Why is my dog collapsing, breathing rapidly, and going limp?

That sounds scary! Zeus needs to be examined by his veterinarian today if possible. It sounds like he may have had a seizure or a syncopal episode. Pets can have seizures for many reasons including liver disease, electrolyte imbalance, infections, inner ear problems, cancer or epilepsy. Syncopal episodes are generally related to the heart. He will need a physical exam and bloodwork to begin to narrow down and appropriately address the cause. Seizures are serious and are best addressed early. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It sounds like Ingmar could have a serious health issue related to heart disease, seizures, or toxin exposure. I strongly recommend you have him examined by a veterinarian right away as some of these issues can be life threatening. Your veterinarian can assess Ingmar for a heart murmur and take X-rays to determine if emergency heart medication is needed. If seizures are suspected, then medication may be needed to prevent them in the future. Blood work should also be done to ensure no organ issues are present. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Ingmar makes a full recovery!

Hello. I am so sorry for your worries with your pet. There are any number of medical reasons that might explain this, but the most likely would be a seizure (not all are classic grand mal), or a heart issue. The best way to determine the cause is to let your veterinarian do a full exam & blood work to rule out any metabolic or otherwise obvious reasons for the episode. Then, if any treatments or medications are indicated, your veterinarian can discuss all options with you. Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello there! I am very concerned about Sammy. A dog of this age collapsing could indicate an age-related issue like arthritis, but it could also indicate something more sinister, like cancer. I strongly recommend that you check the color of Sammy's gums to be sure that they are pink and moist. A pale color to the gums could mean that Sammy is bleeding somewhere internally, and could have caused the collapse and heavy breathing. This would warrant an immediate trip to an emergency veterinary hospital. If he's nice and pink, it can probably wait until tomorrow, seeing as Sammy is acting normal and eating/drinking well. One incidence of vomiting is usually not something to worry about, but it could be an additional symptom of something else going on. Ticks can transmit diseases that cause these symptoms (such as lyme or rocky mountain spotted fever), so these should be assessed by your vet when you visit. I strongly suggest making an appointment tomorrow if possible. I would expect that they will take some blood, and potentially perform an x-ray (along with a complete physical exam). Good luck, and I hope that Sammy gets well soon!

I'm sorry to hear Joe is having an issue! Certainly must have been scary for you and him! It's impossible to say what caused this in Joe, but I'm concerned that this could have been a seizure. I'd strongly recommend taking Joe to see a veterinarian right away as seizures can be caused by a number of things including toxin exposure. It could have also been due to a respiratory or heart issue. Either cause is serious and requires emergency veterinary attention. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Joe recovers quickly!

So sorry about your dog. Besides it being caused by a seizure disorder, he could have something like laryngeal paralysis, collapsing trachea or be having a syncopal (fainting) episode from a heart problem. You could try to record one so your vet can see exactly what is happening. If the episodes continue and your vet is not able to control them, ask for a referral to a specialist for more testing. It might be a good idea to take a chest x-ray, have an ultrasound of his heart, and/or examination of his throat to look for laryngeal paralysis. Hope he gets better soon!

I'm concerned that Gilby's issue may be more related to a possible heart condition or other health problem rather than being caused by the collision with the lab. It sounds like he may have been having a series of syncopal episodes. Its also possible that this was seizure activity that you were seeing. Take Gilby to your vet to be evaluated. If he's still doing fine its not super urgent.... you don't need to rush to an ER... however, make an appointment if at all possible in the next couple of days. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!