My old dog has seizures, wets the bed, and is slow to recover. Why?

The most common symptoms of a full-blown seizure in older dogs include drooling, violent muscle spasms, running movements of his legs, loss of bladder and bowel control and possible vomiting. So the incontinence may be part of the seizure. But anyway in a situation like this you NEED to get your dog to your vet as quickly as you can, to stop seizure if persistent or any more seizures and start diagnosis of the underlying cause The leading causes of seizures in older dogs changes and while epilepsy is the leading cause of seizures in younger dogs (under 6 years old), in senior dogs the leading causes include brain tumors, liver or kidney disease, trauma, poisoning, under active thyroid gland (hypothyroidism).

I hate to hear that your friends dog is so sick! Make sure to stay in contact with the veterinarian and follow all the recommendations. The pale gums are concerning for blood loss or not producing enough red blood cells. This condition could cause a seizure but would normally show up on bloodwork. Seizures can be caused by many conditions including toxins, brain tumors, infections in the brain, liver disease, low blood sugar or epilepsy. Bloodwork will generally also help to determine if one of these is the cause of the disease. Urinating uncontrollably is worrisome for a bladder infection, a problem with the sphincter or a neurological disease. This sounds like a complicated illness and the pup may need various diagnostics and even sometimes a repeating of diagnostics to look for progression. I hope this helps to provide a little insight and that because of the illness is quickly identified and treated. Make sure to have her examined quickly for the pale gums. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Sorry to hear about Munnu. The lab report you have attached does not provide any insight into the cause of his seizure activity. Unfortunately, a 12 year old dog with no previous history of seizures is most likely the result of a brain tumor or tumor elsewhere in the nervous system (this is of course in the absence of a known traumatic event to the head or neck). Other less likely causes would include certain infectious or inflammatory conditions, or extremely late onset epilepsy. I would recommend getting Munnu onto anticonvulsive drugs right away, and having his stabilized at your veterinarian if the seizures continue with regularity.

Since Cali was having neurologically abnormal repeated behavior, seemed unaware of your presence, and lost control of her bladder, it seems likely that she had a seizure. One of the most common causes of seizures in a 3 year old dog is epilepsy, but other possibilities include liver diseases (portosystemic shunts), toxin exposure, or brain tumors. If another episode occurs, take a video to show to her vet. There is no need to rush to a vet after a one time occurrence, as she will likely not be started on any seizure control medications. However, should Cali have another seizure within a 24 hour period, she should go to an ER vet because this would be considered a "cluster seizure".

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry to hear about your Mom's dog! Causes of seizures in older dogs are: brain tumor, metabolic changes (liver or kidney problems), low thyroid, vascular events (stroke), infectious causes (tick borne disease), Granulomatous disease in the brain, and less likely epilepsy. It is best to have him seen by a Vet. He should have his blood, urine and thyroid checked. If he is having a lot of seizures anti-seizure medication should be started and possibly steroids if a brain tumor is suspected. I hope this helps and I wish your Mom's dog the best!

She really does need some investigation into what is going on. If toxins can be ruled out and there hasn't been a traumatic injury to the head it is most likely going to be a central nervous system lesion. Unfortunately this is normally a brain tumour or similar. Epilepsy is still a possibility but rarely occurs in older dogs. I would recommend seeing your vet as soon as possible so they can start with some blood tests and take their investigations from there. Fingers crossed for you.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Seizures can occur due to many reasons that go from a toxicity, metabolic diseases, inflammatory diseases and even tumors including brain tumors. I highly recommend that you have Casey evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible for further assessment and treatment. Diagnostics that will be recommended will include bloodwork and advanced imaging such as an MRI. They would also be able to start her on anti-seizure medications to try to avoid the onset of more seizures. Good luck and have a good day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!