Why does my German Shepherd have seizures when she's sleeping?

From your description it is possible that Roxy had a seizure. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. The sooner she is seen the better and if you need to be seen as an emergency I would. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction and that Roxy gets better. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Roxy looks like a very sweet, normal and healthy pup! I would not worry about the shivering--puppies can make strange noises and do odd behaviors right before sleeping and then as they wake up from a nap, and this is all part of normal behavior. As long as she eats and drinks well, and has no vomiting or diarrhea, then she's doing great!

If the "fits" you are seeing are actually seizures, then yes, this could be a neurological issue like epilepsy. However seizures can be caused by numerous things. The best course of action is to take your vet to the vet for a physical examination and blood work to rule out any underlying metabolic issues. Depending on the findings and severity of the seizures your vet may recommend starting medications or may refer you to a neurologist. Best of luck.

Thank you for your question. I'm sorry to hear that Ruby has been having seizures. These episodes can be very frightening. When I see a patient for seizures under the age of four, I suspect they are due to epilepsy. However, when I see an older patient that begins having seizures, I am more concerned with a brain tumor, toxin, or diseases that create electrolyte imbalances. I would start with bloodwork to make sure there is no sign of any other problem. There are medications that can be given to control the seizures and make Ruby more comfortable, but I suspect the seizures will become more frequent over time. I wish I had better answers for you and Ruby.

I would be very concerned with Izzy having this many seizures in such a short period of time. Young, small breed dogs can suffer from a condition called a shunt. With this disease the liver is unable to filter out toxins like it normally would. When this happens and the levels of certain enzymes get too high they affect the brain and cause seizures. This happens more frequently after a meal. I would recommend having Izzy checked out by your vet. They will likely run a blood test to check her liver enzymes and a test called bile acids to see how well the liver is working. I'm sorry you are having to deal with this in your young pup! Hopefully you can get a diagnosis and start managing her seizures soon.

I am so sorry to hear about Coco. I know how scary this can be for the dog as well as the owner. You have my sympathies. The first disease that comes to mind when you were describing her symptoms was one called idiopathic epilepsy or seizures. Unfortunately, dogs of her breed can start to have seizures at an early age. Another disease of small small breed dogs is a condition called hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. This disease can also cause the same symptoms as seizures. I strongly encourage you to make an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible even if she is acting completely normal. In fact, that would be the best time to do a physical exam as well as diagnostic testing like bloodwork so that you can have medications on board or at home to give if she exhibits the symptoms again. Not to mention, with something as serious as this could be, you need to have a correct diagnosis performed by your local veterinarian so that they can help you treat any problems you may have in the future. I hope this helps.

I'm so sorry this is happening to your puppies! I doubt this is due to poisoning, although seizures can be caused by toxins. I would be more concerned about an infectious disease like Distemper or certain parasites, or a hereditary disease. It may be that the females are falling sick due to chance (and the male puppies might start getting sick). I don't think there would be much for you to do for the remaining puppies if you are unable to see a veterinarian, but you may want to consider having a necropsy (animal autopsy) performed if another puppy dies - this is often the best way to get a diagnosis since many tests cannot be performed on very young puppies.