My 13-year-old dog is having frequent seizures. What's wrong?

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.

Poor Jackie! It could be a seizure, but it could also be that she is having syncope (fainting) episodes due to heart disease. She needs to be seen by a veterinarian soon, so that she can be examined. If the vet suspects heart disease, they may do an x -ray, and refer you to a cardiologist for an echocardiogram to determine what part of the heart is affected, and what medication is best for Jackie to help her feel better and slow down the progression of the disease.

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 always recommend blood work to start with in any dog that started having seizures. There are a few things that could be diagnosed on blood work that could cause seizures, such as liver disease, kidney disease, electrolyte abnormalities, and infection. If the blood work is normal. Your vet will likely recommend that you continue to monitor Harley for seizure activity. Some dogs will have a seizure or two early in their life and never again. But some develop epilepsy that needs to start on medications. I generally wait to start medications until one of the following occur: -many seizures clustered together -seizures that are severe and cause bodily harm -the pet does not recover within 45 minutes after a seizure (should be tired, but otherwise normal) -seizures are occurring regularly (ie every month or two) Here is an article you may find helpful: https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/seizures-1/

I'm so sorry to hear that Lilly has developed seizures. Seizures in dogs can be fatal if not treated. There are a huge number of newer anti-convulsant drugs that are much safer than some of the older ones (and even a new diet). I always tell people that old age is not a disease. Seizures and their side effects are much more likely to kill Lilly than any of the medications that your vet might prescribe. I think it is worth having your vet examine her and discuss the treatment options. Hopefully your vet can put your parents' minds at ease about the medication and make Lilly feel better. I have included some information about seizures below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=560 I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using PetCoach.

I'm so sorry about your dog. I know this is a very scary time. There are multiple causes of seizures. I'm not sure how old your dog is, but in dogs under 5 years old who are completely normal in between seizure episodes, epilepsy is the primary cause of seizures. In older dogs it could be inflammation, a brain tumor, and infection or problems with the organs (particularly the liver). I always recommend blood work first to look for any problems there. If the blood work is normal, the next step is to evaluate the brain by doing an MRI. If blood work has not been done, I would highly recommend it. If problems are found in the blood work, then you should treat that. If everything is normal in the blood work, I would recommend starting seizure medication. Some dogs will have seizures very infrequently like your dog started out. Those dogs don't usually need medication. But when they become more frequent and are clustering (multiple in a 24 hours period) then I would definitely recommend medication at this point. There are multiple different seizure medications to choose from, so talk to your veterinarian about that. Many times the seizures will be manageable with medications, but it takes consistent medication multiple times per day and blood rechecks for the drug levels. Honestly, some dogs will be very difficult or impossible to control and will continue to have seizures despite being on multiple medications. So to answer your question, yes, there is something you can do to help your pet and based on the number of seizures he is now having, he needs to be put on medication. I hope this helps!

I'm sorry you and Jam are experiencing this. Seizures are very scary, especially with big dogs. Right after a seizure, dogs have a period where they are recovering and may seem not totally aware of their surrounds or have trouble walking, hearing, seeing. That usually lasts a few minutes to a few hours. That could be whats going on with Jam tonight. Another possibility is that whatever is causing the seizures is getting worse and starting to damage her brain more leading to the blindness. Seizures in older dogs can be caused by metabolic issues, such as kidney or liver failure, toxins, or brain tumors. I would recommend a veterinarian appointment to run blood work and full neurologic exam. If she's have more frequent seizures, or seems "off" for a long time after the seizures, it would be wise to go to the emergency clinic tonight rather than waiting for your regular veterinarian to be open. Best of luck to you and Jam.