Why does my dog fall or nod when excited, then quickly recover?

Poor Souza! With her extensive history and multiple medications, I am quite concerned about these symptoms. These could be secondary to being on the wrong dose of phenobarbital, having a problem with her heart disease and not getting enough oxygen, a condition called geriatric vestibular disease that cause instability, a stroke and much more. I would try to get in to see a vet soon. A vet will be able to check phenobarbital levels, blood work and even X-rays if needed. Your vet will be able to adjust her medicine if needed or give her additional medicine if it is something unrelated to her current problems. I hope this helps and she starts to feel better soon !

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The falling/lethargy episode you described may have been a seizure. This may be due to toxin ingestion or epilepsy, which does occur occasionally in older dogs. Head shaking may be related or unrelated as an ear infection. I recommend having Sami seen by her vet who can perform bloodwork and x-rays and prescribe anticonvulsant medications if the seizures continue. I recommend bringing a video of the episode if you are able to, as his will be really helpful in determining if the episode was truly a seizure. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

There are a number of partial seizure type conditions which can cause similar signs and generally would not be treated unless progressing ir affecting his quality of life. I recommend you keep a diary of frequency and timing of events and if linked to any particular events or types of food etc and also video the episodes to track any progression

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.

I am sorry to hear that Max isn’t doing well. Collapsing events are commonly associated with heart disease, but other problems such as anemia or cancers could cause similar signs. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. X-rays and/ or Blood work may be recommended to help define the diagnosis. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Tyson urgently needs to be seen by your veterinarian as he could be suffering from so-called syncopes. As he is a geriatric dog, his heart may be compromised, so when he gets excited when you get home, it may not transport enough oxygenated blood to his brain and he faints. This is called a syncope. There may also be other reasons for this, and a veterinary exam will help find the cause for the "losing consciousness". Epilepsy may be another cause. Your vet may want to do chest x rays and blood tests.

It is possible that it was a seizure, or it may have been what we call a syncopal episode. A syncopal episode occurs when there is a sudden decrease in blood flow to the brain, often due to an abnormal heart rhythm or other heart condition. Its also possible that was neither---if she remained conscious (was responsive and aware of her surroundings), it could just be that she had a itch or uncomfortable spot on that side she was trying to get to. As long as she's been acting normal since, its fine to just keep a close eye on her and get her to your vet for the appointment. Your vet may recommend running some lab work (probably some blood tests) to see if there are any abnormalities. Ask yourself and your mom if there is any possibilities of toxin exposures your dog could have gotten into, and be sure to let your vet know. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!