conditions would be visible on the MRI scan. MRI scans are rarely if ever stopped, as the animals underlying the MRI are sedated so they do not move and interrupt he process. As well as to protect them from stress. If you do not wish to have the MRI performed you can ask your vet to try medical treatment for the seizures. If you take this route you won't know the precise cause of the seizures, but Smudge will still be receiving care. Some seizures are cause by idiopathic epilepsy and this would not be visible on an MRI, but it is a diagnosis reached when no other cause of the seizures can be found. If the MRI comes back clear, idiopathic epilepsy would be the most likely diagnosis. Medical treatment would then be started. I hope that is helpful information. Happy to help more in a consult or if you want to post any further questions in the forum.

The swollen glands are quite common with dental disease so it could be just a normal reaction to plaque and inflammation of the gums. The pain to the side of the neck, could be related to an ear problem or neck muscular sprain. I must tell you though that Cavaliers often suffer with a congenital condition called syringomyelia that can cause acute sudden pain of the neck, or more generalised symptoms, vague symptoms such as compulsive scratching of the neck. Treatment consists most commonly of rest and various forms of analgesia. I would try not to worry , unless Sadie is in a lot of pain in which case I would have checked asap if possible. Try to keep her quiet and confined to a small area and have her checked over first thing in the morning. Try not to google this condition or you might get very worried for nothing as she might not have this disease and if she does there are lots of options to keep her comfy.

It sounds like something is irritating the nerves that run through the middle/inner ear. Has a thorough ear exam been done with an otoscope? Any x-rays of the head? Have you considered taking him to an internal medicine specialist and/or a neurologist for additional testing? That is what I suggest you do as the next step. Most likely he will need an MRI or CT Scan. I highly doubt Pepcid will do anything but it won't hurt to try it. Personally, I would have used steroids (prednisone) as the medication of choice but it is hard for me to second guess your vet since I have not examined Gale or have access to the entire medical history and exam findings. So, speak to your vet about a referral to a specialist. I can't seem to find any speciality hospitals in your area so you may have to drive a few hours to take him to one.